This happened not too far from my hometown. According to the county sheriff as reported by a local news site, an intruder entered a home where a man and his wife were sleeping. The residents woke up as the intruder entered. The husband armed himself and took up a spot in front of the bedroom door to protect his wife, who remained in the bedroom.

When the intruder entered the hallway where the resident was standing, the resident told the intruder to stop. Instead of stopping, the intruder charged him. The sheriff’s office says the resident fired one shot as the intruder rushed him, but then the intruder tackled him. The resident broke free and was able to hold the intruder at gunpoint for approximately fifteen minutes until deputies arrived.

Lessons from this story? Oh, yes.

• Don’t count on merely displaying the firearm being enough to stop a criminal. Most will stop. Some will not. You must be prepared to fire if needed.
• You may need the physical skill to break yourself loose from the attacker. Even a short class in these physical skills, learning how to break someone’s grip on you, can help.
• If someone tackles you, don’t give up. Fight back!
• Even after being shot, a criminal can continue to present a threat to you and your loved ones.
• Don’t rush in close or put yourself at risk, even if the person is bleeding. Maintain your distance; get behind cover or concealment if possible; and remain prepared to defend yourself if the criminal changes his mind about being taken into custody.
• It’s not over until it’s over.