73-year-old retired teacher defends himself and a neighbor from an intruder, The Sun-Sentinel, Palm Beach, Fla. 08/29/13, WFOR-TV, Miami, Fla. 08/28/13

A 73-year-old retired teacher was at home in Oakland Park, Fla. when a burglar smashed a window to gain access to the house. The homeowner retrieved a gun, went to investigate, and discovered the thief just outside the home, carrying a TV and attacking a neighbor intent on reporting the crime. The homeowner fired at the criminal, striking him several times and causing him to flee to a nearby getaway vehicle. A short time later, police found the getaway vehicle wrecked, with the thief still inside it, about a mile away.

The homeowner made clear to a local media outlet that he did not relish being forced to defend himself and his neighbor, but one of his friends offered effusive praise, stating, “Good for him; wonderful. I wish more people would do that. It’s ridiculous for people to break into homes and think they can get away with it.” The Broward County State Attorney’s Office may look into the shooting, but Broward County Sheriff’s Spokesman Mike Jachles indicated that charges were unlikely, telling reporters, “It appears this was a justifiable shooting... Every indication is that the homeowner was defending himself, his property and his neighbor from being attacked by the intruder.” The intruder faces charges of burglary of an occupied dwelling and grand theft. (The Sun-Sentinel, Palm Beach, Fla. 08/29/13, WFOR-TV, Miami, Fla. 08/28/13)