Daytona Beach, Florida

From the Daytona Beach News of October 31, 2005

Man dies after breaking into home

A 44-year-old man who broke into a Mulberry Street house Sunday night, fought with its two residents and collapsed as police led him out in handcuffs died later at Halifax Medical Center, authorities said.

Paul and Shelly Laughman were in their house on the 600 block of Mulberry Street about 6:30 p.m. when a man punched their front door. Shelly ran to lock it, but the man kicked in a plastic window and clawed his way into her home.

"He had a crazy look in his eyes," Shelly said, "and he mumbled something that sounded like I'm not here to hurt you."

Shelly, 36, screamed for her Husband, who was sleeping in the other room. He dashed over and wrestled with the man in their living room. While the men were wrestling, Shelley called police and grabbed a shotgun from a closet.

Paul, 52, pinned the man on the floor and Shelly aimed the shotgun at him, she said.

Paul let the man up slowly and said to him, "We've called the police. We've got a gun. Just go."

The man stared at them for a moment; the shotgun still aimed at him.

The man then rushed at Paul again, the couple said. Shelly aimed the shotgun and pulled the trigger, but the safety was still on and the gun never fired. Eventually, Paul would need the help of a neighbor to subdue the man again.

Police officers entered the house and the man continued to fight with the officers as they took him into custody. Officers placed the man in handcuffs and were walking him to a patrol car when he collapsed, said police spokesman Sgt. Al Tolley. They performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the man and called in rescue workers. An EVAC ambulance took the man to Halifax where he was pronounced dead about 6:45 p.m..

"No weapon of any kind was used by police," said police Lt. C.H. Fordham at the scene.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Daytona Beach police will conduct an investigation as to the cause of the 44-year-old man's death, Tolley said. The man's name was withheld Sunday night until his family could be notified.

The Laughmans are left to wonder why he chose their house.

"I have no idea why he picked our yard," Shelly Laughman said, unnerved by the whole experience. "That guy could've killed us, and I would've killed him if I could get that safety off."