# Samurai swords in the news once again...



## Grenadier (Sep 15, 2009)

...but this time with a happy ending.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-sword0915,0,4027961.story



> A Johns Hopkins University student armed with a samurai sword killed a man who broke into the garage of his off-campus residence early Tuesday, a Baltimore police spokesman said.
> 
> According to preliminary reports, a resident of the 300 block of E. University Parkway called police about a suspicious person, department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. An off-duty officer responded about 1:20 a.m. to the area with university security, according to Guglielmi. They heard shouts and screams from a neighboring house and found the suspected burglar suffering from a nearly severed hand and lacerations to his upper body, he said.
> 
> The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.


----------



## CoryKS (Sep 15, 2009)

30th time's the charm.  



> Police have also not released the name of the suspected burglar, but a department source identified the man as Donald D. Rice, 49, of the 600 block of E. 26th St. in Baltimore. *He had 29 prior convictions for crimes such as breaking and entering*, according to Guglielmi, and had been released Saturday from the Baltimore County Detention Center after he was arrested by county police in August 2008 for stealing a car in Baltimore. Rice was found guilty in December on one count of unauthorized removal of property, and he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.


----------



## Stac3y (Sep 15, 2009)

Not necessarily a happy ending, actually. The article I read about it said that law enforcement is "talking to prosecutors about whether to file charges." 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32855934/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/


----------



## Nomad (Sep 15, 2009)

Hmmm... one person dead, others that had to take a life or witness it being done.  I'm not sure "happy ending" applies here.

Quite probably "proper use" of a samurai sword in this case though.  Anyone lunging at someone carrying 3 feet of razor sharp steel probably didn't think things through first.  Of course, 29 prior convictions ought to be enough to convince most people to examine a different career path as well.  

One cut, nice technique.


----------



## grydth (Sep 15, 2009)

Given that the career criminal in this case was *still *out threatening home owners after an incredible 29 (!!) convictions, the prosecutors should be considering whether to charge themselves with criminal negligence.

Disgusting situation.


----------



## Errant108 (Sep 17, 2009)

I will be on the Ed Norris Show here in Baltimore tomorrow at 8am to discuss this case, sword work, etc.  

If you're in the Baltimore area, you can listen in at 105.7FM.  If not, you can listen on-line here:

http://player.play.it/player/player.html?v=4.1.20&id=115&onestat=whfs-freefm


----------



## arnisador (Sep 17, 2009)

Good luck!


----------



## Errant108 (Sep 17, 2009)

Thanks, brother.


----------



## Ken Morgan (Sep 18, 2009)

Coming at this from an iaido/kenjitsu background, Im trying to figure out the intruders wounds. I believe it said essentially two wound areas, one with his hand almost off and lacerations to his upper body. The upper body lacerations, including I think they said the spearing part, I can understand. If I was confronting someone, Id be keeping the tip of my sword on the guy at all times, so the spearing make sense, then a couple of swings as he keeps coming forward, but how did the guy get the hand? To me that would mean they where at 90 degrees from each other with some nice distance between them.

Im sure the police will figure it all out


----------



## Shuto (Sep 18, 2009)

The guy with the sword claims it was one slice.  

*http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-sword-killing0917,0,16472.story*
Pontolillo was not inside the garage but backed up against the exterior of a garage door when Rice is alleged to have aggressively moved toward him with his arms raised. Guglielmi said Pontolillo made one downward strike towards Rice, hitting him in the neck and the hand. Rice's hand was nearly severed, and he bled to death at the scene.


----------



## lklawson (Sep 18, 2009)

Ken Morgan said:


> Coming at this from an iaido/kenjitsu background, Im trying to figure out the intruders wounds. I believe it said essentially two wound areas, one with his hand almost off and lacerations to his upper body. The upper body lacerations, including I think they said the spearing part, I can understand. If I was confronting someone, Id be keeping the tip of my sword on the guy at all times, so the spearing make sense, then a couple of swings as he keeps coming forward, but how did the guy get the hand? To me that would mean they where at 90 degrees from each other with some nice distance between them.


There's not enough detail to make even an educated guess.  Were the lacerations horizontal, vertical, how deep, and where at on the upper body?

One speculation could be that the defender immediately made untrained "baseball bat" swings at the attacker who raised his arms defensively.  This could sever or severely injure the wrists with Defensive Wounds which, after penetrating the wrist, continued on to the upper body.

Another speculation could be that the attacker was reaching forward and the defender made a double action, starting with a kote/wrist "snap cut" followed immediately with a reversed direction tip-cut across the upper body.

Or any number of other plausible scenarios which spring to mind.  It all looks so easy on the forensic science TV shows but there's just not enough info in this story to even guess.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


----------



## Ken Morgan (Sep 18, 2009)

lklawson said:


> It all looks so easy on the forensic science TV shows but there's just not enough info in this story to even guess.
> 
> Peace favor your sword,
> Kirk


 
Yeah, I agree. I went through all the different possibilities myself. It would be interesting to see the angle of the cuts.


----------



## MBuzzy (Sep 18, 2009)

I would LIKE to think that someone who has a live blade has some level of training....so I would guess a 45 degree downward cut if the guy held his hand up or had his hand up near his chest, it would be plausible.


----------



## Errant108 (Sep 18, 2009)

The bit got pulled from the radio in favor of other stories.


----------



## d1jinx (Sep 18, 2009)

Errant108 said:


> The bit got pulled from the radio in favor of other stories.


 
Yeah i listened til 930.  only the news report mentioned it.  nothing about it or on it.  but atleast i got to hear about MY RAVENS....


GO RAVENS


----------



## MBuzzy (Sep 18, 2009)

Errant108 said:


> The bit got pulled from the radio in favor of other stories.


 
Did you still do the interview and it just wasn't aired?


----------



## Errant108 (Sep 18, 2009)

No.  They may cover it later though.


----------



## Shuto (Jan 29, 2010)

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-md.homicide29jan29,0,4441735.story

City prosecutors ruled Thursday that a Johns Hopkins student who killed an intruder last fall by using a samurai sword was justified in his actions, according to a letter sent to homicide investigators. 

State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy said prosecutors determined that the student, John Pontolillo, "reasonably believed he was in danger of imminent death or serious bodily injury" and was justified in striking Donald Rice, a 49-year-old repeat offender who is believed to have broken into the student's home earlier in the night.


----------



## Grenadier (Jan 29, 2010)

A happy ending, then.  Glad to see that the good guy is vindicated.


----------

