Patrick McCullough: Triumph of a Hero

Patrick McCullough, the north Oakland resident who stood up to street thugs, has triumphed.

The thugs were used to loitering on his front yard. In a confrontation on Feb. 18, 2005, one of them reached for a gun. Navy vet McCullough, drawing the handgun he had taken to carrying for protection, shot in self-defense, hitting the thug in the arm.

Patrick McCullough enjoys his neighborhood. Photo: Paul Chinn, SF Chronicle

A year later, the attacking thug and his family have moved out of Oakland. The street is safe enough for McCullough and his neighbors to walk peacefully. Neighbors filed suit in small claims court against the owner of a drug house and won a $45,000 judgment. The owner sold the house and moved. Another house owner stopped dealers from using her property because neighbors were ready to take similar court action. Bushrod Park has been reclaimed for children and families, ousting the drug dealers. As a resident of the block for thirty years said, "Patrick McCullough is the best thing that ever happened for this block."

The full story is in the San Francisco Chronicle, Feb. 18, 2006. See http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/02/18/MNG0EHB6VK1.DTL