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WZTV FOX 17 - Top Stories
A work day like any other nearly turned deadly for Rickey Smotherman, 53 of Woodbury.
"God's got more from me here on this earth because if he hadn't I'd be gone," Smotherman said.
Thursday evening, the owner of Leland’s furniture and Home Décor on Main Street looked up from his register and directly into the barrel of a gun. Behind it was a 13-year-old would-be robber and Smotherman made a bold decision to try to wrestle the gun from the teen's hands.
"We spent about four or five minutes scuffling on the floor until I finally got him out the door," Smotherman said.
Smotherman says the struggle spilled out of his store and onto the sidewalk and that's when the suspect fired and ran off up the street.
"Then I fell to my side and I felt the wetness and it was blood you [and I thought] I've been shot," Smotherman said.
He was taken to the emergency room where he was told that luckily, the bullet only grazed his torso and finally had a moment to reflect on his impulsive actions.
"It wasn't bravery," Smotherman said. "It was stupidity, if I had it to do over again I would have given him the 55, 60 dollars."
Police quickly caught the accused shooter and Smotherman says even though he was nearly killed, he still has sympathy for the teen.
"It's very sad for a 13-year-old to get to that level," Smotherman said. "You know his whole life is ruined now."
But he says not to mistake his sympathy for weakness.
"It's like a wake-up call," Smotherman said. "I was unprepared last night but let's just put it this way, I won't be unprepared anymore."
Woodbury police say the 13-year-old is in custody and faces attempted murder and robbery charges.
"God's got more from me here on this earth because if he hadn't I'd be gone," Smotherman said.
Thursday evening, the owner of Leland’s furniture and Home Décor on Main Street looked up from his register and directly into the barrel of a gun. Behind it was a 13-year-old would-be robber and Smotherman made a bold decision to try to wrestle the gun from the teen's hands.
"We spent about four or five minutes scuffling on the floor until I finally got him out the door," Smotherman said.
Smotherman says the struggle spilled out of his store and onto the sidewalk and that's when the suspect fired and ran off up the street.
"Then I fell to my side and I felt the wetness and it was blood you [and I thought] I've been shot," Smotherman said.
He was taken to the emergency room where he was told that luckily, the bullet only grazed his torso and finally had a moment to reflect on his impulsive actions.
"It wasn't bravery," Smotherman said. "It was stupidity, if I had it to do over again I would have given him the 55, 60 dollars."
Police quickly caught the accused shooter and Smotherman says even though he was nearly killed, he still has sympathy for the teen.
"It's very sad for a 13-year-old to get to that level," Smotherman said. "You know his whole life is ruined now."
But he says not to mistake his sympathy for weakness.
"It's like a wake-up call," Smotherman said. "I was unprepared last night but let's just put it this way, I won't be unprepared anymore."
Woodbury police say the 13-year-old is in custody and faces attempted murder and robbery charges.
Friday, November 9 2012, 09:59 PM CST
Tennessee News
Pipeline work can continue at state natural area
May 24, 2013 11:16 GMT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee environmental officials have given Piedmont Natural Gas permission to resume drilling on a Nashville pipeline project.
Work was halted on May 11 when a mixture of bentonite clay and water spilled from a drill into Otter Creek at the Radnor Lake State Natural Area.
The mud was later scraped out of the creek using buckets and hand tools.
Meredith Benton, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, told The Tennessean (http://tnne.ws/199LA54 ) that Piedmont agreed to 11 new terms and conditions to prevent a recurrence of the spill.
Those include creating a pit to capture any spilled slurry and daily water quality monitoring.
Benton said the department has not decided whether to issue fines or citations.
Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com
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