As reported, a criminal armed with a knife broke into a Colorado Springs home. The home owner grabbed their gun, and fired at the intruder. The criminal fled, and the home owner called police. After searching the nearby woods, the police found a suspect hiding, with a non-life-threatening gunshow wound. The suspect was taken to a local hospital for treatment, and then to the local jail to face charges. The home owner was unharmed.
Those who are unarmed, or who are armed with an inferior weapon, will often end up overpowered by the criminal, with dire consequences. Nor can a citizen rely upon the police for protection, as they are minutes away while it takes a criminal who is breaking in just seconds to get to their victim. It is also important to note that the police will sometimes fail to help even when asked repeatedly, and they are not legally liable for that failure. Adding to the problem, police are 5.5 times more likely than an armed citizen to shoot the wrong person, meaning that there is a certain degree of danger anytime there are armed police coming to the aid of a citizen.
Fortunately, this home owner was prepared to defend their home and life. This person’s heroic actions have also taken a criminal off the streets, likely saving many other people from the terror and potentially lethal threat that a home invasion represents.