PALESTINE, TEXAS — A Texas couple were awakened in the middle of the night when they heard someone in their house. They found a burglar trying to flee before being caught. He didn’t make it.
At 1 a.m. on Wednesday, Palestine Police Department responded to a residence in the 100 block of Clearview after a homeowner reported their home was being burglarized. Reports also came in from neighbors saying they heard gunshots.
Via KETK
At the time of the call, officers were in the area looking for an individual who had been lurking around suspiciously.
Officers eventually found the suspect lying in a neighborhood yard with gunshot wounds in the neck and abdomen. He also had nearly six grams of suspected methamphetamine in his pocket.
The suspect was identified as Oscar Oliver, 39.
After speaking with the homeowner, officers learned that he and his wife were woken up by someone making noises in their home. That’s when the homeowner found Oliver exiting the front door of his residence. He went on to say that Oliver had broken into their vehicle and hotwired it.
That’s when the homeowner fired several shots, with two striking the suspect.
The Breakdown:
It’s past midnight, and our homeowners are sleeping soundly in their bed. The burglar, Oliver, manages to sneak into their home undetected. Eventually is wandering around the house begins to make noise. It startles and wakens the homeowners.
Oliver must have heard the homeowners getting out of bed. He bolted for the front door to try and escape without being caught. Unfortunately for Oliver, the husband got a glimpse of him leaving the house. The homeowner ran to the front door to follow him.
Once outside, Oliver tried stealing the car in the driveway. That is when the husband raised his gun and shot at Oliver. Oliver was struck twice and fell injured onto the front lawn. The police arrived and had Oliver taken to the hospital via helicopter, as he sustained life threatening injuries.
The Bad:
The police went on record to state that the homeowner did everything within his legal rights. That being said, we should at least ask the question about the homeowner following the burglar outside the house and shooting him.
At the time the homeowner shot the burglar, he was clearly trying to escape the situation. If that is the case, then is this really a self defense shooting? The homeowner’s life was no longer in danger, and in fact pursued the burglar outside the home.
However, the other thing to consider is that the burglar was trying to steal their car. So a crime was still in progress at the time of the shooting. There is always a lot of discussion in the gun community about the legality of shooting someone over property. One side believes property theft does not put ones life in danger to justify a shooting. The other side believe that stopping someone from stealing your car (for example) does justify use of deadly force.
The Good:
As always, good on the homeowner in this story for keeping a gun at home for protection. In these cases, calling and waiting for someone to come help you can mean the difference between life or death. This homeowner took the initiative to be prepared to defend his home and his family.
As mentioned, the police are recommending that no charges be filed against the homeowner. They believe he did everything legally within his rights. He protected himself and his wife from an intruder on his property. For many Americans, this is the sole reason for owning a gun. Our homeowner proved that having a gun in the home is essential for protection.