A man in Murfreesborough, Tennessee, faced a hellish situation on the night of Friday, May 5th. It was then that a duo of home invaders broke into his house, tazed his dog, and held his son hostage at gunpoint.
Thinking quickly, the homeowner was forced to retrieve, aim, and fire his firearm to stop the attackers before they did any more damage to his family or property. One intruder was shot dead at the scene of the home invasion and the other was found nearby, alive but with multiple gunshot wounds.
Detectives revealed that the two home invaders, Ford and Wright, broke into the family’s home through its front door. They were wearing gloves and masks at the time of the break in. They then used a tazer to neutralize the family’s dog and held the son at gunpoint. The homeowner then retrieved his firearm and shot both intruders multiple times. One was killed and the other fled, wounded. None of the victims suffered an injury, nor is the homeowner who shot the intruders facing charges.
Wright, the surviving robber, however, is facing charges now that the hospital released him and is being held on a $700,000 bond.
Describing the incident and announcing what legal and law enforcement action has been taken so far in response to the home invasion and shooting, the Murfreesboro, TN Police Department said, on its Facebook page:
Police responded to a home in the 100 block of January Street and found a masked man with multiple gunshots wounds at the front door of the home on Friday, May 5 at 8:24 p.m. The man identified as 52-year-old Kevin Ford was pronounced dead at the scene.
The other intruder, 42-year-old Clifford Wright, was located at the Salvation Army on Main Street suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Wright was taken to the hospital, treated, released, and then taken to jail. He is charged with aggravated burglary, attempted aggravated robbery, convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent felony.
The preliminary investigation revealed the two masked intruders, wearing gloves, broke into the home through the front door, tased the family’s dog, and held the homeowner’s teenage son at gunpoint. The homeowner retrieved his gun and shot the two intruders several times. Three people were in the home at the time of the home invasion. The homeowner is not facing any charges.
The shooting of the home invaders was likely legal under Tennessee law, as a homeowner is presumed to have just cause to shoot people breaking into his home under the state’s castle doctrine. Collins Law, describing Tennessee doctrine on the issue, said, “Any person who uses force in a home, business, or vehicle is presumed to have a reasonable belief of imminent death or serious bodily injury to self, family, or a member of the household. This applies when the person using deadly force knows that the aggressor forcibly entered the home, business or car. This also applies to invited guests. This doctrine is known as the ‘castle doctrine.'”
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