A man came home to find his girlfriend being assaulted by her ex-boyfriend. However, when the ex decided to come at him with a knife, the man decided to handle his business.
When 20-year-old Hunter Joseph arrived at his home in El Paso, Texas, he was surprised to find an unwelcome guest in his abode. However, just because he was caught off-guard doesn’t mean he wasn’t prepared for such a scenario.
The desire of every good man is to provide for and protect his loved ones and the vulnerable around him. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a muscle-bound strongman or a martial arts expert to fulfill this duty. You simply have to be properly equipped and trained, as Joseph demonstrated when he encountered the home intruder.
Police say that Joseph allegedly walked in to find his girlfriend being assaulted by her ex-boyfriend, 23-year-old Aram Sida of Horizon City, KVIA reports. The intruder was apparently armed with a knife and had allegedly forced his way into the home to confront his 22-year-old ex-girlfriend, who had moved on to date Joseph.
In a report on the shooting, police wrote that the “investigation revealed Sida forced his way into the residence. Once inside the residence, Sida began assaulting the female victim.”
The El Paso Police Department says that Sida was assaulting the woman when Joseph arrived and ordered him to leave, grabbing his rifle in the process. When Sida charged at him with the knife, Joseph shot and killed him. Neither Joseph nor his girlfriend was seriously injured.
“The homeowner told Sida to leave the residence and armed himself with a rifle. Sida charged toward the homeowner with a knife. The homeowner then discharged his rifle and shot Sida killing Sida at the scene,” the report concluded.
Both Joseph and the woman gave their witness statements to investigators and claimed that the deadly shooting was a case of self-defense. Detectives convened to determine whether murder charges would be warranted. In the end, investigators deemed the shooting a case of justifiable homicide.
The case comes just weeks after a similar shooting in St. Louis. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that police arrived at a local residence to find 58-year-old Michael Norman, who had sustained several gunshot wounds, lying near the entrance in critical condition. He was rushed to the hospital but pronounced dead upon arrival. Inside they found the 40-year-old homeowner, who was also injured.
The homeowner, who police believed to be the shooter, was found in stable condition with a gunshot wound to his hand courtesy of his own firearm. He told police that Norman had entered his home and attempted to assault him. As such, he grabbed a gun and opened fire, accidentally injuring himself in the process.
Initially, the homeowner was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder and armed criminal action. However, prosecutors soon rejected filing a murder charge against him, deeming the shooting to be a case of self-defense.
One of the foundational principles of a functioning society is the right to self-defense and a reasonable defense of one’s property. Luckily, prosecutors agree that these cases didn’t warrant charges against the homeowners, which sends a crucial message to would-be home intruders.
As these homeowners proved, the best way to ensure that your home and loved ones are protected is to arm yourself and undergo the proper firearm training. You can’t put a price on security, but investing in a reliable firearm is a good start.
