And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why you don’t mess with an armed homeowner.
Steven Davenport of Yukon, Oklahoma, is going viral after stopping a home invader on Friday, particularly given a line he used on the would-be burglar. Davenport says that it all began when he heard his door chime.
“I just thought it wasn’t shut so I pulled it to and went back to work,” he says, according to KWTV-TV. When he noticed that the door had opened again, however, he knew it was time to take action.
“Just as I reached like that the handle went from my hand and it pulled, so I just jerked it and did that and went and got my gun,” Davenport said. Davenport opened the door to his garage with his .45 — and just like that, he was right in front of the intruder.
“He was standing there facing me,” Davenport said. “That all happened in a microsecond, so it was a creepy feeling actually.” The intruder ran out into the backyard through a second door, all with Davenport in pursuit.
“I anticipated either not seeing him, or seeing the back of him running away, but for him to be standing there staring at me that really got my attention,” Davenport said. “At that point, I took my .45 and racked a round and told him he was going to die if he didn’t get on the ground.”
As Davenport ordered the alleged invader — later identified as Jared Bennett — to crawl to the front yard, he begged to be released.
“He started pleading, ‘I just wanted some water please sir let me go, I’ll never come back,’” Davenport said.
The suspect complied and Davenport ordered him to crawl to the front yard where the homeowner attempted to call for help. Unfortunately, none of his neighbors were home at the time but a jogger did finally pass by, snapping the now viral photo showing the ‘dirty-hairy’ homeowner and would-be burglar.