SPOKANE VALLEY, WASHINGTON — A homeowner out on the waterfront heard a rapping, rapping on his front door. Wisely, he decided to arm up before investigating. It was night time and his house was near the Centennial trail that follows the Spokane River. This, according to neighbors, made these properties more vulnerable to home invasions and robberies in the past.
The decision to arm up before investigating turned out to be a necessity. According to KXLY 4 Spokane News, the homeowner eventually saw a man outside his door and told him to leave. After several moments, the man charged the homeowner and he was forced to defend himself.
He did arm himself prior to answering the door, when he did go outside on the porch, he initially didn’t see anybody, but then noticed a male in his yard,” said Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Gregory.
He fired one shot and the suspect fled outside the property. When police arrived, they say the man who was shot was extremely uncooperative with officers’ attempts to detain and get him treatment.
“The deputies continually tried to calm him (the suspect) down and they were able to detain him and get medics in there, but the male continued to be uncooperative,” said Gregory.
According to police, the suspect was shot through his femoral artery. By refusing prompt medical aid, he bled to death before he could be taken to a hospital.
The homeowner was cooperative with the investigation and is not currently being charged with any crime. The Spokane County Prosecutor will make the final determination.
We could view this as just another law-abiding citizen choosing to defend himself rather than be a victim. A very real scenario played out that night. A man who was probably less than completely sound of mind decided to charge a homeowner. This would have ended in a potentially very violent confrontation where the homeowner’s own life and well-being were put at risk.
Thankfully, the homeowner was wise enough to be prepared.