Self-defense incidents aren’t always as they first appear. Sometimes, further investigation reveals that the attacker and victim already knew one another, or that the “victim” isn’t as innocent as they claim to be.
According to the Aurora Police Department, that’s what happened in this case.
Police in Aurora, Colorado, were called to an apartment last Saturday by a woman who claimed to have shot an intruder in self-defense. The woman, 26-year-old Emily Strunk, told police the man was a former boyfriend who had broken into the apartment and attacked the other male occupant of the apartment, 28-year-old Kevin Wertin.
Strunk decided to shoot the intruder (who police have not identified) after she saw him attacking Wertin. Strunk was initially detained, but either police didn’t have enough information to hold her, or they believed she was telling the truth. She was released pending further investigation.
Two days later, police arrested both Strunk and Wertin and charged them with attempted first-degree murder. They have not released any further details about the case, though they did say in a press release that the intruder was in critical condition as of August 3.
It also appears that Wertin may have fled the scene by the time the police arrived. The first tweet about this incident from the Aurora Police Department mentioned an adult male who had been shot and an adult female in custody, but said nothing about another person.
“We are not looking for any additional parties,” the tweet said.
#APDAlert Officers are investigating a shooting in the 15400 blk. of E. 13th Ave. One adult male shot with critical injuries and one adult female in-custody. We are not looking for any additional parties. No additional info at this time. pic.twitter.com/MnGtzvyXj3
— Aurora Police Dept 🇺🇸 (@AuroraPD) July 31, 2021
SEE ALSO: Texas Homeowner Uses Rifle to Defend Kids from Three Home Intruders
Based on what looks like her Facebook profile, Strunk appears to originally be from East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, while Wertin’s profile lists his hometown as Denver.
Some Twitter users who responded to the story praised ADP while others wondered why the woman had been arrested.
Great Job APD! Thanks for keeping our community safe!
— Lisa Waldman (@itslisaw) August 4, 2021
Why are you not able to defend yourself if they break into your home? I’m lost.
— Anthony Sandone (@Phillies2k8) August 4, 2021
I hope you get this correct. A woman has a right to protect herself from imminent threat, even if it is with deadly force. With what you reported, the dead guy assaulted a man with her-to me this meant she was in danger. Please get this right.
— Kathy (@kathyaps) August 4, 2021
The case is currently being investigated by the Major Crimes Homicide Unit of the Aurora PD. They’re asking anyone who witnessed this incident, or has information about it, to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.
UPDATE (8/6/2021): GunsAmerica has obtained a sworn arrest affidavit written by a detective with the Aurora Police Department.
According to the detective, officers viewed footage from a security camera showing Wertin emerging from the apartment to confront the alleged “intruder” with a set of brass knuckles (GunsAmerica is not revealing his name because he has not been charged with a crime). Wertin appears to be the aggressor in the incident, and footage shows that he was not being strangled when Strunk shot him, as she originally claimed. Instead, Strunk and Wertin were holding the man down when Strunk shot him with a 9mm HK VP SK.
Strunk told police that the man was a boyfriend, and they engaged in sexual activity that was consensual “some of the time.” She told police that he sexually assaulted her multiple times, and prior to this incident, she had filed a police report with Aurora PD claiming the man sexually assaulted her on July 10th and 13th. In the affidavit, the detective confirms that this report was filed. Strunk told police that Wertin had been living with her for about a week to protect her from the man who she shot in this incident.
The affidavit also confirms that Wertin fled the scene following the shooting.
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Devils mousetrap got him..
Go figure: Aurora the murder capital of Colorado.
Meth kills…
Too bad it doesn’t also make one sterile…
Moral of the story: be VERY CAREFUL about choosing a “sex” partner….it can come back to kill ‘ya, literally
They held the guy down then she shot him? At what point was she in danger? Thin line between love and rape it seems. She had sex with the guy somtimes and then other times it was assault? Attention to all men in Aurora- stay away from this mousetrap.