The thug didn’t get a slug, but as she could have, stories like this qualify.
Akron homeowner holds intruder at gunpoint until police arrive
AKRON, Ohio – A local couple was startled late Monday when they heard noises and found a woman standing in their kitchen after kicking in their back door.
One of the homeowners called police while her husband escorted the intruder to the back porch where he held her at gunpoint until police arrived.
“We were able to get her on the back porch. We need the police here immediately,” the woman told police dispatchers.
“Are they not able to get out?” asked the dispatcher.
“OK, do you know who this woman is?” the dispatcher then asked.
“No, never seen her before in my life and my husband is armed. OK, he has a permit to carry a gun. No one is hurt, but she is sitting on our back porch and we are not going to let her leave until the police get here,” the caller responded.
“She wasn’t overly afraid, but you could tell the gravity of what just took place was very concerning to her and her husband,” said Akron Police Lieutenant Michael Miller. “That’s a homeowner exercising their rights to ensure that they are safe. It also shows a homeowner’s decision making and restraint in that it didn’t escalate.”
The homeowners declined to go on camera, but they did show FOX 8 their damaged back door after having been repeatedly kicked to force open.
Police arrested Erin Myers, who was in the Summit County Jail on Wednesday charged with burglary.
A check of Summit County court records shows at least one prior arrest and conviction for criminal trespass in 2020.
The couple whose home she broke into tells FOX 8 that she seemed not to be able to articulate any motive or intention for breaking into their home.
Police confirm that, prior to the break-in, they were receiving calls from other homeowners in the neighborhood concerned that someone might be trying to get into their homes.
Ohio’s Castle Doctrine allows for the presumption that a person acts in self-defense when he or she uses force against anyone who unlawfully enters his or her residence or vehicle.
Under the law, homeowners don’t have a duty to retreat before using force in their residence or vehicle.
“These homeowners didn’t send a welcome light in the sky asking for someone to violate their personal space,” said Miller, commending the homeowners for their composure and restraint under the circumstances. “We are glad it didn’t escalate to any kind of situation, you know, a different conversation about what homeowners are entitled to do to defend themselves. Fortunately it didn’t come into play, but certainly this lady broke into their home and caused that level of fear for these homeowners.”