Fort Worth, Texas

From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram of September 5, 2006

Intruder shot with own handgun

An apparent burglary attempt at an east Fort Worth apartment turned violent Monday when a man who lives in the apartment shot at the intruder as many as nine times with the intruder's gun, police said.

Despite being shot, the intruder walked out and either drove away or was driven away by an accomplice, said Fort Worth Police Lt. Gene Jones.

Jones said a man with gunshot wounds checked into Harris Methodist Fort Worth hospital later that afternoon, but police had not said late Monday whether he is a suspect.

A Harris spokeswoman declined to confirm that a gunshot victim had checked into the hospital Monday without knowing the patient's name.

The 37-year-old apartment resident, whom police described as being justified in using deadly force to protect his home, was not harmed.

Jones said the resident, who has not been identified, heard someone open the back patio door of his first-floor apartment, in the 3800 block of Great Oak Road south of Euless, around 3:30 p.m. When he went to investigate, he saw a 9 mm handgun on the sofa. Concerned, he picked up the gun and began to walk through the apartment when he came face to face with a man in a back bedroom, Jones said.

Jones said the resident told police that the intruder appeared to reach for a gun, so he fired nine shots at him. Jones said the resident then ran to another room and called 911, Jones said. As he was calling, Jones said, the injured man called out for help. When the resident walked out of the room, however, the intruder was gone.

When police arrived, they followed a blood trail that ended in the parking lot, which is why they believe the injured man drove away.