INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA — When a homeowner heard a knock at the door, he knew he wasn’t expecting company so he didn’t answer it. That was the invitation three crooks needed to kick down his front door. What they didn’t expect, though, was a man who refused to be a victim.
According to CBS 4 Indianapolis, the homeowner opened fire the second the front door came tumbling down. The three intruders were overcome, two getting hit immediately and the third, in the rear, being the first to get the heck out of dodge.
The two suspects that got shot are in a local hospital. One is listed in critical condition and the other is stable and will soon be taken into custody. The third suspect is at-large but if the one in stable condition talks, he won’t be for long.
Indianapolis Metro Police Department had these kind words to advise other criminals contemplating the same tactic:
“If you’re in the business of committing crimes you may choose that house where the homeowner is armed behind that door. A homeowner in certain incidents has the right to defend their castle in the state of Indiana,” explains Major Richard Riddle, with IMPD.
It’s a warning that will likely fall on deaf ears for a city that’s over-inundated with criminals succumbing to gun-related deaths. Petty crooks and burglars apparently don’t get the memo: breaking into people’s homes is dangerous business. Thankfully, homeowners ARE getting the picture.
If anyone is under the premise that three dudes kicking in somebody’s front door are going to leave peaceably, they’re living in a dream world. The truth is, by the time that front door or back door or window gets bashed in and bodies are coming through, it’s too late to debate semantics. You either defend your life and your property or you get hurt or killed. There’s unfortunately no middle ground.
Take heart, though. You didn’t choose that scenario — the bad guys did. And when they remove options from your hands, your hands better be holding a gun. This homeowner set up a good defensive perimeter over the door he knew was going to come down. When it did, those idiots walked right into his field of fire. One of them may never make that mistake ever again and another, hopefully, will live long enough to learn a new profession after he gets out of prison. As for the “one who got away”, he’ll have to think long and hard before being point man in a burglary.
And the homeowner… We’re pretty sure he’s happy about his decision to own and carry a firearm in the home.