A Bit Too High And To The Left/right.

[FirefightnRick]

http://www.star-telegram.com/local/story/530288.html

North Richland Hills man shoots intruder in back yard

By DOMINGO RAMIREZ JR.Star-Telegram staff writer

Crime Time blog

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS -- Trying to protect his family, Julius Billy pointed his 9 mm handgun at an intruder who had tried to kick open his back door early Friday and was standing in his back yard.

Billy repeatedly warned the man to get on the ground.

"I kept telling him to lay down," Billy, 30, said hours after the confrontation. "He was about 30 feet away from me, but he kept coming toward me. He even jumped a little fence towards me and said, 'Go ahead. Shoot me.'"

Billy fired, hitting the man in the shoulder. He ran back into the house to be sure his wife was calling 911, then returned to the back yard to check on the wounded man.

"He was down, but trying to get up," Billy said. "He saw me, and this time he told me not to shoot."

Police arrived within minutes and took the 27-year-old intruder into custody. He was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, but his wound was not considered life-threatening, officials said.

Police did not identify the man Friday. Officials plan to present the case to the Tarrant County district attorney's office, which will decide whether either man should face criminal charges.

Couple heard noises

The shooting happened about 12:30 a.m. in the 7900 block of Laura Street. Billy and his wife had been discussing vacation plans when he heard noises at his back door, he said.

Billy went to another room, grabbed his handgun and ran out the front door and circled the house as his wife grabbed the phone to call 911.

The confrontation

Billy found the man in his back yard.

"I was surprised that he had not run away," Billy said. "I asked him, 'What are you doing?'"

Billy pointed his handgun and repeatedly told the man to get on the ground.

"All I wanted to do was detain him until police got there," Billy said.

Billy said he became increasingly frightened.

"He wouldn't stop," he said.

Billy fired one shot.

When police arrived, the man was on the ground, North Richland Hills police Sgt. Greg Trickey said Friday.

Children in bed

Billy said he was bold only because the man was on the side of the house where his 5-year-old son was sleeping. His 13-year-old son also was home. Both children slept through the confrontation and shooting.

"If he got past me, who would be around to stop him?" Billy said. "The main thing for me was that I was the last line of defense for my family."

ramirez@star-telegram.com

DOMINGO RAMIREZ JR., 817-685-3822

That's a 9mm for you.

Rick

[untbowler]

Lets hope the DAs office actually charges Perp and not the homeowner.

[UNTFan23]

Lets hope the DAs office actually charges Perp and not the homeowner.

I don't see how you could charge the homeowner. He warned the intruder multiple times and only fired one shot, disabling the man. The intruder even taunted him to shoot him.

[UNTflyer]

I don't see how you could charge the homeowner. He warned the intruder multiple times and only fired one shot, disabling the man. The intruder even taunted him to shoot him.

Never shoot to disable. Always be absolutely clear to the police that you were shooting to kill because you feared for your life. Unlike the Joe Horn case, this one seems to be indisputable. The perp was clearly moving toward the homeowner and already tried to enter the occupied house.