Springfield, Illinois

From the Springfield News-Leader of January 16, 2007

Man shoots at suspected vandal, police say

A man shot at a suspect who reportedly tried to break into his vehicle last night, Springfield police said.

A resident reported hearing something outside while at home before midnight at the 1400 block of West Nichols Street, Lt. Scott Levin said.

He discovered a male suspect trying to break into his vehicle with a screwdriver, Levin said. The resident pointed a shotgun at the suspect and ordered him to wait inside his house until police arrived, he said.

The suspect reportedly noticed a handgun inside the house and grabbed it.

“They kind of had a standoff there for a little bit,” Levin said.

The suspect eventually ran off, and pointed the handgun toward the resident as he fled, the lieutenant said. The resident thought he had left the handgun unloaded, and fired the shotgun at the suspect, he said.

“It was a birdshot load, basically. No injuries or anything like that were on the suspect,” Levin said.

Dogs helped police locate and arrest the suspect, who hid under a shed in the area, Levin said. The suspect may face a property damage charge.

The resident’s actions were reported and sent to a prosecutor for review, police said.