Sheriff Says Homeowner Who Shot Intruders With ‘AK-47-Style Gun’ Won’t Face Charges

Escambia County, FL – Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said the homeowner who opened fire on armed home invaders with an “AK-47-style gun” will “absolutely not” face any charges.

Sheriff Simmons said the incident occurred just before midnight on July 7 when three men, one of whom was armed with a gun, entered an occupied home in Escambia County, FOX News reported.

The homeowner pulled a handgun from his waist to defend himself but dropped it.

So, he ran and got an “AK-47-style gun” from somewhere else in his residence while one of the suspects picked the weapon that he’d dropped, according to Sheriff Simmons.

The sheriff said the homeowner opened fire on the home invasion suspects while they were still inside his home, FOX News reported.

The home invaders fled before deputies arrived on the scene but investigators quickly identified two of the suspects involved in the incident as 18-year-old Antonio DeWayne Dean, Jr. and 20-year-old Da’Torrance Leanders Hackworth.

The sheriff said deputies found the third suspect suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, FOX News reported.

“We get a report of a third individual that had a wound to the head not long after [the home invasion],” Sheriff Simmons said. “The stories he’s giving us as to how he got shot in the head are inconsistent at best. In short, we don’t believe him.”

“So what we’re looking at is to determine whether this is the third person that was involved,” he added.

The sheriff did not identify the suspect who was shot by the homeowner, nor have authorities released the name of the homeowner who shot him, FOX News reported.

Hackworth was taken into custody on July 8 and Dean remains at large.

Sheriff Simmons said Dean has active warrants for carjacking, aggravated assaults with a firearm, robbery with a firearm, domestic violence battery, and more, FOX News reported.

The sheriff said the homeowner would “absolutely not” face criminal charges for firing his gun at the intruders.

“He started shooting for his own protection, to get them out of his house and to protect himself,” Sheriff Simmons explained.

“The homeowner’s protecting himself. And in Florida, in Escambia County, you can protect yourself,” he added.