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With a gun in his face, he still said no

Robbers shoot a man in the face with a BB gun. Two teens are arrested.

By SARAH MISHKIN
Published June 1, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: Daniel Wallace] John Stofer III, 71, who was shot in the face by a juvenile with a BB gun on Wednesday night, learns from a call on his cell phone that Tampa Police have the suspected children in custody. "I don't want him in a juvenile home," he said. "I don't know his background, but give him something productive to do. It's cheaper than making a criminal out of him... I would accept his apology."

TAMPA - John Stofer III's mother always told him: Cherokees do not beg for mercy, even in the face of death.

Stofer, 71, followed his mother's advice Wednesday night when armed teenagers approached his plumber's van as it sat in a Burger King drive-through at 901 E Fowler Ave.

Give us your van, the two demanded. Then: Buy us food, or we'll shoot you.

"I said, 'Well, shoot' and he did," Stofer said. He pointed through the back window of the van, at his plumber's tools stacked on the floor. "If you take this, I can't earn a living."

Luckily for Stofer, the two attackers were packing only a BB gun. The bullet left a small red dot on the left side of his nose, near his eye.

Stofer declined medical treatment. What would medics do - give him a bandage?

He was raised in Tampa by his mother, Loretta Fanny Hummingbird, who grew up on a reservation, he said. Stofer, whose father was German, said his mother taught him pride in their heritage.

"A Cherokee is raised not to doggone beg for mercy!" he said. He sounded almost offended that the attackers expected him to concede to their demands.

Tampa police arrested two 14-year-olds Thursday who were in the area shooting pellet guns. Both were charged with armed robbery in connection with the incident at the Burger King. One also was charged with aggravated battery.

They were taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center.

Sarah Mishkin can be reached at smishkin@sptimes.com or 813 225 3110.

[Last modified June 1, 2007, 00:22:59]