MACON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA — A son with a criminal record a mile long. A father trying to protect himself. These are some of the conditions surrounding the recent shooting of 25-year-old Danny Thomas by his own father.
According to the Macon County Sheriff’s Office’s statement to WLOS News, Thomas’ father discovered him trying to steal gas from his vehicle. When the father confronted his son, the son got violent and allegedly grabbed him by the beard. The son went further and took out a knife.
“The son then grabbed his father by the facial area and also displayed a knife according to his father. We were able to retrieve a knife at the scene,” Macon County Sheriff Robert Holland told News 13.
The father, fearing for his life, took out a 9mm handgun and shot his son once in the abdomen. The Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene and took D.J. to a nearby hospital where he remains under close guard.
The Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Thomas was scheduled to show up in court over a breaking and entering and larceny charge. He has multiple prior convictions and law enforcement told the news that they were very familiar with Thomas’ prior criminal activities.
It’s unconfirmed whether or not drugs or alcohol played a role in the altercation but the Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the matter.
It’s a tragic thing when a son strays so far from the path of being a law-abiding citizen that he sees his own family as potential prey to his criminal exploits. How many times had his father already been forced to defend himself and his own family from his son?
If so ever there were conditions whereby a father would feel compelled to use deadly force against his own son, this certainly would be it. It’s sad but necessary. The alternative promises only a limited life full of more pain and misery.
We can’t all choose the paths our children go down but we may take full responsibility for our own safety and defense. And, in cases like this, it’s all the more necessary to do so when violence is already unavoidable.