Tulsa, Oklahoma

From TulsaWorld.com of January 5, 2007

Tulsan thwarts home burglary; 2 men arrested

A Tulsa man held two possible burglars at gunpoint early Thursday and then shot out one of their car tires when they drove toward him, police said.

When the resident encountered the men outside his home in the 8300 block of South Delaware Place, he demanded that they stay until police arrived.

Instead, they got in a car and drove toward the armed man, who then fired twice, striking the car's left front tire, Officer Jason Willingham said.

Police then arrived and took the two men into custody.

Dustin M. Furra, 21, and Daniel E. Miller, 20, were arrested on one complaint each of attempted first-degree burglary. Furra is also held on complaints of assault with a deadly weapon and driving without insurance.

Officers found that the zip tie securing the homeowner's back gate had been broken and that a back window screen had been removed, reports show. Two screwdrivers and a flashlight were found with the men, the report states.

The resident became aware of the intrusion about 12:50 a.m. when a neighbor called to tell him she had seen two men walk into his backyard, Willingham said. He tripped his home's panic alarm and armed himself with a 9 mm handgun before walking outside and confronting the men.

A "Stand Your Ground" bill, signed into law during the last legislative session, allows people to use deadly force to protect themselves even if they are not inside their homes.

Furra was in the Tulsa Jail in lieu of $45,300 bail Thursday evening, and Miller was being held in lieu of $20,000 bail.