On Thursday, during the predawn hours of the morning, an Oklahoma gun owner defended his home while on the phone with a 911 dispatcher, proving once again that when seconds count the police are minutes away.
The homeowner, whose name has not been released, is heard on the call pleading with the dispatcher to send help immediately as the intruder was kicking down his front door.
Though, he made it pretty clear that if police didn’t arrive in the very near future, he’d take matters into his own hands.
“You better get these *expletive* here or they will die,” the man told the dispatcher.
“They’re beating on my front door right now,” he continued.
“Okay, we’ve got them on the way,” the dispatcher replied.
The intruder did not stop beating on the door. He eventually kicked it in and (to his great displeasure) was shot three times, once in the face.
“I just put three rounds in his ass,” said the homeowner, who seemed both relieved and distraught over the encounter.
The Ponca City Police arrived on the scene right after the shots were fired. They were too late.
The intruder, who was in an obvious amount of pain, was transported to a local hospital. He was then airlifted to a hospital in Tulsa, local news affiliate FOX 25 reported. There’s no word on his condition. His name has not been released.
Police said that the case is under investigation.
Following the incident, several neighbors were asked about the confrontation and whether the homeowner was justified in shooting the intruder.
Enos Rhodd, who lives across the street, told FOX 25 that he believes the homeowner did what he had to do to protect himself and his family.
“I think you have the right to defend yourself,” Rhodd told FOX 25.
However, another neighbor, Carla Carney, believes that the use of force was excessive, that the homeowner did not need to fire his weapon three times.
“You should protect your house, but if he was shot once, why continue to keep shooting?” Carney told FOX 25.
You can hear the entire 911 call below or you can watch FOX 25’s video report of the incident here:
After hearing the call, what’s your take? Was the use of force reasonable? Or did the homeowner shoot the intruder too many times, as Mrs. Carney suggested?