OT-Chalk up another for the good guys!

[505stevec]

BLUE MOUND, Texas — When two gunmen smashed through the glass front door of her suburban Fort Worth home, Kellie Hoehn didn't think twice.

The 34-year-old mother of two grabbed a shotgun that had been pointed at her face early Wednesday, starting a struggle that ended with one intruder killed with his own weapon and another in the hospital.

"I wasn't going to let them get to my babies," she said, recalling the moment when she pushed up the muzzle of the shotgun, pointing it away from her children's rooms.

Although the intruders told her to keep quiet, she screamed for her husband. She told her 12-year-old son, who was awakened by the sound of the shattering glass front door, to get his 5-year-old sister and hide.

"It was like a horror movie," her husband, 32-year-old Keith Hoehn, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "I thought I was a dead man. We're fighting for our lives."

With Kellie Hoehn clinging to the weapon's muzzle, her husband tackled the man who held the shotgun. She knocked the intruder in the head with a jar candle, giving her husband a chance to wrest the shotgun.

By then the tussle had spilled out onto the front lawn. Keith Hoehn shot one of the men who had a pistol, police said. Wounded, that man ran away.

Then the intruder who initially had the shotgun charged Keith Hoehn.

Kellie Hoehn told The Dallas Morning News that she screamed at her husband, "Shoot him, shoot him, shoot him."

Her husband fired the shotgun and the man fell to the ground. Then the shot man lunged a second time.

"Well, I shot him again, and I guess that was it," Keith Hoehn said.

Dakota Scott Benoit, 20, of Richland Hills, was pronounced dead at a hospital. John Garland Pierson, 25, of Haltom City, was in critical condition and in police custody at the hospital.

"I am not happy that someone is dead," Kellie Hoehn said. "But I am glad that my family is alive."

Police said Pierson was shot in the left arm and the bullet pierced his diaphragm and other organs but his condition was improving. He will face charges of burglary of habitation with intent to commit another felony, police said.

Investigators say the couple were just defending their family and probably won't be charged.

[homefront]

Hey, you beat me to it!

Great post.

[TedH]

I love to hear about these kind of stories. The only bad thing is one of the ba$tards is still alive.

[Borregos]

TedH +1

[66GTO]

BLUE MOUND, Texas — Investigators say the couple were just defending their family and probably won't be charged.

"Probably won't be charged". How about "There ain't a snowball's chance they'll be charged". They can't find a jury in Texas that would convict them of defending themselves with the gun they took away from armed home invaders.

[El Chivo]

BLUE MOUND, Texas — Investigators say the couple were just defending their family and probably won't be charged.

what prosecutors could say is, once they wrested the gun away from the perp, he was unarmed and so shooting him was unnecessary.

I don't like it either. I guess what you're supposed to do, once you get the gun, is say, "Ok, run along now".

[66GTO]

BLUE MOUND, Texas — Investigators say the couple were just defending their family and probably won't be charged.

what prosecutors could say is, once they wrested the gun away from the perp, he was unarmed and so shooting him was unnecessary.

My argument if I am the guys lawyer.

"The perp just broke into my clients house, pointed a shotgun at his wife in a life threatening manner. Meanwhile his armed associate is in the background. After my clients wife wrestled the shotgun from the perp, he then charged my client in an obvious attempt to regain control of the shotgun so he could continue his assault and do bodily harm to or kill my client and his family. The perp made a fatal mistake in assuming my client would not defend himself and his family against his feloneous assault. I ask you ladies and gentlemen of the jury, what would you have done in the same situation?

The laws of the great state of Texas do not require a victim to submit to an armed assualt in his own home. Our laws allow him to defend himself in the situation that was forced upon him by the deceased and his partner in crime, and that is just what my client did. You will examine the facts in this case and come to the only conclusion that you can reach. My client did not violate any law. You must acquit. Thank you ladies and gentlemen."

[Griff]

BLUE MOUND, Texas — Investigators say the couple were just defending their family and probably won't be charged.

what prosecutors could say is, once they wrested the gun away from the perp, he was unarmed and so shooting him was unnecessary.
I don't like it either. I guess what you're supposed to do, once you get the gun, is say, "Ok, run along now".

Not to raise any regional disputes, but... it happened in TEXAS. Where the right to defend your property, life and livelihood are traditionally held as justifying deadly force. And we have a "Castle Doctrine". Mere trespassing in rural areas allows the use of deadly force. I believe that possession of fencing tools without the deed to such property is deemed possession of burlgary/rustling tools is still on the books (it was in 2004 when I retired; I make sure my 7-way is not in my p/u when I leave the county, but my gun is!)... you end up in the pokey. God blessed Texas! And continues to do so as we're free to defend ourselves and families.

[octagon]

Standing: (with gusto)

"The eyes of Texas are upon you
All the live long day
The eyes of Texas are upon you
You cannot get away
Do not think you can escape them..."

[Old Ironsights]

You charge a man holding a shotgun, you deserve what you get. If the homeowner had shot the man in the back as he ran away, there might be an issue... but the zombie apparantly wanted his shotgun back reeeal bad...

[awp101]

You charge a man holding a shotgun, you deserve what you get.

dingdingding! They guy charged, was hit, charged again. It can EASILY be argued the homeowner was in fear of his life and under the circumstances there wouldn't be a question in the world.

The second perp was armed making him fair game as well.

The now ex-FiL of a buddy of mine was a detecive for the Dallas PD. He told us once that if we ever had to shoot someone we would be asked if we were in fear of our lives. We had better answer "yes". If we didn't we would be asked once or twice more and we had better answer "yes" at some point or things wouldn't be so easy going after that.

[Old Ironsights]

...
The now ex-FiL of a buddy of mine was a detecive for the Dallas PD. He told us once that if we ever had to shoot someone we would be asked if we were in fear of our lives. We had better answer "yes". If we didn't we would be asked once or twice more and we had better answer "yes" at some point or things wouldn't be so easy going after that.

Another reason I like DA revolvers...

"Your honor, when Officer Smith & I encountered the home owner, she was backed into a corner and continuously pulling the trigger on an empty weapon - which had to be pried from her... Poor thing was terrified and incoherent.... obviously in utter fear for her life..."

[Sixgun]

Good--The homeowner should be given a medal for community service. It is a shame though that the other perp lived---could have saved the taxpayers money had he bought it.-------------------------Sixgun

[Ysabel Kid]

Good--The homeowner should be given a medal for community service. It is a shame though that the other perp lived---could have saved the taxpayers money had he bought it.-------------------------Sixgun

+1 on the medal. In fact, I'd love to see the end of the story changed from "probably won't get charged" to "is in the running for a community service award"!