Lexington, SC

 8/23/22 Lexington County Chronicle:

The shooting death of a home invader in Lexington has been ruled a justifiable homicide.

Lexington Police relayed the decision from the 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office about an Aug. 16 incident, during which a man and his brother-in-law, 33-year-old Matthew Stanfield of Colorado, exchanged gunfire.

The release notes that “it was found that the male victim acted in self-defense ... during a home invasion and violent assault.”

Stanfield had made previous threats against his sister, wife to the male victim, and their children, the release states.

“This incident began minutes after the male victim had left for work when he was notified with an alert on his mobile phone that someone was on his property,” the release recounts. “Viewing the security camera on his mobile phone, he saw that Matthew Stanfield was outside of his home and immediately called dispatch to report an unwanted guest.

“When the male victim arrived home, he heard glass breaking from the door on the side of the house and advised the dispatcher of the home invasion in progress. The male victim entered his home and confronted Matthew Stanfield as he was trying to break into the bathroom where the female victim was hiding by striking the door repeatedly with a metal bat. Matthew Stanfield and the male victim fought for several minutes and then Matthew Stanfield went outside reaching into a large backpack that he had brought with him. 

“The male victim, believing that Matthew Stanfield was arming himself with a firearm, went to get his handgun. Matthew Stanfield took a rifle from the backpack and began shooting at the male victim as he ran into the bedroom where he was able to get his handgun. The two exchanged gunfire resulting in Matthew Stanfield’s death and the male victim being shot in the arm and shoulder with non-life-threatening injuries.”