A resident of Shelby County, Tennessee, found himself in police custody this week after defending his property against would-be thieves.
The incident occurred when the man received an alert from his surveillance system in the early hours of Saturday morning, indicating suspicious activity near his home.
According to Fox 13 Memphis, the homeowner confronted a group of individuals attempting to break into a van parked outside his residence.
In a dramatic turn of events, the thieves responded to the man’s presence by firing shots at him while he stood under his porch light. In a harrowing exchange captured on security footage, both the homeowner and the suspects exchanged gunfire multiple times.
After the altercation, the criminals fled the scene while the homeowner retreated back into his house.
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However, upon the arrival of law enforcement, an unexpected twist occurred. The homeowner’s wife claimed that instead of focusing their efforts on apprehending the suspects, the police began to interrogate her husband.
Expressing her disbelief, the homeowner’s wife told Fox 13 Memphis, “When they were talking to him, from what I saw, it was like they were trying to find ways to charge him. That doesn’t sound right. Why would you put pressure on the victim when you should put pressure on finding the suspects?”
The wife further lamented the situation, highlighting the injustice that unfolded: “The suspects, they are out there. They were probably sleeping or partying [while] my husband was in jail trying to get released for something where he was innocent.”
The incident quickly gained attention on social media platforms, with individuals expressing their criticism of the arrest. Among them was Amy Swearer, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, who voiced her disagreement with the police’s justification for the man’s detainment.
Taking to Twitter, Swearer stated, “I’m floored that the homeowner here is being charged with ‘reckless endangerment.’ The arguments from police seem absurd on their face to me. The only people he endangered were…the ones shooting at him. And he’s 100% entitled to ‘endanger’ them.”
Swearer went on to make a compelling argument in favor of the homeowner on Twitter.
“Argument 1: He shot at them while they were retreating,” she wrote. “Well, they were “retreating” with guns still pointed at him and while still actively firing. I mean, the one suspect hides behind a car and basically lays down covering fire. He is very clearly still being shot at…”
“..or reasonably believes that they present an ongoing imminent threat,” she continued. “Argument 2: He shot without a clear line of sight because the cars were in the way. Um. I repeat. They’re actively shooting at him from behind the cars. Is he recklessly endangering the cars?”
“Argument 3: He “closed his eyes” while firing,” Swearer wrote. “Can you tell that from the video? Even if proven, it’s likely b/c he’s firing at night with no eye/ear protection and flinching a bit. Not great, but nothing suggests he’s like shooting into a neighbor’s house with his eyes closed.”
“I’m open to arguments that I’m missing something, but it seems absurd on its face,” she continued. They clearly fire first. They keep firing even while “retreating” (and that’s a dubious characterization). He’s defending himself and his family on his own property.”
Swearer then offers advice to gun owners. “This nonsense from cops is why EVERY gun owner should get a gun owner’s legal liability insurance plan,” she wrote. “It’s also why I don’t doubt for a single second that many DGUs go unreported – gun owners don’t trust that cops won’t take THEM out in cuffs instead of the actual criminals.”
Swearer completes her argument by pointing out the suspects were firing the entire time. “Oh my goodness. If you watch all the way through to the end, the suspects literally fire a final shot back at the house as they’re driving away and AFTER the homeowner retreats inside,” she said. “There was no point in that video where they weren’t an active, imminent threat.”
As the situation continues to unfold, Fox News Digital reached out to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department for comment but received no response at the time of reporting.
This incident has sparked a wave of public scrutiny. The circumstances surrounding the arrest and subsequent police interrogation have led to growing concerns about the victim’s treatment and the priorities of law enforcement in similar situations.
The case serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between protecting one’s property and navigating the legal complexities that can arise from such encounters. It is grossly unfair to the victim and essentially turns them into villain.