Crime can happen anywhere and at any time. It was early on a weekend morning when a homeowner in Estill County, Kentucky, faced an unwelcome intruder. Most of this county is made of rural roads or small towns. Of all the places and times, we should be safe there and then.
This homeowner was inside his house early Sunday morning. It seems a stranger broke in. I say “seems” because we’re uncertain. Some news reports said the stranger entered the home, while other reports called it a break-in. A break-in implies a forced entry. Those details matter since breaking down a door takes work. Breaking glass and splintering wood make noise and alert the occupants. This homeowner knew he had an intruder in his home. The defender armed himself. He saw that the intruder was armed, and he shot the armed intruder in his home. Then, the defender retreated.
The homeowner called 911 for help. The local police, the state police, the county coroner, and Emergency Medical Services arrived at the scene. The police secured the attacker’s firearm. EMS examined the attacker. The coroner pronounced the armed attacker dead at the scene. The body was removed for an autopsy.
There is so much more we want to know that isn’t explicitly described in this news story. Was the home secure, and did the defender follow best practice?
Yes, Kentucky has a castle doctrine law so we can defend ourselves from an intruder who enters our home. Yes, they also have so called “stand your ground” laws so there is no legal duty to retreat. That said, we don’t want to shoot a drunk neighbor or relative who isn’t an immediate threat. That is why it is best practice to retreat and grab a flashlight or turn on our bedroom lights. That is the best-case scenario, and the story may have unfolded exactly that way. We don’t know because the police don’t include those details in their reports. Most news reporters don’t know to ask those important questions.
We know that this should have been the safest place at the safest time. There are more dangerous places and less dangerous places, but crime happens everywhere.
This story is one of many that go under-reported by the mainstream media because it shows a positive image of a law-abiding gun owner defending their life and their family. It is our responsibility at AmmoLand to report these stories to you. While we will continue to report these stories, groups like the Crime Prevention Research Center, led by Dr. John Lott, are fastidious in studying the use of firearms for self-defense. Stay up to date with all news on self-defense by following CPRC and Ammoland.
About Rob Morse
Rob Morse writes about gun rights at Ammoland, at Clash Daily, at Second Call Defense, and on his SlowFacts blog. He hosts the Self Defense Gun Stories Podcast and co-hosts the Polite Society Podcast. Rob was an NRA pistol instructor and combat handgun competitor.