LaVergne, Tennessee

From Nashville’s WSMV.com of September 20, 2007

Resident Fights Off Intruder

A LaVergne man pulled a gun on a would-be robber Wednesday night.

The incident happened at a home on Jean Drive, officials said.

According to police, the homeowner was lying on the couch when a man with a knife burst through the door.

Police are still searching for the intruder.

The 62-year-old victim, who asked to remain anonymous, suffers from emphysema.

The man said his fight to live became more desperate when a knife-wielding robber entered his home.

“After the initial shock wore off, I’m mad,” he said.

According to the man, the intruder walked into his house through his unlocked front door.

“His words were, ‘Money. Uh, I want your money,’” he said.

The father of two said he managed to pull a .380 semi-automatic pistol from underneath the sofa cushions.

"And I just reached back and grabbed the gun, and then I brought it up. He’s trying to get out the door and I fired,” he said.

He said the results might have been different if he hadn’t had a gun.

“He would have got what little I had, and I would have been at his mercy,” he said.

The man said he believes the intruder was waiting outside his house and had been watching him for a while to learn his routine.

Neighbors said the man is almost always propped up on the couch to breathe better with his door unlocked.

“This neighborhood has always been safe. I can never recall anything like this happening,” he said.

The man said the intruder wore a mask and spoke with an accent. He said it was too dark to be able to see well enough to give police a description.