When an intruder approached an Indiana homeowner with a chainsaw, he likely had no idea the homeowner was armed, but he was. Without hesitation, he fired his gun, delivering a fatal blow. He’s since learned his fate.
An unnamed Indiana homeowner had just returned home with his wife when their evening took a terrifying turn. Unbeknownst to the couple, their night out would end horrifically when an intruder—later identified as 68-year-old Richard Davis—approached the man while raising a chainsaw in a threatening manner. But, little did Davis know, the homeowner was armed, and the intruder had just made a fatal mistake.
It was around 9:20 pm on a Thursday when authorities responded to a call about a shooting at a residence in the 1100 block of Beale Street in South Bend, Indiana, according to WNDU. There, arriving officers found Richard Davis, who was clearly suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to the hospital, but it was too late. Davis died at the hospital, prompting an investigation into the fatal shooting.
During the course of the investigation that followed, authorities gathered accounts of the events that transpired that fateful evening from the homeowner and witnesses, including neighbors. Through those accounts, it was determined that the unnamed Indiana homeowner and his wife had just returned home and were getting ready to enter their house when they received an alarm from their security system.
Concerned, the homeowner asked his wife to remain in their car while he went to investigate the alarm. When he approached the rear gate of their property, he saw Richard Davis, armed with a chainsaw. Davis allegedly moved toward the homeowner while holding the chainsaw above his shoulders, causing the homeowner to fear that he could be seriously injured or even killed if Davis managed to get closer.
Not willing to gamble with his life or that of his wife, the fearful homeowner, armed with a handgun, fired his weapon once, striking Richard Davis. Suffering a gunshot wound, Davis hit the ground, and the homeowner instructed his wife to call 911. Following the shooting, it was discovered that the chainsaw belonged to the homeowner. It had been taken out of the garage by Davis before the shooting.
Although it is unclear whether the chainsaw was actively running at the time the fatal shot was fired, the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office said that they could not disprove the homeowner’s recollection of the events leading up to the shooting of Richard Davis. Therefore, Davis’s death was deemed a “justifiable homicide,” meaning no criminal charges would be filed against the homeowner in connection with the shooting death.
While most of us are saddened by the thought of someone losing their life, we also understand the homeowner’s actions and defend a person’s right to use deadly force when their life, loved one, or property is being threatened. One such social media user didn’t mince words when commenting on WNDU’s Facebook page, where he adamantly defended the homeowner’s actions.
“You do that on my property,” the commenter began, “It’s called the f*** around and find out.” Saying that “worthless people” should “quit breaking the f****** [law] and taking [other people’s] s***,” he added, “More people need to start sticking up for their properties. I bet the crime rate will go down.” He might be on to something. After all, I don’t think many people would risk their lives to gain some stolen goods. I think it’s safe to bet that, if given the chance, Richard Davis would have made much different choices had he known that his thieving ways would cost him his life.
