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Homeowner Holds Burglary Suspect At Gunpoint Until Police Arrive

24th Aug 2018

Ammoland Inc. Posted on by Bob Irwin

Bob Irwin highlights the latest self-defense and other shootings of the week. Read them and see what went wrong, what went right and what we can learn from self-defense with a gun.

USA –-(Ammoland.com)- NewsOK reports in Yukon, Oklahoma 07-30-18 a man was caught Friday afternoon after a homeowner reportedly caught him trying to burglarize his home in the 4000 block of Stonebridge Circle.

Oklahoma City police arrived at the home about 1:10 p.m. to find the homeowner holding the 44 year old suspect at gunpoint.

The resident told police he was working in his home office before 1 p.m. when he heard an open door chime from his security system.

The chime went off again shortly thereafter, and when he went to close the same door, the resident saw the door handle twist. He locked the door and ran to grab his gun.

He returned armed, opened the door and an intruder stepped into the garage. Seeing the resident, the intruder ran through the garage's back door out to the backyard. The resident followed and caught the suspect in the backyard, ordering him to the ground at gunpoint. The suspect apparently complied.

The suspect started to rise up on his hands. That motion caused the resident to accidentally fire his gun into the grass, away from the suspect. The intruder quickly laid back down and did not move.

A neighbor came outside and called 911. Police found a makeshift burglar's mask around the suspect’s neck, binoculars by the backyard fence and gray gloves. He was booked into County jail.

Comments:

First, pursuing criminals is always best left to law enforcement. They have the training, the tools, backup in route and free lawyers.

Chasing the suspect out of the home in this incident was really risky but an understandable action. Nobody wants to let a criminal escape when they have violated your home’s boundaries.

A myriad of things could have gone wrong. The intruder may have friends waiting outside to enter the home or to cover his escape. Had the resident’s accidental discharge hit (the apparently) unarmed fleeing suspect, most jurisdictions would arrest the resident.

When you must pursue your quarry in order to defend yourself, you have become the aggressor in the legal sense.

Fortunately, the gunshot hit no one and we are left with the no harm, no foul reality.

A civil lawsuit from the “frightened” criminal is going nowhere. After all is said and done, he started it and is not physically injured.

Bob Irwin
Bob Irwin

Bob Irwin, Las Vegas


About Bob Irwin

Bob is retired after 30 years of ownership of The Gun Store & Indoor Range in Las Vegas. He continues his 2A issues show “Fired Up with Bob Irwin” on YouTube and on KLEY 1230 AM, The Nevada Talk Network on Saturdays.

As a firearm instructor of Concealed Firearm Applicants, Armed Security Officer and Law Enforcement Academies over his career, Bob appears frequently as an expert witness for firearm & use of force cases in Federal, State, and local courts.