Gun-wielding thug demands Rolex from man. But victim allegedly is a retired wrestler — and the tables are about to turn.



The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department told Blaze News that deputies responded just before 1 p.m. Wednesday to the 900 block of North Sweetzer Avenue in West Hollywood regarding an armed robbery call.

According to the victim, a dark-colored sedan was seen traveling down the street at a high rate of speed before stopping near his location, authorities said.

The driver didn't need directions.

'At one point the guy’s arm got dislocated ...'

The sheriff's department told Blaze News that an adult black male wearing a mask exited the vehicle holding a semiautomatic handgun and demanded the victim’s Rolex watch.

But the victim refused to comply, and a physical struggle ensued, authorities said.

Patrick McCloskey told KTLA-TV he was working from home when he heard a woman screaming from the sidewalk: “The chaos was so intense, I didn’t know who jumped who. I ran to the door to see what was happening. At that point, I hear her yell, ‘Get the gun, get the gun!’”

Apparently getting hold of the gun wasn't too difficult for the victim, as McCloskey explained to the station that the gunman "didn’t know that the guy was a retired wrestler. So he was able to get the gun off the guy and wrestle him down.”

Video of the incident's aftermath shows the victim — who didn't want to be identified — telling a deputy that he grabbed the gunman’s wrist and put him on the ground before taking the gun away, KTLA reported.

The victim's girlfriend then threw the gun over a nearby fence, and he held the suspect down until police arrived, the station said.

RELATED: Man slashed in NYC subway — reportedly after staring match — chases down attacker, turns the tables on him in lethal fashion

The sheriff's department told Blaze News that a second adult male suspect exited the vehicle during the struggle but fled the scene in the dark-colored sedan prior to the arrival of deputies.

Responding deputies recovered the gun and took the suspect into custody without further incident, officials said.

“I was told the gun was loaded,” McCloskey noted to KTLA. “The guy who is sort of the hero in all of this, who was able to pin the guy down, told me he saw a bullet in the chamber.”

McCloskey added to the station that the retired wrestler showed no mercy in his struggle with the gunman: “At one point the guy’s arm got dislocated, and he just held him down."

Video that KTLA obtained from the scene shows deputies arresting the suspect and recovering the gun allegedly used during the incident, the station said.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has information about the investigation is urged to contact LASD’s West Hollywood Station, KTLA added.

Commenters on KTLA's Facebook post about the ordeal seemed pleased with the outcome:

  • "FAFO at its best. Way to go!" one commenter said.
  • "This is why California needs to be open carry like Texas!" another user declared.
  • "Need more people like this hero to fight back!" another commenter said.
  • "You never know who you messing with," another user observed.
  • "News like this [is] soooooo satisfying!" another commenter exclaimed.

Blaze News had asked the sheriff's department for the name of the suspect as well as his age, charge or charges against him, any past offenses, and his arrest photo, but officials did not provide that information.

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Creep with violent past allegedly gropes store customer, threatens to kill others — so woman in store shoots him dead instead



A 42-year-old man followed another customer into the Pink Beauty Supply store in Compton, California, on Sunday afternoon and "groped her once inside" the store, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Lieut. DeJong told KCBS-TV.

When employees told him to leave, the man allegedly refused and began to verbally assault them and some customers before he started throwing objects inside the store, KCBS added.

'In this day and age where there are no boundaries and everyone believes that they can do whatever they want, without fear of prosecution or penalty, this is the proper way to handle it. Good for her.'

Employees and customers noted that the male had an object in his hand that they believed was a knife, the sheriff's department said, adding that the male made verbal threats that he was going to kill and harm everyone in the store.

With that, one of the customers — not the one he allegedly groped — pulled out a gun, KCBS said.

Fearing for the store employees, herself, and other customers, the sheriff's department said she fired a warning shot at the male. But the male turned toward her, officials said — and fearing she was going to be attacked, she fired a second shot, striking the male.

DeJong noted to KCBS that "he went down."

RELATED: Gun-toting woman opens fire on career criminal amid alleged home burglary. Now crook's career is over.

The sheriff's department said the shooting took place just before 3:30 p.m. and that Compton Fire Department personnel responded and pronounced the male dead at the scene.

Investigators noted to KCBS that the woman who pulled the trigger was a customer at the store, and she remained at the scene to cooperate with officials.

Detectives added to the station that parking lot surveillance video indicates the man was loitering in the area and drinking alcohol.

"He alleged he was a gang member, and LASD says it appears he was a gang member; unknown if still active," DeJong told KCBS while adding that the male had a lengthy criminal history that included assaults, robberies, thefts, and disturbing the peace.

The station said it's unclear whether the woman will face any charges for the shooting, and it hasn't yet been determined whether it was done in self-defense.

KNBC-TV said the woman is in her 50s, that she surrendered the gun, and that no one was arrested.

RELATED: Stalker shows up at woman's workplace, begins punching her, cops say. But victim has a gun — and she uses it.

The sheriff's department is asking the public for information about the shooting, noting that individuals can contact the sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Those who prefer to provide information anonymously can call "Crime Stoppers" by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477) or use their smartphones by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile App on Google play or the Apple App Store or by using the Crime Stoppers website, officials said.

Nearly 5,000 comments have rolled into a Los Angeles Times story about the shooting, which Yahoo News republished. The latest reactions reflect strong support for the woman's actions:

  • "Firing a WARNING SHOT was pure genius!" one commenter wrote. "Unfortunately, this criminal made a fatal decision by ignoring it! One less criminal on our streets! Congrats!"
  • "Another person [who] deserves to never pay for any alcohol in their area," another commenter said. "Good job following through on the reason you carry in the first place. I know that was a very hard decision, but if it's you or them, always choose them. She is a HERO and deserves a hero's welcome."
  • "In this day and age where there are no boundaries and everyone believes that they can do whatever they want, without fear of prosecution or penalty, this is the proper way to handle it," another commenter noted. "Good for her."
  • "Unfortunately, citizens are having to defend themselves more frequently these days, [and] her response was appropriate for the situation," another commenter opined. "Given our legal system, he would have been out in hours and recommenced doing the same…"
  • "Justice can come swiftly and in different forms; he got his," another commenter said. "Offenders beware: Many people [nowadays] are armed."

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Florida sheriff defends McDonald's worker who shot customer in the neck: 'It was just a McMess'



A late-night food run escalated into a stand-your-ground shooting at a McDonald's when two Florida men caused a "McMess," according to police.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said a McDonald's got overwhelmed by orders after several events in the area ended early in the morning of Oct. 12.

'What do these goober smoochers do?'

Yoan Soto — a 21-year-old employee at the McDonald's in Davenport, the sheriff's office said — was working an overnight shift.

Two men — 20-year-old Peter Story and 18-year-old Nicholas Jones — pulled into the drive-thru to order food. However, there was reportedly a long wait.

According to Judd, Soto told Jones and Story, "Hey, sorry guys, but we’re way behind ... our online orders are overwhelming us."

However, the two customers allegedly became furious.

Judd said, "They threatened to attack the man who just told them, ‘We’re busy, we can’t take any more orders,’ and he did that because the manager told him to."

Sheriff Judd said the two customers threatened Soto with violence.

"We're going to hang out here," the pair allegedly told Soto, according to Judd. "When you get off, we are going to beat you up."

Judd added, "What do these goober smoochers do? They park their vehicle, and they come into the restaurant."

Sheriff Judd said Soto and the two customers began "jawing" and "having a McArgument in the McDonald’s over McHamburgers, or lack of McHamburgers."

The 22-year-old McDonald’s manager reportedly told Story and Jones to leave because they were trespassing.

Judd said the two customers threatened to commit a "mass shooting" at the McDonald's, which allegedly had other customers inside the restaurant.

Surveillance video shows Soto walking out of the back of the restaurant with a gun and pointing it at the unruly customers — and Judd backed Soto's actions as self-defense.

"And [Soto] comes into the lobby to confront these guys who've threatened him and threatened the store and threatened to shoot the place up," Judd said. "And now he's trying to get them out of the store."

Jones and Story are seen swinging their hands in an apparent attempt to take Soto's gun.

Judd noted that "as they try to grab his gun, [Soto] pulls the trigger, and he shoots Peter Story in the neck."

Jones then drove Story to a local hospital.

"It's a blessing that it was a very minor wound," Judd said.

RELATED: Florida couple charged with manslaughter after 3-year-old died while 'rotting in the bed,' sheriff: 'I have never, ever seen anything as sad, as bone-chilling, and as sickening'

Judd said Soto retrieved the bullet casing and projectile from the floor and fled the McDonald's.

Authorities allegedly convinced Soto to return to the scene of the crime, and he cooperated with police.

Soto was charged with tampering with evidence, which is a felony.

Story and Jones were charged with trespass after warning and disorderly conduct.

"Listen folks, it’s never OK to threaten a mass shooting," Judd stressed. "It’s never OK to threaten to beat people up at a business. And it’s never OK to grab your ammunition and your firearm and run after a shooting."

Judd again backed Soto's self-defense attempt: "He has a right to stand his ground and protect himself, and these guys are threatening to do violence after they’ve already threatened on the outside of the store and came inside."

Judd said of the two customers, "They created a well-founded fear in him and the store manager. It was just a McMess, but we’ll sort it out because we are McGood at investigating McCrime."

Neither McDonald's nor the Polk County Sheriff's Office immediately responded to Blaze News' request for comment.

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Male reportedly shatters glass front door of jewelry store in middle of night. His problem? Armed store owner is inside.



A yet-unnamed male reportedly broke the glass front door of a Baltimore jewelry store with a brick in the middle of the night last week — and it proved to be a fateful choice, as the store owner was inside at the time.

A friend of the store owner shared the following account of Thursday's incident with WJZ-TV on his behalf. The station said:

  • The store owner was watching a movie around 2 a.m.
  • The store owner said someone broke through his glass front door with a brick, so he fired a warning shot and said, "Freeze!"
  • The intruder ducked, then popped back up, and the store owner shot him.

Baltimore police described it as a commercial burglary at the intersection of Fleet and Madeira Streets that resulted in the fatal shooting of a 39-year-old man, WJZ said.

'There are very much viable defenses for someone in the business owner's — the jewelry store owner's — shoes right now.'

The station added that the shooting was caught on video and shared with a WJZ reporter. While the camera owner declined to allow WJZ to publish the images, the camera owner did share them with police. The station said the silent video shows a man at the store's entrance who appears to enter the business — and seconds later, he falls to the pavement.

WJZ noted in its Friday story that "bullet holes remained in two windows at the store" and that the broken glass in the store's front door "has since been covered." The station added that the store's owner reportedly lived above his shop.

RELATED: Video: Armed thugs who rush into jewelry store have fast change of heart when worker with gun sends them some smoke

In a follow-up story, WJZ reported that the shooting has raised questions regarding when — and where — lethal force is allowed when you believe you are in danger.

The station said the standards differ in Maryland depending on if you are in your home or in public. WJZ said the law gives you more latitude to use deadly force if you're at home and have a "reasonable" fear that your life is in danger — a.k.a. the Castle Doctrine.

But the station said if you are in public, you have a "duty to retreat" and only can use deadly force as a last resort — and the force should be proportional to the threat.

Attorney Warren Alperstein — who is not affiliated with the jewelry store case — noted to WJZ that "if you're in an alley up against a brick wall at a dead end, and there's no way to get out ... there's no way to retreat — that would be an exception to the requirement."

RELATED: Smash-and-grab robbers turn tail and run when jewelry store employee pulls out gun, starts shooting

The station said in the case of Thursday's fatal shooting at the jewelry store, the store owner lived in the same building as his business. Alperstein added to WJZ that "if it's determined it was in his home, then he does not have to first prove that he retreated before he used the deadly force."

The attorney also told the station that "there are very much viable defenses for someone in the business owner's — the jewelry store owner's — shoes right now."

WJZ said Baltimore police and the state's attorney's office declined interview requests.

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3 intruders — 1 armed — reportedly run into home. But homeowner also has a gun — and only 2 intruders run back out.



Police in Miami Gardens, Florida, told WTVJ-TV they got word of a possible home invasion in the 3000 block of Northwest 204th Terrace shortly before noon Monday.

Police said three individuals — one armed with a rifle — entered the home, the station said.

'I guess he was defending his daughter from the three people who went inside.'

However, as one of the intruders opened a bedroom door, a victim opened fire, hitting one of the intruders in the arm, WTVJ reported.

The two other intruders fled the scene, the station said, and Miami-Fire Rescue airlifted the wounded subject to Aventura Hospital.

The wounded individual's condition is unknown, WTVJ noted, and no other injuries were reported.

RELATED: Florida man sees back door of mom's home left open. So he goes inside, hears strange noises — and grabs a gun.

A man who lives at the house told the station that he and others who were inside at the time of the home invasion are OK, but he didn’t want to comment further.

A teenager who didn't want to be identified added to WTVJ that she watched from her bedroom window as three people ran inside the house — and when just two of them ran back out.

“I saw them shooting toward the porch, then running to the car, then the father shot four times,” the teen told the station. “It was loud, it was right there, across the street, boom, boom, boom, boom.”

The teen added to WTVJ that two men who were inside the house also ran outside: “He was standing outside of the house. He was defending the house. He said, 'That's my daughter; I have no money,' so I guess he was defending his daughter from the three people who went inside."

A woman who lives down the street added to the station that after she heard gunshots, she saw a car speeding by and someone with a face covering: “I saw the car zooming, and the guy was running behind the car, and I thought he was running after the car because I saw him with a gun in his hand. I was shocked. I was surprised."

WTVJ said the search for the two other subjects is ongoing.

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Gun-toting woman opens fire on career criminal amid alleged home burglary. Now crook's career is over.



An Alabama woman fatally shot a male amid an alleged home burglary Sunday night in Decatur, WZDX-TV reported.

A dispatch call indicated a woman said her house was being robbed, and that a male was heard screaming in the background.

State records show Brinkley served time for offenses, including first-degree robbery, third-degree burglary, possession of a pistol by a convicted felon, and distribution of a controlled substance, WZDX noted.

WAFF-TV said it picked up the following from a dispatch phone call: “10-4 units responding to the burglary in progress, 22nd Avenue caller now advising it was a black male wearing a white shirt armed with a firearm. The caller now advises she has shot that male; he is currently laying on the ground.”

A dispatch call also noted the woman shot the male in the chest and that he was "not conscious, not breathing."

RELATED: Thug allegedly recorded himself raping woman at gunpoint — before she shot him

Decatur police officers responded around 7:30 p.m. to the report of a burglary in progress in the 1200 block of 22nd Avenue SW, and police said they were informed the caller shot the male suspect, WZDX reported.

When officers arrived, the male was found inside the residence with apparent gunshot wounds, and Morgan County Coroner Jeff Chunn pronounced him dead at the scene, WZDX noted.

Chunn on Tuesday identified the male as 46-year-old Narado Brinkley, and WZDX said his criminal past includes drug and burglary convictions.

State records show Brinkley served time for offenses, including first-degree robbery, third-degree burglary, possession of a pistol by a convicted felon, and distribution of a controlled substance, WZDX noted.

His records also indicate multiple probation violations, and he most recently served five months after a 2023 conviction on drug and burglary counts, WZDX added.

RELATED: Mother hid from home invader in closet with her baby — then shot thug in the head, police say

WZDX said the alleged shooter cooperated with investigators and was released with no charges at this time.

However, the station noted that the incident remains under investigation and will be referred to the Morgan County District Attorney’s Office for grand jury consideration.

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Stranger allegedly chucks propane tank through window, goes berserk inside home. But gun-toting homeowner ends rampage.



A stranger allegedly grabbed a propane tank and chucked it through a window of a Georgia home early Monday morning before going on a rampage inside the residence, WSB-TV reported.

A woman named Michelle — who didn't give her last name — told the station she's a member of the family that endured the frightening home invasion in Lawrenceville, noting that the suspect "grabbed a propane gas tank, the big ones from the back, threw it at the window, broke the window, and that’s how he came into the house."

'If every homeowner was armed, thugs would think twice about breaking in.'

WSB said video shows a male behind the family’s home just before 4:30 a.m. and that interior surveillance video shows a shirtless suspect destroying things inside the home while the family called 911 for help.

“He was in there getting naked, taking his clothes off, smashing stuff," Michelle told the station.

Gwinnett County Police said the residents in the home in the 2000 block of Redbark Court immediately confronted the suspect, and officers surrounded the home with the male still inside with the victims.

Police noted that as officers entered the residence to arrest the suspect, the homeowner shot him, and the suspect died.

RELATED: 3 armed thugs wearing ski masks allegedly break into Texas home. But homeowner also has gun — and simply does what Texans do.

Police said homicide detectives and crime scene investigators responded to the scene to speak with witnesses and collect evidence. The name of the victim is being withheld until next of kin is notified, police said.

“This is such a calm neighborhood," Michelle told WSB. "We’ve lived here for over 20 years, and nothing like this has ever occurred."

Neighbors told the station that the suspect may have hopped a fence at a nearby shopping center and walked through the woods to get to the house.

Michelle told WSB she's grateful her family members are all OK in the wake of the terrifying incident: “Yeah, my family is all safe. Thank God. God is good."

No charges have been announced, the station said.

Observers had no sympathy for the suspect:

  • "Sounds like a FAFO situation," one commenter reasoned.
  • "I guess the burglar found out not to enter people's homes to rob them!!!" another commenter exclaimed.
  • "Don't break in if you don't want to take a dirt nap," another commenter advised.
  • "If every homeowner was armed, thugs would think twice about breaking in," another commenter declared.
  • "Well, well looks like homeowner wasn’t charged," another commenter wrote. "I wonder why? Must be because a crazy dude broke into their house, and they have a right to protect themselves."

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Anger spreads over homeowner charged with assault after fighting alleged intruder; Canadian cops double down: 'Don't engage'



As Blaze News recently reported, a Canadian homeowner has been charged with aggravated assault after fighting and injuring an armed male who allegedly broke into his Lindsay, Ontario, residence in the middle of the night last month.

Amid the growing outrage — including from Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who said "something is broken" in the system when one is punished for self-defense — the chief of the Kawartha Lakes Police Service fired off a scolding message to the public on Facebook, calling the criticism against cops "unjust and inaccurate."

'But as it stands, we know the best defense for most people is to comply.'

Chief Kirk Robertson added that the "law requires that any defensive action be proportionate to the threat faced. This means that while homeowners do have the right to protect themselves and their property, the use of force must be reasonable given the circumstances."

Well, things are only getting more bizarre as the issue grows hotter up north.

Turns out the break-in suspect was armed with a crossbow while the homeowner was armed with a knife, the Toronto Star reported, citing court documents.

RELATED: Blaze News original: 5 infuriating times authorities punished victims of physical attacks — as well as a Good Samaritan

Photo by BfdF/RDB/ullstein bild via Getty Images

The break-in suspect — 41-year-old Michael Breen — is no stranger to law enforcement, either. The Star said in addition to the list of charges against him in connection with the Lindsay incident, recent court records show other outstanding charges against Breen, including illegal use of a credit card. The paper added that Breen also allegedly failed to appear in court, after which a warrant for his arrest was issued June 19.

RELATED: Pregnant Tesla passenger 'injured by flying rock,' police in Canada say — and observers have field day with cops' word choice

Meanwhile, those who know the homeowner — Jeremy McDonald — told the Star he's "distraught about" the charges against him.

Jesse Kalabic — who operates Thirteen Tattoo shop in the unit directly below McDonald’s second-floor apartment — added to the paper that McDonald is "concerned" and that "it’s become a very big issue now, and he doesn’t want to be in the spotlight.”

What's more, Kalabic revealed to the Star an additional traumatic element for McDonald, saying the break-in suspect "went through his [young] daughter’s bedroom window. Luckily, she wasn’t there.”

Kalabic added to the paper it’s unfortunate that McDonald — who works in construction — is facing charges when he didn't start the altercation. Kalabic also told the Star he hopes the government will investigate legal reforms concerning the level of force one can use in self-defense that “doesn’t leave the burden on the homeowner, who should always be seen as the victim.”

RELATED: Canadian pastor arrested again; prosecutor claims Artur Pawlowski influenced truckers to keep protesting after they agreed to stop: 'Overt threat to violence'

A pair of Canadian writers for Blaze News — Joe MacKinnon and Andrew Chapados — couldn't agree more.

"The fact that this homeowner was charged for non-lethally confronting an intruder not only is an indictment of the Canadian legal system but also serves notice to would-be criminals: Your victims are powerless under the law to take action against you. If a thug breaks into your home through your daughter's window, you should be criminally charged for not putting him six feet under the ground," MacKinnon told Blaze News.

Chapados added to Blaze News that "while sentiments from the premier are nice, federal laws need to change. In the meantime, Doug Ford needs to pressure the attorney general and Crown not to pursue charges against the homeowner."

As concern and anger over the issue spread throughout Canada, another recent headline out of Ontario has only underscored the public's frustration with police.

Amid a pair of violent home invasions — one that claimed a homeowner's life — the chief of the York Regional Police actually told homeowners that if their residences are invaded, “don’t engage unless absolutely necessary," the Star reported in a separate story.

“In the unlikely event that you find yourself the victim of a home invasion, we are urging citizens not to take matters into their own hands,” Chief Jim MacSween said. “While we don’t want homeowners to feel powerless, we urge you to call 911 and do everything you can to keep yourself and loves ones safe until police arrive and be the best witness possible. This could mean locking yourself in a room away from the perpetrators, hiding, fleeing the home, but don’t engage unless absolutely necessary.”

RELATED: 'Time for the protesters to hear our jackboots on the ground': Royal Canadian Mounted Police in group chat allegedly celebrate violence against protesters

The Star said MacSween sidestepped questions about politicians such as Ford who called for stronger self-defense laws in the wake of the Lindsay incident.

“The premier can make his own statement and his own mind up about that,” MacSween noted, according to the paper. “What I would say is as a police service, we’ll follow the laws as they’re written; if the laws change, we’ll change with the laws.”

The Star said the chief soon added: “But as it stands, we know the best defense for most people is to comply.”

As you might guess, commenters ripped MacSween just like they blasted the Kawartha Lakes Police Service after the Lindsay break-in:

  • "You just gave criminals a free pass," one commenter said.
  • "Instead of telling homeowners to 'comply,' why don't you tell criminals that they will be tossed into prison [with] no chance of bail or parole and the key thrown away??????" another commenter wondered.
  • "This clown is ridiculous. When seconds count, the cops are minutes away," another commenter stated. "When a criminal enters my dwelling, my home, my family's safe place, he/she/it forfeits his/her/zems life. The criminals can comply with the law and not enter my home."
  • "Fire this coward immediately," another commenter declared.

MacSween's sentiments mirror a directive last year from a Toronto police official, who told residents amid a spike in car thefts that they should leave their car keys at their front doors so car thieves don't harm them.

“To prevent the possibility of being attacked in your home, leave your fobs at the front door because they are breaking into your home to steal your car; they don’t want anything else," Cst. Marco Ricciardi said, according to City News Toronto. "A lot of them that they’re arresting have guns on them, and they are not toy guns. They are real guns. They’re loaded.”

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Homeowner actually charged with assault after fighting alleged intruder — and furious observers are blasting Canadian cops



Police in Ontario, Canada, said they charged a homeowner after he fought with an alleged intruder earlier this week.

Kawartha Lakes Police Service said officers responded around 3:20 a.m. Monday to an apartment on Kent Street in Lindsay for a report of an altercation between two males. Lindsay is about 2.5 hours northeast of Toronto.

'I know if someone breaks into my house or someone else's, you're gonna fight for your life,' Ford added. 'This guy has a weapon. You're gonna use any force you possibly can to protect your family. I'm telling you, I know everyone would.'

Arriving officers learned that the resident woke up to find an intruder inside his apartment, police said, adding that the intruder received "serious life-threatening injuries" as a result of the altercation.

The intruder was taken to Ross Memorial Hospital and later airlifted to a Toronto hospital, police said, adding that there is no risk to public safety.

However, police said they charged the 44-year-old homeowner with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon and then released him with a future court date. While police did not describe the weapon, CTV News reported that court documents indicate the homeowner used a knife.

Police said they already wanted the 41-year-old intruder — also a Lindsay resident — for unrelated offenses at the time of the incident. Police said they charged the intruder with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose; break, enter, and theft; mischief under $5,000; and "fail to comply probation."

Police said the intruder will be held in custody pending a bail hearing when he's released from the hospital. CTV News, citing court documents, said Michael Kyle Breen's criminal record includes prior break-and-enter charges.

The incident got the attention of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who said the charges against the homeowner indicate “something is broken" in the system.

"I know if someone breaks into my house or someone else's, you're gonna fight for your life," Ford added. "This guy has a weapon. You're gonna use any force you possibly can to protect your family. I'm telling you, I know everyone would."

RELATED: Leave your car keys at your front door so car thieves don't hurt you, Toronto Police tell residents. Backlash is brutal.

Indeed, observers have been delivering a steady barrage of barbs against police on social media for charging the homeowner. Here's a sampling of comments underneath a completely unrelated post on the Kawartha Lakes Police page on X:

  • "Any idea why it's illegal to defend yourself/home from an intruder with a known criminal history?" one commenter wrote. "The whole world is waiting to hear some dumb-ass woke excuse for Canadas suicidal empathy."
  • "Which one of you dufus cops charged the guy for defending his home from a felon?" another user wondered. "The world can't wait til trial to see who it was and if it was your town's dingbat policy or his own personal nincompoopery. Every line of your trial will be scrutinized online. Congrats. Yer famous."
  • "Shame on you Kawartha cops," another commenter declared. "If you did your job in the first place you wouldn't have a wanted criminal running free breaking into people's houses. Way to alienate the public, especially those like me [who] back the blue."
  • "So if a wanted criminal broke into one of your officer's houses, you'd advise them to just bend over and take it? Would you help the thief pack up your belongings?" another user asked. "Biggest chicken s**t act I've read in the news in a long time … and in this day and age, that's saying something."

The invectives apparently hit cops so hard that the Kawartha Lakes chief of police found it necessary to fire off a scolding message to the public on Facebook, calling the criticism "unjust and inaccurate."

Chief Kirk Robertson added that while it's lawful in Canada for individuals to use reasonable force to protect themselves and their property if they believe they are facing a threat, the "law requires that any defensive action be proportionate to the threat faced. This means that while homeowners do have the right to protect themselves and their property, the use of force must be reasonable given the circumstances."

RELATED: Blaze News original: 5 infuriating times authorities punished victims of physical attacks — as well as a Good Samaritan

A pair of Blaze News writers who live in the Great White North offered their thoughts on the matter as well.

"If an intruder breaks into a person's home, the homeowner should not have to consider the intruder's feelings when protecting their property or family," Andrew Chapados said. "Ontario, and Canada as a whole, needs to introduce the castle doctrine as soon as possible."

Joe MacKinnon concluded the following: "Canadians voted in the same government that unlawfully declared martial law against peaceful protesters, shrugged off church burnings, stigmatizes lawful gun owners, pushed blood libels, strained the country with unprecedented amounts of unassimilable foreign nationals, and routinely euthanizes its most vulnerable citizens. I highly doubt that there will be sustained backlash now over the prosecution of a man who woke up to find a wanted thug in his apartment and acted defensively. Canada's criminal justice system not only gives certain races preferential treatment in terms of sentencing but — as evidenced by this case — holds the lawful to a higher standard than criminal elements. It's an increasingly unworkable system where the good are punished and the bad are rewarded."

Indeed, this wasn't the first time something like this has happened in Canada.

Back in January 2024, police in Peterborough, Ontario — which is about 45 minutes east of Lindsay — charged the victim of a bat attack with aggravated assault after the victim allegedly took the bat from the attacker and hit him with it several times.

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In that case, the public also got angry at cops for charging the victim — and Police Chief Stu Betts, like his counterpart on the Kawartha Lakes, took a defensive posture and called the criticism "unfair."

The Toronto Sun reported in April 2024 that the crook who hit the clerk with the baseball bat was sentenced to 18 months in jail, while the clerk who hit him back with the bat — international student Tejeshwar Kalia — faces up to 14 years in jail.

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The Sun said the video shows Kalia didn't gain control of the bat until he and the assailant were outside, and at that point Kalia lunged at the assailant, who was reaching for his pocket and said he would "stab me," Kalia added.

The paper added in a follow-up story that while GoFundMe canceled Kalia's crowdfunding campaign after it had raised $16,000 to help him pay for legal help as well as rent, food, and school expenses, GiveSendGo and its co-founder reached out to Kalia to try to help him. The Sun added that Kalia is out on bail but under house arrest, which means he can't work and has no money.

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