The hero of this incident, who likely saved himself from serious injury or worse, is exactly who the framers had in mind when they included the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights. He is 74 years old, hard of hearing, and grapples with multiple health issues.
None of that mattered earlier this month when Donald Bolynn of Gastonia, North Carolina, was alerted to a suspect, 57-year-old Cedric Ford, attempting to gain entry to his home.
“Got up off the couch and [came] to the front door and looked out. I didn’t see nothing,” Bolynn told local media.
The ‘great equalizer’ earned its name yet again
After not seeing anyone when he checked for the source of the noises, the homeowner saw a man at the window and fired one shot. The resulting chest wound was enough to end the threat.
Ford and his girlfriend allegedly fled to a nearby gas station and called 911 to report a drive-by shooting. Officers raced to the scene and quickly discovered the narrative did not add up.
What helped was one of Gastonia’s Flock gunshot detection receivers. This device led authorities straight to the house where the alleged break-in was attempted, and the pieces fell into place.
This apparently was not the first attempt to steal from homeowner
Investigators watched security camera footage that reportedly showed Ford first trying the home’s front door before switching to a window as the point of entry.
Police revealed the homeowner reported multiple burglaries recently that may have involved the suspect and his girlfriend. Authorities charged both Ford and 47-year-old Sanja Stallings with first-degree burglary, and more charges of false reporting and an attempted break-in are still possible.
Initial evidence points toward an older man being the repeated target of determined burglars. It is no wonder that he was armed and prepared to confront the suspect, and Ford is lucky to see another sunrise.
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