Police: Man shot at 2 teens who egged his truck

By Jackie Valley

Monday, Aug. 16, 2010 | 4:27 p.m.

A Henderson man who allegedly took matters into his own hands and shot at two teens throwing eggs at his truck has been arrested and charged with attempted murder, Henderson Police said.

Officials said Christopher Brunelle, 22, called 911 at about 11:50 p.m. Sunday and said he fired two shots at a Jeep Cherokee after its occupants had thrown "projectiles" at his truck. Brunelle was sitting in his truck in front of his Dalsetter Drive home near Anthem Highlands Drive at the time of the incident, police said.

Police said a glass or bullet fragment struck one of the teens in the upper right shoulder. The other teen, who was driving the Jeep Cherokee, wasn't injured. Both are 18 years old.

Police said Brunelle told them he intended to hit the Jeep's tires, but he didn't fire at the Jeep until it was about 20 feet away from him as it left the neighborhood.

When police arrived, they found the egg remnants on Brunelle's truck. The teens, who didn't know Brunelle, told police they had been throwing eggs at cars in the neighborhood.

Officials said misdemeanor vandalism charges are pending against the teens.

Henderson Police urged residents to call authorities about vandalism before acting on their own.

"Self-defense cannot be used when a threat no longer exists or there was not a real or perceived threat," police said in a statement.

Police on Monday booked Brunelle into the Henderson Detention Center on two counts of attempted murder.