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September 25, 2009

Intruders killed by retired chief had unloaded shotgun

Brian L. Huchel, CNHI News Service

INDIANOLA, Ill. - Authorities said a former small-town police chief who shot and killed two intruders at his rural home was within his rights to use deadly force even though it turned out they carried an unloaded shotgun.

Randy Brinegar, Vermilion County state's attorney, said he does not anticipate bringing any charges against Max "Mick" Taylor, 58, of Indianola in the fatal shootings.

Sheriff Pat Hartshorn said Tayor and his wife had every reason to believe the shotgun the intruders aimed at the couple was loaded and that their lives were in grave danger.

"People need to understand that the threat of danger is a serious matter," said Hartshorn.

Taylor shot the intruders with a handgun he retrived from a bedroom drawer after they shoved their way into his home late Monday night, choked and pushed him to the floor and threated he and his wife unless they turned over money they thought the couple kept in a safe, according to investigators.

The sheriff said Peter Chromyn II, 17, of Tilton, Ill., was shot multiple times in the chest when he leveled the shotgun at Taylor.

He said Taylor shot Thomas Moore, 22, of Georgetown, Ill., once in the chest as he tried to flee the home.

Both men were declared dead at the scene.

A third man, Zachary Spencer, 17, of Georgetown was arrested near the scene in a pickup truck. Authorities said he dropped the intruders off at the Taylor home, and intended to help them get away afterwards. He was charged with two counts of home invasion.

The sheriff said under Illinois law, deadly force can be used when a person feels his life or that of another is in jeopardy or they are about to receive great bodily harm.

According to the investigation, he said, the intruders, who had masks and rope in addition to the shotgun, tried to strangle Taylor when he said he had no money to give them, and only let him off the floor when his wife said she could give them her valuable jewelry in an upstairs bedroom.

Upon entering the bedroom, Taylor retrieved his gun and shot the younger man aiming the shotgun at him, then chased the second intruder down the stairs and shot him in a first-floor bedroom.

State Attorney Brinegar said he will continue to review evidence in the case but that it appears the fatal shootings were clearly self-defense.

Taylor, a retired police chief from the village of Westville, was taken to a hospital after the shootings. He was treated and released for choke bruises about his neck.

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Brian L. Huchel is a reporter for the Danville, Ill., Commercial-News. Contact him at bhuchel@dancomnews.com.

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