Following the shooting death of an alleged burglar at a home in Gwinnett County early Friday morning, Gwinnett Police are encouraging homeowners to know the law regarding deadly force.
Around 4 a.m. Friday, three men allegedly entered a home on Spring Drive in unincorporated Gwinnett County, according to Gwinnett Police Cpl. Michele Pihera.
A female in the home heard noise, retrieved her handgun and went to investigate. She reportedly witnessed the three men entering the home and began firing shots, hitting one of the men in the torso - he later died from his injuries. At least one of the other suspects reportedly exchanged gunfire with the woman as they fled.
"This woman did everything correct," Pihera said. "She has a right to arm herself and protect herself while she's at her home. When she felt like her life was in jeopardy... or her roommate's life was in jeopardy, she has every right to take out a weapon and utilize deadly force if she thinks it's going to save her life or somebody else's life and that's exactly what she did."
Pihera said there's also no law that requires a verbal warning to an intruder before using deadly force.
"If you think it's going to be to your benefit, if you think that the person who is armed or the suspect isn't going to utilize deadly force against you, you can try it. But I don't believe this was an option for her," Pihera said. "She felt like the best course of action was to start firing and ultimately saved her life."
Pihera also strongly encouraged people to familiarize themselves with local laws if they're traveling or moving, as well as knowing how to use their weapons.
"This is not the first and it probably will not be the last case where a resident homeowner is protecting themselves and they have to utilize deadly force," Pihera said.
Pihera said in the case they are still looking for the other two alleged suspects, and, they could face felony murder charges since their accomplice died during the crime. The investigation into the break in is ongoing.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2016/9/447409/gwinnett-police-say-homeowner-was-right-in-fatal-home-invasion