It’s not every day that a home invasion is carried out with a wooden pole as the weapon of choice, but that’s what unfolded early Thursday morning at a Mount Shasta, California, residence.
It was fortunate for the home’s occupants that one of them had a .22-caliber rifle nearby.
A resident with a loaded firearm halted an attack that could have been deadly
It was just after midnight when Siskiyou County investigators believe 45-year-old Joel Hammons forced his way into the home. His apparent target was Kevin Palmer, 57, and witnesses reported the intruder struck the victim multiple times with the pole.
Investigators also heard that Hammons threatened to kill the home’s other occupants as he battered Palmer. One of the other residents decided to act.
Witnesses recalled that 28-year-old Ryan Edens grabbed the rifle and fired at least one shot at the alleged attacker to protect himself and the other occupants.
Alleged attacker faces numerous charges after being shot
Responding officers found Hammons suffering from a gunshot wound, and his alleged target was also injured. Both were transported to Mercy Medical Center for treatment.
The suspect initially claimed that he accidentally shot himself in the side, but witnesses quickly described an entirely different scenario.
Hammons was subsequently charged with assault with a deadly weapon, making criminal threats with the intent to terrorize, breaking and entering, and violating a restraining order.
Interestingly, Edens was also arrested on unrelated charges. He does not appear to face legal consequences for defending the residents from the alleged attack.
The Second Amendment exists in large part to provide a means of self-defense from potentially deadly encounters. The alleged assailant did not stop the assault on his own, but only when a defensive bullet struck him did he change his mind.
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