Tulsa Homeowner Shoots At Burglary Suspect

By Jeffrey Smith, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- A brazen burglary attempt ended in gunfire Wednesday.

A 20-year-old Tulsa man is accused of kicking down a door, and the homeowner stared him down with a loaded gun.

The incident occurred near 58^th Street and South Memorial Road about 11:30 a.m.

In broad daylight, two men parked their car and knocked on the door to make sure no one was home.

They peered around into the backyard and watched for neighbors.

But the homeowner was home, watching through the windows. And when his door was kicked in, he did what he is trained to do as a reserve officer.

"I believe if I didn't have a gun, I would have been in trouble," said the burglary victim, who asked to be identified only as John. "If he was armed, then he would have shot me."

He was inside his house when two men he didn't know began walking around his property.

The suspect was not armed, but he got into this house using his feet. He literally began kicking down the door, and he busted through a panel and began crawling inside.

"I've gotta protect my house," John said. "I'm just thankful my wife and my daughter wasn't home."

As an experienced gun owner, he says he knew what to do.

"He was about halfway through the part he had kicked in, crawling," John said. "And I was on the phone with dispatch. I was talking to 911 until he began crawling into my home. Then I just dropped the phone, and that's when I started shooting."

John fired six shots. His bullets made contact with the getaway car, smashing the window.

Police later found and arrested 20-year-old Justin Boyd on complaints of first-degree burglary, false impersonation and hit and run, all after a previous felony conviction, in addition to two previous charges.

John says his neighborhood is full of young families and young kids.

"I think people need to arm themselves," he said.

That's what neighbor Bridgette Glasby is doing. She has a 4-year-old daughter and says the getaway car drove right her front yard.

"Terrifying, you just don't know how to stay safe anymore," Glasby said.

She said she was on her way to buy a gun.

After police arrived on scene, they used a search dog and a helicopter to try to find the second suspect, but he got away.

They're asking anyone who has any information to call Crime Stoppers at 596-COPS.