A 73-year-old Army Vietnam War veteran in San Francisco says he shot a man who forced his way into his home during a pre-dawn struggle in the Sunset District, according to CBS News, as relayed by The Western Journal.
What the homeowner says
The homeowner, whose name CBS withheld for safety reasons, told the outlet the break-in happened shortly after 5 a.m. Sunday. He said a man “cut his way into my home” by drilling a hole through a first-floor wooden door to unlock it. Awakened on the third floor, the veteran said he grabbed a handgun and went to investigate.
On the second floor, he said he confronted a burglar dressed in black with his face covered and accompanied by a large dog. “He kind of grabbed me, and I fell to my hands and knees, and I shot him because physically I felt really threatened,” he told CBS, adding, “He had already made a deep intrusion into my home.”
The homeowner said he fired a single round that struck the man in the buttocks. He said the intruder fled, leaving a trail of blood and the dog behind. According to the homeowner, Animal Control later took custody of the abandoned dog, described as a husky. He reported minor scrapes to his hands and knees.
What video and police reported
Neighbor surveillance footage obtained by CBS showed a man pacing back and forth in the area for about 40 minutes before the break-in, the outlet reported.
San Francisco police later detained an injured man matching the description of the wounded burglar roughly three miles away, according to CBS as cited by The Western Journal. Police said paramedics took the man to San Francisco General Hospital, where he was recovering from non-life-threatening injuries.
Neighbor reaction
A neighbor identified only as Michael praised the veteran’s actions in comments to CBS: “Our neighbor is really something special. He’s definitely got a heroic side to him. He’s a real, true vet.”
What we don’t know
As of the reporting cited here, police had not publicly identified the detained man or announced charges. Key details about the entry method, the dog, and the location of the gunshot wound come from the homeowner’s account to CBS and have not been independently verified by Digital Dredger.
