Case Study: Florida Homeowner Turns the Tables on Armed Intruders

As concealed carriers, one of the best training tools we have is to study a variety of self-defense cases and learn from them.

By evaluating these situations and looking at what went wrong, what went right, and how it might have been handled differently, we gain a better understanding of how these incidents unfold and become better prepared to defend ourselves.

Today’s self-defense case study took place in Florida, where a man successfully defended himself against a group of armed invaders who broke into his home and attacked him. Let’s break it down.

Incident Breakdown

On July 7, 2022, Ring doorbell footage captured an incident in which a homeowner defended himself against three men who attacked him during a home invasion.

The original footage can be found here to get a better idea of what happened. Fair warning: the video contains violence and may be disturbing to some viewers.

According to a release from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, it was just before midnight when three males approached a house on the 700-block of Pinestead Road in Pensacola, Florida, where the homeowner was there alone.

One of the men knocked on the door, and when the man inside answered it, video footage shows two of the three intruders rushing him. The third man, who can be seen drawing a pistol from his waistband, waits outside and appears to retreat briefly before deciding to go in.

Meanwhile, the two men inside reportedly shoved the victim in and attacked him. The homeowner was carrying a pistol at the time of the incident, which he attempted to draw. During the struggle, however, his gun fell to the ground, where it was picked up by one of the intruders.

Case Note: Video footage doesn’t show us how this man’s pistol fell to the ground as he attempted to retrieve it. However, while it’s smart to be armed when answering the door to strangers, carrying your gun in a holster with proper retention can help prevent situations like these – which can quickly become deadly.

The man was able to get away from his attackers and run toward the back of his house, where he kept an AK-47-style firearm. He grabbed the gun, went back to the front of the residence, and fired three shots at the invaders as they were running out the front door.

“He started shooting for his own protection to get them out of his house and to protect himself,” Escambia County Sheriff Chip W. Simmons said in a video briefing.

Case Note: This is an excellent example of why it’s a great idea to have more than one weapon available for home defense. Ideally, you should have multiple firearms secured in different areas of your house to be prepared no matter what happens.

All three men can be seen frantically running down the driveway, where they jumped into a waiting vehicle driven by a fourth suspect. The vehicle peeled out of the driveway, hitting a nearby mailbox in the process.

The Aftermath

Following the July 7 incident, police launched an investigation to identify and apprehend the suspects they believe to be involved.

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office quickly found three of the four men and identified them as 20-year-old Da’Torrance Hackworth and 18-year-old Antonio Dewayne Dean Jr. – the two men who reportedly attacked the homeowner – and 18-year-old Joseph Roman Sanders who allegedly drove the getaway car.

Hackworth and Dean were charged with the use/display of a firearm during a felony, possession of a firearm by a felon, larceny, grand theft of a firearm, and robbery/home invasion with a firearm, and Sanders was charged with home invasion with a firearm.

As of the latest police updates, the Sheriff’s Office was still looking for the fourth man who was seen outside the house with a pistol. Simmons did say they had found a man with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the head shortly after the incident, but that they were still working to determine whether he was involved.

"The stories he's giving us as to how he got shot in the head are inconsistent at best. In short, we don't believe him. So what we're looking at is to determine whether this is the third person that was involved.” he said.

Police are asking anyone who has information about who this guy is to call the Sheriff’s Office at 850-436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at 850-433-STOP.

As far as the homeowner involved in the incident goes, the Sheriff said he will not be facing any charges.

“Absolutely not,” Simmons said. “The homeowner is protecting himself. And in Florida, in Escambia County, you can protect yourself.”

In Florida, the man is protected under the state’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which has been in effect since 2005.

The law states that a person is allowed to use deadly force to protect themselves if they have a reasonable reason to believe it’s necessary to prevent the death or serious injury of themselves or someone else. It also gives citizens the right to use deadly force to stop a forcible felony in action.

Additionally, Florida does not require a person to attempt to escape or find a safe place to hide before using deadly force to protect themselves, which is not the case in many other states where people have a “duty to retreat.”

Reflection

After learning the details of the encounter, it’s time to reflect on what happened and how you might have handled the same situation.

Do you think the homeowner was justified in shooting, even as the men were retreating? Why or why not? Should the shooter have stayed hidden in the back of his house, or was he right to chase the men away? Do you think there was anything else that could or should have been done differently? How would you have handled the same situation? Be sure to share your thoughts on this concealed carry case study with us on social media @VedderHolsters.

Knowledge is power, and analyzing incidents like these can only serve to better prepare you to respond appropriately in the event you are faced with a similar situation. For more resources on training, information on local gun control and concealed carry laws, and general CCW tips, check out the U.S. Concealed Carry Association.

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