NBC4i.com reported recently that a woman was hospitalized after she was bitten on the hand by two dogs, and that she has an armed man she was walking with to thank for…

The following article was originally published by The Lima News. Republished with permission.

by Greg Sowinski

LIMA — A jury acquitted Dontez Parks, who has a concealed handgun license, on Wednesday [May 30] finding he acted in self-defense when he shot another man who he believed he was trying to enter his van to harm him and his two children.

“I feel good today about the decision,” Parks said after the verdict and before he walked out of the courtroom.

Parks attorney, Rebecca West-Estell, said this was a victory for Parks, which she credited to his understanding of the law and to the fact he followed the law when he acted in self-defense. She said it does not change any standards for shooting in self-defense.

“For anyone who has a concealed-carry permit, they have to follow the law like Mr. Parks followed the law. People who take these courses understand what their responsibilities are and they need to live up to their responsibilities,” she said.

The 35-year-old Parks said he had no doubt about his self-defense claim on the charge of felonious assault in the Jan. 4 shooting of Edward Henry at a gas station. He said he had a thorough understanding of the law and what he could or could not do from the mandatory class he took to obtain his concealed handgun license.

“When you take the class they give you different scenarios and different situations and each one is not the same. When your life is threatened you feel it, he said.

In this case, Parks had an ongoing problem with Henry, who was the boyfriend of his former girlfriend, a woman with whom Parks had a child. Testimony revealed the 25-year-old Henry was quick to join discussions between Parks and his ex-girlfriend. Henry, who is a much bigger man with a muscular build, had threatened him in the past, Parks testified.