Ralph Needs, Ohio Man, Is Beaten During Home Invasion And Then Shot 4 Days Later

GROVEPORT, Ohio — An 80-year-old Ohio man is recovering from a week in which he was beaten during a home invasion and then shot while trying to learn about guns. Ralph Needs said he wouldn't want anyone else to experience what he's been through. He was tied up and pistol-whipped when at least three intruders broke into his Columbus area home on Sept. 20. Needs' nose was broken and his pickup truck, a computer and credit cards were taken.

Four days later, Needs was shot in the hand during a self-defense lesson. A 9 mm pistol went off as one of his sons was loading it.

Groveport police said it was an accident, so there will be no charges. No one has been arrested in the assault, but one person was charged in connection with the stolen computer, now recovered.

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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com

Comments

[richard5]

It's a shame that anyone would rob least an 80 year old man. And on top of that pistol whip him. Some people are just bad people who should be locked away from the rest of us decents folks.

If this guy was my father, I would not have encouraged him to get a gun for protection as the risk of him being hurt by the same gun would have inreased had he been overpowered by an intruder. I would instead increase visits to my dads home, get a security system if there was none, cameras..etc. I don't think having a gun would be the answer.

[lainey]

There is nothing funny about this story. I am not sure why anyone would make any type of joke.

[lainey]

My thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Needs. I can't imagine what it would be like to have people break into your home and hurt you so badly. He must have been so scared as to go get training on guns. This is a very sad story which is unfortunately is his reality. Again, my prayers are with Mr. Needs.

[Kzb]

Guns don't go off. People load them with their finger on the trigger.

[ransomholiday]

"A 9 mm pistol went off as one of his sons was loading it."

i was actually just talking about this today. every news report about a shooting accident always say the gun "went off." no. there is only one way to make that happen. pulling the trigger. whether that was an accident or not, is another thing. but i agree. guns don't go off.

[edgarcaycedoc]

Since it was his son, I suggest a new slogan. "When sons are outlawed, only outlaws will have sons." (sigh)

[IsyFleur]

Case in point: guns are dangerous.

[PhineasGage730]

I'm sorry, was that up for debate? Who ever said they weren't?

[JerseyCity]

So is taking a shower and using soap.

[MaggieMamacat]

Of course they are. So are cars, explosives, power saws, and fire. All of them are tools that should be used with care by people who've learned the safety rules. All of them can be involved in accidents. If you read an article about someone who lost a body part in a band saw, would you take that as proof that band saws were all bad?

[dukesman2000]

If it wasn't for bad luck, this guy would not have any luck at all

[roninroshi]

The US is a violent society...we started that way and we continue!

[Trueheart]

I challenge you to name a society which does NOT have violence in their history.

[bluevase]

Incidents of violence are higher here in the US than other countries.

[PhineasGage730]

Stup!d profile pic, stup!d question...GOOD JOB!

[jjkmack]

America has the highest murder rate of most nations in the world, in particular the industrialized, obviously guns are a factor.

Criminals have guns, homeowners have guns, assassins have guns.

Guns have had a long history of suppression of freedom in the U.S. from the murdering and genocide of American Indians from 500 nations. Guns kept the enslavement of people in the south until the 1860s and guns kept our apartheid (segregation) until the 1970s in the south.

Guns take away freedom and lives and create tragedy upon tragedy, but we're stuck with them. Let's face it the U.S. is an island of neanderthal thugs.

[iplaw]

Canadians have the same number of guns per capita as we do. Why do they have such a low crime rate?

[Ventoi]

It has been my observation that those Canadians who do possess fire arms...

are collectors...

they keep them en masse in big armoires...

with locks and keys...

we are not even supposed to keep our bullets on the same floor as our weapons in Canada...

so our children can have friends over without all of the worry.

[Evil genius]

Actually, Canadians own about a quarter as many guns per capita as Americans. Besides that, they're mostly long guns; very few handguns, because those have been much more strictly controlled since the 1930s. Assault-type weapons are prohibited. Gun owners are licensed, trained, and must store their firearms and ammunition safely under lock and key. Cops can come to your house to check that. Concealed carry permits are rarely given to anyone. In all of Canada, there may be a hundred civilians who have such permits. Shooting people is seriously frowned upon, even if they're in the process of committing a crime.

Also, Canada has much less of a culture of violence compared to the US, where shooting each other seems to be almost a mainstream method of settling disputes and scores.

[Trueheart]

Canada is less urban.
Canada is less populated.
Canada has less ethnic diversity--less culture clash.
Canada has a smaller economy and less competition for jobs.

In short, to paraphrase the American frontiersman, Daniel Boone, Canadians have more "elbow room."

[Middleman420]

There are far more gun crimes in places that have banned guns...An armed society is a polite society....You are obligated by the second amendment to own guns in order to form a militia when the need arises....

[Plurabelle06]

With so many Republican politicians dodging the draft, do you really think they would join a militia? Can you see Palin taking up arms against an invading force? She'd send Todd and Meghan Stapleton out to face them and then say it wasn't her fault because no one told her about the militia and all the guns had already been taken.

[Reader451]

"obligated to to own a gun"-- this is as crazy as they get.

The only thing to do is to keep them out of power and watched very carefully.

[iplaw]

Yeah, I don't think the drafters intended to force people to own guns when they wrote the Second Amendment. Its a right, not an obligation.

[flyribbon]

You mean there are far more gun crimes in places such as France, Germany, UK, Ireland, Holland, Italy etc?

That's what you said.

You are so obviously wrong.

And as to being "obligated" to own guns ... that statement is also obviously wrong.

Do you just make things up when it suits you?

[Trueheart]

It's not that complicated, and I don't think we are a bunch of Neanderthals.
We''ve just been brainwashed and desensitized to violence.

We glamorize violence in movies, television programs, cartoons and video games.

It permeates our culture. We no longer watch couples kissing tenderly and making love; we watch people dressed in leather and chains tying each other up and acting out S&M bondage scenarios.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the funnest couple in the neighborhood.

We stick our children in front of the tv and computer and walk away, leaving them to absorb violent and pornographic imagery. That becomes their vocabulary and reference material.

Look at what just happened in Chicago. There were no guns involved. Just sneakers and feet and fists, pounding that boy's flesh and bones into the pavement. And then he was dead, and nobody will break the code of silence and talk to the enemy police.

[D0gb3rt]

The problem with your point is that the Natives had guns, their highest casualties were from diseases. And the blacks didn't have guns. Guns are only suppressive if you take them away from only some of the people. And criminals will always have guns. So why take away guns from people who aren't criminals?

[rosiebond007]

PEOPLE - GUNS - PEOPLE - GUNS

When will it end ??

[FirstShirt]

This morning o CNN there is a story of a 13 year old boy who chased home invaders from his home with his guns.

Of course, he could have reasoned with them.

[FirstShirt]

A strong case for havine home protection and getting a profession to show you how to use it.

[UseYourBrainBlerg]

Will everyone please get a handgun? At close quarters even a .22 can inflict great injury to someone coming into your home looking to mess with you and your family. If the police can't curtail criminal/illicit activity, what are your choices? Be victimized? I don't think so!!!

Warning....I am heavily armed and believe in doing anything/everything to protect my loved ones. I would take great joy on hurting a home intruder.....really

Blerg!!!

[SouPro]

You would enjoy hurting someone? Stop making us owners look bad and lose the macho nonsense! You would not enjoy having to pull that trigger, even under the most justified of circumstances. a gvn is to be used as a last resort and not as a hero-maker. The only difference between you and a non-gvn owner in a home invasion is that you will not be a victim at the end of the day. While it's comforting to know this, it is far from comforting to know that you may have to take a life to preserve yourself and your family. I know it's fun to beat one's chest and all for being prepared, but it validates those that want to assume you are owning to stroke your own ego rather than protect your family.

[timetorevolt]

Didn't you read the article? He got a gun and he shot himself.

[SouPro]

Did you read the article? His son shot him.

[FirstShirt]

Did you read the article. He was pistol whipped. Think these kind of people are just misunderstood but basically decent? What planet do you live on? Get a gun and get a professional to show you how to defend yourself.

[michaelws]

there's just something about your feeling a "great joy" on hurting the intruder that bothers me. I might also feel compelled to defend my home but I don't think there would be anything near "joy" inside me.

[local21]

I would suggest going to the local shelter and adopting a dog.

120 pound Rottweiler will keep the home invasions down to a minimum. I'm sure the old timer would not have any problem finding a dog walking service if he can't get around to good.

[Durango]

Bingo.

You break into our house you need to face Buster.

Buster does not take kindly to intruders. Buster has very BIG teeth. And a snarl that is terrifying.

If nothing else, he would give us time to get the police here. At worst the intruder will need serious surgery.

[SouPro]

Anyone who makes it past Buster means serious business though. A dog is better than nothing, and potentially less responsibility than a firearm, but it's up to each individual as to what constitutes a safe amount of protection from a real threat. Assess your situation individually and act accordingly.

Some dogs bark is much worse than their bite (like mine). They aren't always all that useful.

[FirstShirt]

Get your Rott trained or you will get bitten along with the intruder.

[iplaw]

Rotts are pretty safe as long as you don't have any children or "small adults" in the house, or next door.

[Reader451]

No ones asks why there is so much violent crime in the country. Everyone seems to think "its normal" when of course it is not.

The only thought is how can I use violence to "solve" this.

Their lives become more and more violent, they crave more and more violence. Pain fear shock and trauma abound. Everything washed in blood or gun grease. Who would jesus kill.

[SouPro]

I think your confusing the society wide problem of violent crime with an individual's need to protect oneself from it. No individual is going to stop all violent crime by owning a s hotg un, but they are going to stop someone coming through their front door.

Violent crime is a social problem, and social institutions need to address it.

As for the last paragraph, lol, thanks Jedi master... Let me know if you need some gun grease to oil that slippery slope of yours.

[iplaw]

Just a warning for people with small children. Dingos eat babies.

[Kate Swafford]

LOL!

[MaggieMamacat]

Owning a dog can discourage some burglars (the barking as much as the biting), but any protection method has flaws. I used to live down the street from someone who had a big Rottweiler, and that house was burglarized while the owner was away. The burglar simply shot the dog. The Rotty survived, but she was stark raving mad after that and everyone in the neighborhood feared her.

On the other hand, assuming that you won't be burgled because you're in a nice neighborhood or that home invaders won't be violent if you give them money and cookies is the stupidest strategy of all. I don't blame Mr. Needs for wanting a gun after what happened to him, and going to a gun class was a good idea. It just goes to show that no amount of caution can prevent ALL accidents.

[Witchitalineman]

I hope they catch the cowards and put them in jail for life. Best wishes for a speedy recovery to Mr. Needs. He (for that matter no one) does not deserve this in the winter of his life.