As reported, a San Bernardino County, California man used his gun to stop a woman who was using a brick to break in to his home.
Police say that the home invading woman used a brick to break out a window at the man’s home, prompting him to call the police. The homeowner also reportedly warned the home invader that he had a gun. Undeterred, the home invader reportedly stuck her head through the window, causing the homeowner to fear for his safety and the safety of his family, police say. The homeowner reportedly fired one shot in self defense, striking the home invader and ending the attack. The suspect, reportedly identified as 33 year old Jennifer London, was treated at a local hospital for a gunshot wound and then held on $125,000 bail, according to police.
As this case shows, it is not wise to trust one’s life to the hope that a home invader will flee upon learning that the home is occupied and that the police are on their way. A home invader may decide that although the police are on the way, they can complete their crime in the (at least) several minutes that it will take for the police to arrive. Or, the criminal could be a drug user or mentally disturbed person who is simply not amenable to reason. Regardless of the home invader’s underlying motive, the net result can be unarmed citizens harmed in their own home by an intruder who decides not to flee.
A few real-life examples reinforce this point, while showing the value of gun ownership for self defense:
- In one case, a man was asleep in his home when his burglar alarm woke him up. Standing over him was a knife wielding criminal, who forced the man to turn off the alarm, and then proceeded to rob the man at knife point. Luckily that man was a gun owner, and managed to grab a self defense gun and scare the criminal away.
- In another case, a woman was home sick from work when her burglar alarm went off. Despite the fact that the alarm was sounding the police were on their way, the criminals continued to break in. Upon seeing the woman, the three criminals fled. Amazingly, however, one of the criminal circled back and tried to break in yet again. Fortunately, the woman had a gun, and shot the home invader in self defense.
- In a third case, a husband and wife were at home when their burglar alarm sounded. As the alarm was sounding, the wife saw an intruder continuing to advance into their home, and yelled for her husband to grab his shotgun. Rather than fleeing, the intruder grabbed a fire extinguisher and rushed toward the husband, who fired in self defense, saving himself and his wife.