There have been a few things reported about the happenings of Tuesday night, October 27, 2009, regarding the shooting death of Mark Odom Self, who lived at 109 McElveen Road, Anacoco, Louisiana.  As always, some facts have been omitted.  This is written as seen through the eyes of Mark Odom Self, Deceased, to further report the factual incidents.

"My wife and I were divorced, but I moved back in with her and my son and daughter.  Part of our divorce stated that we would share the same address.  I had lived there several months after the divorce before I was gunned down. 

"On Tuesday morning her boyfriend started calling.  When I answered the phone, he would hang up.  He hung up on me at least seven times.  I simply got in my car, went to his house and told him that if he was going to call my house, he needed to at least say something.  I then got in my car and went home.  When I got back home, my ex-wife tried to push me out the door.   I told her if anybody left, it would be her.  She went out in the yard and called the cops.  I suppose she has a doctor’s report or some way of showing how injured she was.

"When the deputies first came to my house, my ex-wife was in the front yard.   They demanded that I send out the hostage.  I explained that I had no hostage, that my daughter was in the back room watching TV.  I called my daughter and told her to go outside with her mom.  She went outside, and a deputy transported her and my daughter to the abode of an ex-member of the family in Leesville.  The deputies came in my house, and I ran them out.  They went out on the porch and pulled their guns.  I shut my door and went and got my rifle and stood it by the door.

"I felt that the Sheriff's Department was invading my property when I had committed no crime, and I felt justified in standing up for myself.  I did not intend to attack them.  They were the attackers.  From the time they arrived until shortly before my death, I talked intermittently with my brothers Anthony, Richard and David by cell phone.

 

"My place was lit up brighter than a Christmas tree with so many cop car lights flashing.  They had a helicopter. The SWAT team was out there.  My ex-wife and daughter were no longer present.  I felt they were being silly, and they needed to leave my house.  I had not committed a crime.

"I was very surprised at about 10:30 p.m. to see Dad arrive on the scene.  The Anacoco deputy had gone to his home, awakened him from sleep, and had him come to my house.  I was on the phone with my brother David when Dad arrived.  I told David that Dad was out there, and would he like to talk to him.  He said yes, and I hollered and told Dad that he had a phone call.  Dad told me they would not let him come up there to get the phone.  I asked him who would not let him come up here?  Dad said, “Sam Craft told me I can't.”

"Of course, Dad begged me to come outside and go to the Sheriff's Department and he would go with me so that I could answer any charges.  Dad also pleaded with Craft to leave and come back in the morning.  That would have been fine with me.  I could have gone to bed.  I asked Dad why the Sheriff’s Department didn’t just leave, so I could go to bed.  Dad said to Craft, “If you all think he is intoxicated, why don’t you just leave and talk to him tomorrow?”  Craft’s response was simply, “We can’t do that.”  I told Dad at one point to come and talk with me, and he said to Craft:  “I need to go up there and talk to him.”  Again, Craft had a simple response to Dad:  “I can’t let you do that.”`

"It's odd how you remember scenes from a dramatic event.  I came to the door and reached for my gun, and I saw one of the deputies jump behind Dad's broad back with his hands on his shoulders to hold him in place to use him as a body shield.  I did that three different times, and the deputy did that three different times.  Go figure!  If I did that to a cop, I would probably have been arrested and charged with assault and battery.

 

"What a tiresome, fright scene it got to be!  I thought I heard one of the lawmen say, “I’m going to shoot you.”  I came to the front door.  The light was on behind me so I could be clearly seen, even if they had not had their spotlight trained on me.  I picked up my rifle to show them that I was not afraid and was about to tell them to go on home.

 

”Whoa-ho-ho!  I would never have guessed what that SWAT team would do, along with the two deputies that Craft has mentioned.  I guess Craft just forgot about the SWAT team being there since he has made no mention of them. Those kinds of things can be difficult to remember.  He could have killed me with just the two deputies.  I hope he pays the SWAT team hazardous-duty pay, because they all had to shoot.  Just think of the danger they were in, hiding behind their cars and wearing their bulletproof armor.   Of course, Dad had not seen them when he came to the scene since they were hiding behind their cars in the dark; and, in the stress of the situation, he had forgotten that Deputy Stricklin had even told him they were there.  I have always had the understanding that a SWAT team’s only purpose is to save lives.  How gullible I was . How Gullible I was.

"One thing even I have difficulty remembering.  Craft reported that I pointed my rifle.  You know, I do not even remember doing that.  I am sure the running videos they took will show the whole episode.  You should be able to see and hear all that was said and done.

 

“For several years I have had a tattoo on my right shoulder that says “13 ½.”  That was my motto:  One Judge, twelve jurors, and half a chance.”  Obviously Craft does not believe in that.  He apparently does not believe in or understand what an ‘alleged crime” is either.  I would really like to know what crime I was charged with, if any.

"Well, Craft came pretty close to killing two Selfs that night.  After seeing me gunned down, Dad almost bit the dust himself.  Good news, though!  After a few days, he is regaining his composure somewhat and his blood pressure has come down to 198/103.  Now that I think about it, I am surprised that Dad came out alive.  He could easily have been shot by a stray bullet.  The only good thing about his being there is that there is an eyewitness to the episode.  Knowing Dad, his story will be along when he is mentally able to tell it.

"I have to ask the Vernon Parish People:  Has justice been done?  (I have certainly paid a high price to society.  I also will say that I have never murdered anyone -- or even seriously hurt anyone, to my knowledge.  I have no criminal record.  Well, I did get a speeding ticket in 2006.)  Does Craft know about tear gas grenades or smoke bombs or shooting to wound?  Has he ever heard of a negotiator?  If he is afraid of the dark, should he just wait until daylight?  Did he use excessive force in a non-hostage situation?  (I was not barricaded in.  I was in my own house and had committed no crime; and if they had come in peace, they could have come in, too.)  Did Craft act as a Judge, jury, and executioner?

 

"Now, many people might believe that this is the end of the story for me, but not so!  I know the promises of Christ, and I shall merely patiently wait for His return and His perfect work.  No sheriff, no deputies, no SWAT team can cheat me out of my resurrection.

"Wow!  What a great going-away party my family gave me.  Such a fine casket and beautiful flowers.  Hey, that slide show was a fine touch!

"Jonathan, you are a trooper.  Emily, you are my special star.  Anthony, Richard, David, Stephen, and Bubba; Yolanda, Brenda, Sarah, Rebekah, and Elizabeth, we had good times and bad times, together.  I love you all.  And, Dad, do not ever forget that I love you.  Thanks, Harliss.  You did a pretty good job of pasting my face back together.  I did not care much for the eyebrows, but overall, not bad."                         MARK ODOM SELF, DECEASED.


(Written and compiled from an eyewitness' account and from information given in telephone conversations had during the episode by Kelly Self, Mark’s aunt.)

 

(Legal Disclosure)

My family has Set up Nonprofit Fund in My Name and any Donations accepted into this fund will be solely used for the purpose of my defense in the legal process to prevent or aid in the prevention of the law taking in their own hands and murdering whom ever they want and why they want too.