A Kansas City man, who police identified as 31-year-old Carvonn R. Williams, was shot and killed last week in an attempt to break down a woman’s front door, KSHB 41 reports.
The female homeowner—a 49-year-old grandmother caring for her one-year-old granddaughter—says she had asked Williams to leave several hours before the incident because he had drugs with him. Later that evening, she heard loud banging at the front door and, fearing for her safety, retrieved her firearm. When Williams kicked down the door, she fired several rounds and Williams died at the scene.
According to the KSHB report, police have yet to confirm whether the incident is a clear case of self-defense. KansasCity.com reports that investigators released the woman after questioning her and are continuing to gather details.
KCTV 5 interviewed a friend of the homeowner, who said the woman is disabled and walks with a cane. She believes her friend was forced to fire. “From what I understand, she did the right thing. You are supposed to protect your home and whoever is in it. If that was me I wouldn’t have blinked an eye. If I felt I was being threatened, yeah, I would have.”
“Are you facing imminent death or serious physical injury? If you’re in that situation, then sure, you can defend yourself using deadly force,” explained Missouri defense attorney Greg Watt, according to the KCTV 5 report. “But you also have a duty to retreat. You can’t rely upon that just to unload a firearm when you have an opportunity to preserve yourself and retreat from that situation.”
KCTV 5 also reports that, in a possible contradiction of the woman’s statement, police found no sign of forced entry, and it isn’t clear if Williams actually made it inside. Police found him on the front porch when they arrived at the scene.
Home invasion statistics are spotty, but the FBI reports that in 2014 burglaries (“the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft”) were down 20.2% from 2010 . Over the same period of time, the FBI conducted 45.5% more background checks to allow private citizens to purchase firearms. The causal relationship here is obviously difficult to determine, but it is an interesting correlation nonetheless.
In 2014, there were an estimated 1,729,806 burglaries in the United States. That’s 4,739 a day, 197 an hour, and three every minute. Hopefully, that number will continue to decline as more and more Americans make the responsible decision to protect their home and their loved ones.
Most of these “no duty to retreat” laws started being passed when democrat lawmakers realized that most of the home invasion perpetrators already have a felony conviction record and are not eligible to vote anyway. If they get the law changed so convicted felons can vote I’m betting they’ll try to do away with the “castle doctrine”, because everytime a home invading criminal gets shot, that’s a democrat voter.
Retreat?? In my own home?? Sorry, I’ll be advancing to protect me and mine. If they end up perforated…
Her Pistol was most likely a 9mm. Her perception of the facts, after all that noise and massive adrenaline rush? Not so good.
Only facts here, that matter he did not live there, Lady with a cane, and a one year old Grandchild, RIP. He might have realativs, clean her Gun, return same.
Shoot to kill, clean with bleach the mess off the porch, then drag the body in the house and on top of you… start screaming.
Never seen an episode of CSI ? With a plan like that, you are going to the Pen.
Never alter a crime scene. Raises too many questions and makes it look like you have something to hide.
And get ready for jail. Idiot.
Lessee–evening comes before night–right? Probably still daylight! A male linebacker probably not as fearful as a young grandma w/baby. If I stay in a motel and an intruder breaks into room I can blow him away?
The defense Atty. must be in Kansas. Missouri, has castle law. You do not have to retreat.
Right thinking folk all over this nation need to rise up and remove anyone from office who espouses this “duty to retreat” nonsense! My only duty to not offer you harm ends when you begin attacking me or mine. Anyone who says otherwise supports violent evil doers everywhere.
That lawyer needs to do a little brushing up. We do indeed have the castle doctrine in missouri, which means that we do NOT have to retreat in our own home. He was either knowingly giving false information, or he should be fired. Our law is very clear and specific.
The grandmother made a few mistakes that a District Attorney might exploit for more prosecution notches on his records of conviction count. List of do’s for the next grandma who faces a drug crazed, or just plain obtuse home invader.
1) Back away from the front door, an attacker can cover 12 feet in a second and a half.
2) Try to position yourself so that the light is in his eyes not yours.
3) Aim for his center mass. It is nearly impossible to hit a leg or arm of a onrushing assailant.
4) Tell the police that you warned him to stop.
5) Tell the police that you did not aim to kill the attacker but only to stop the attack.
6) Tell everybody that you are distraught about the attacker’s death.
7) Act distraught even if you aren’t.
Remember, the home attacker is responsible for any violence that he deliberately initiated.
Way too much talking. Say ONLY “I was in fear for my life. I want to speak to my attorney.” PERIOD.
When someone that’s holding drugs, using drugs or selling drugs on your property is told to leave, then returns in defiance of your orders, . . . well, don’t complain when you get your ass shot full of bullets, . . . dumbass!!!
Everyone has a right to their opinion. My opinion is that people have the right to use drugs. Let’s not forget that it took a Constitutional Amendment to prohibit alcohol sales. They knew they couldn’t prohibit marijuana, so they decided to add an exorbitant tax. Then, later, they decided the Commerce Clause allowed the Feds to do anything and everything. If you ask me, drug prohibition is unconstitutional.
That said, there is something fishy about this story. She asked him to leave, earlier. What was he doing there in the first place? Did they know one another? Had the guy been staying there? First, they say the guy kicked down the door. Then they say there was no sign of forced entry. Huh? Maybe the guy deserved it, (for other reasons, like being an abusive asshole), but this doesn’t sound a typical home invasion. It’s not clear to me what happened here. But, if it is as she says, there certainly is no requirement to retreat in your own home!
“But you also have a duty to retreat. You can’t rely upon that just to unload a firearm when you have an opportunity to preserve yourself and retreat from that situation.”
This guy is another liberal douchebag! When someone decides to invade his residence with his wife and children in it, he had better by God RETREAT, like into a bathroom or a closet, and not nip the situation in the bud by blowing the invader’s brains out! If he allows the invader to murder his children and then rape his wife, he might get to live himself- cowardly liberal prick!
Relax. He’s citing the LAW(at least what he thinks is the law), not his opinion.
The only tragedy here is that it wasn’t a gun grabbing liberal in the house. Could have been a win win situation.
She might actually be in trouble. The police found no signs of forced entry and the guy never made it in the house. You can’t legally shoot someone for banging on your door
Not even an Jehovahs Witness?
Yea she’s disabled & has a cane & that fuckin asshole attorney says she should retreat??! Fuck him!! Far as I’m concerned I say great job grandma! 1 less piece of shit running the neighborhood!…
If she shoot the intruder she could identify that it was neither a pizza boy, or UPS driver! She did not shot through the door. The Castle Doctrine is in effect and it is not a requirement to escape if possible
“police have yet to confirm whether the incident is a clear case of self-defense”
Yeah, it’s not clear cut to me either; you know, someone banging on your door at night before proceeding to kick it down, could easily have been a pizza delivery boy not wanting to miss the deadline, a UPS guy needing to get that last signature for the day, or just another silly College fraternity pranks! …
Guns America, where is the oversight that prevents this ignorant bigot from posting this sophomoric, intellectually challenged dribble. This fool makes all law abiding firearms enthusiasts’ appear as blood thirsty bigots.
Oh…. come on man. Did you loose your pee-pee? That’s a great sarcastic comment…. made me laugh! Either grow a pair and be a bit more manly or take up knitting if you can’t take someone else’s humor or comment without screaming for censorship like a little bitch…
Lets check the “Black Scorecard”.
1. Man banging on the door with drugs …. check
2. Grandmother watching the child all day….. check
3. Mother missing….. check
4. Grandmother has a gun…… check
5. Bars on the down stairs window……. check
6. 2 bbq grills in the FRONT yard…. check
End result = niggaz dead. No one from Black Lives Matter will ever show up here!!!!!!!!!!
7. The perps name was Carvonn.
The lawyer needs to check his facts. Missouri Revised Statutes Chapter 563 Defense of Justification, Section 563.031.3 states that a person living lawfully in a dwelling does NOT have a duty to retreat.
Hope I never have to use Watt in my defense.