82-Year-Old Homeowner Shoots And Kills Intruder After Being Threatened

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.V. — When a burglar stormed into the garage of an elderly man in the early morning hours, he probably wasn’t expecting the garage’s occupant to be armed.

That was an error that he would soon regret — that is to say, he would regret it had he lived long enough to do so.

As WSAZ reports:

A man is dead after an apparent home invasion in Kanawha County overnight.

Timothy Dean Coker, 24, of Ripley, WV was killed during the incident. Deputies with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office tell WSAZ that in the early morning hours Saturday, an 82-year-old man was working in his garage. Coker allegedly broke into the garage through a window and threatened the homeowner.

The homeowner shot Coker, according to deputies, killing him. Detectives are on scene investigating collecting evidence and conducting interviews. No charges are expected to be filed against the homeowner.

I have said it once, and I will say it again: respect your elders.

It’s possible, if not likely, that Coker burst into that garage not expecting a fight. If it was the early morning, the man would have lights on which would broadcast the garage’s occupation, but someone up in the early morning hours tinkering in the garage is not likely someone ready to engage a threat.

However, for this homeowner, his vigilance paid off.

The thug may have been perfectly comfortable threatening an elderly man, but as we’ve seen here many times, you’re probably safer going after a member of another age group. In my experience, older really does often mean wiser, and folks above the age of 70 are pretty likely to be packing some serious home defense capability.

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