Florida Self-Defense: FL Homeowner Defends Family From "Out of Control" Intruder :: 08/28/2020

Authorities in Polk County, Florida say an intruder was shot and killed by a resident on Friday morning after the stranger smashed a window to gain entry to the home, but the suspect had already caused alarm for several members of the community before he broke into the home in Lakeland.

According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, the situation started to unfold right as kids were heading off to school. The suspect was behind the wheel of a car that crashed into a tree. Exiting the vehicle, he began to throw himself onto the hoods of several nearby cars, and then attempted to gain entry to a school bus full of children.

Luckily, the sheriff said, the driver refused to open the school bus door.

“She had stopped, picked up a child, when this guy tried to get in the school bus. That school bus driver is a hero. She kept the doors locked. She didn’t let him in when he tried to get in,” Judd said. “God bless our school bus drivers.”

Unable to get inside the school bus, the man then apparently decided to break into a nearby home. There were three generations of residents inside, including a 9-year old boy, his parents, and grandparents, and thankfully the child’s father was able to get to his firearm while he dialed 911 to alert authorities. The suspect apparently broke a window and was able to get inside the house, where he tried to attack one of the residents.

That’s when the unidentified intruder grabbed a piece of glass that broke off after he entered the home.

“And threw it at the homeowner,” Judd described. “That’s when he shot him. Our deputies arrived shortly attempted to provide first aid of the suspect. He was later pronounced deceased at Lakeland Regional.”

This is the second case of armed self-defense in Polk County this week. Last Sunday morning, a woman in Auburndale, Florida was forced to shoot a man after he tried to break into her home after an argument with his girlfriend, who was still inside the residence.

Sheriff Judd said two couples went out for the evening Friday night and all came to a home around 4 a.m. A heated argument then happened between one couple.

The boyfriend left the home with the other man and went to his car, while the girlfriend and the other woman stayed inside the home.

Sheriff Judd said the boyfriend left in his car, and when he got to the end of the road, he told the other man he was going back for his girlfriend.

The other man tried to tell the boyfriend to just go home and leave, however, the boyfriend insisted on going back to the home.

When the boyfriend got back to the home, he kicked the door demanding the girlfriend to go with him. However, no one answered the door.

The boyfriend then went back to his car and picked up a tire iron and headed toward a window, Sheriff Judd said.

The suspect then used the tire iron to smash the window of the home, which is when the woman inside shot him.

Violent crime can happen anywhere, but apparently in Polk County violent criminals stand a pretty good chance of being shot by their intended victims. I’m glad to see Sheriff Judd has been so vocal about highlighting these self-defense stories. For their sakes, I hope the county’s violent criminals are paying attention.

Cam Edwards has covered the 2nd Amendment for more than 15 years as a broadcast and online journalist, as well as the co-author of "Heavy Lifting: Grow Up, Get a Job, Start a Family, and Other Manly Advice" with Jim Geraghty. He lives outside of Farmville, Virginia with his family. https://bearingarms.com/author/camedwards/

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