Man shot dead, woman wounded in Maple Valley
Seattle Times: A homeowner in Maple Valley fatally shot a man and wounded a woman he said were breaking into a shipping container on his property about 4 a.m. today.
King County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Sgt. Cindi West said the man made two calls to 911: the first at 3:49 a.m. to say he had intruders on his property, and a second call a few minutes later to say he had shot them.
West said the man was dead when deputies arrived. The woman was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center, where she was reported in critical condition.
West said detectives are interviewing the homeowner to learn more about what took place, to help determine if he acted properly under the circumstances.
Sheriff’s Detective Jason Stanley said under Washington law, use of deadly force by a homeowner is typically justifiable only if the resident believes that they or others around them are in imminent physical danger, and typically does not include someone who is simply protecting property. He said any decision about charging the resident would come from the King County prosecutor’s office.
KING-TV said the 66-year-old homeowner had previously reported that people were trying to break into a container on his property in a rural residential area the 23200 block of 212th Avenue Southeast.
I’ve seen comments where people are saying you can’t kill someone over your property. Yet if a criminal shows up unwanted on my property, can I assume he’s armed as he’s already breaking the law? And what about my right to protect my property? This homeowner had reported five burglary attempts before on his property. I’m sick of people defending criminals as if you can’t do anything to protect what you work so hard for. It’s dangerous when one chooses to become a burglar.
DCG
