{"id":171774,"date":"2022-12-08T10:54:52","date_gmt":"2022-12-08T15:54:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=171774"},"modified":"2022-12-08T10:54:52","modified_gmt":"2023-09-08T12:52:23","slug":"concealed-carriers-stop-home-invasion-hold-drug-addled-suspect-at-gunpoint","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/concealed-carriers-stop-home-invasion-hold-drug-addled-suspect-at-gunpoint\/","title":{"rendered":"Concealed Carriers Stop Home Invasion, Hold Drug-Addled Suspect at Gunpoint"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Concealed
Neil Woodgate recounts his part in the ordeal. (Photo: ABC12 News<\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two licensed concealed carriers defended a woman and her two children last month when their home in St. Charles was being invaded by a man reportedly high on drugs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black Friday morning, officers in Saginaw County, Michigan, got several calls about a man behaving \u201cdisorderly\u201d in public. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ABC12 News<\/em><\/a> said that there weren\u2019t even police on duty in St. Charles to respond to such reports. A short time later a responsible citizen got a call that his wife\u2019s friend was having her home broken into.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neil Woodgate \u201cjumped out of bed, grabbed a gun, and drove to the woman\u2019s house,\u201d according to ABC12 News<\/em>, where he found a man using his shoulder to ram the door and break into the home. Inside were the 41-year-old mother and her two children, ages 13 and 9.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another responsibly armed citizen arrived around the same time and assisted Woodgate in subduing the intruder, who was later identified as Toddell Boykins, 32. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEE ALSO: Florida Sheriff Says \u2018Absolutely\u2019 No Charges For Homeowner Who Used AK to Repel Invaders\u00a0<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

“We both went around the corner, held the guy up, demanded him to go down, found out that was him, he goes down on the ground, he threaded his hands over his tops of head and held at gunpoint until the sheriff showed up and took over,” Woodgate said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Concealed
Toddell Boykins, 32, was reportedly high on drugs when he tried to force his way into the victim’s home. (Photo: ABC12 News<\/em>) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Given that the three officers who make up the entire St. Charles Police Dept. were off that day, the quick responses of the two concealed carriers likely prevented a disaster, according to MLive News<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Unfortunately, we were not in service on Friday morning when the incident occurred,” said St. Charles Police Chief Julie Church in an interview with ABC 12 News<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other reports say that before Boykins attempted to break into the home, he was jumping up and down on a woman\u2019s car, engaging in what reports call a \u201crant.\u201d The victim called 911 and contacted her friends for help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boykins has been charged with first-degree home invasion as well as malicious destruction of personal property. He could serve between 5 to 20 years in prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both of the citizens who arrived to help were licensed to carry. Their preparation and willingness to draw on their 2nd Amendment rights may have saved more than one life that day.\u00a0 And according to Chief Church, they’re “heroes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He has a CPL, he is trained, he is certified, he is trained in using those things, he cares about the people in the community, and he stepped up when they needed him to come and protect them,” she said, referring specifically to Mr. Woodgate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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