A Nashville homeowner shot a man who allegedly attempted to break into his house early Saturday morning, with police deeming the act self-defense, according to local authorities.
The incident occurred in the Trinity Hills neighborhood just before 6 a.m. when homeowner and his family were startled by loud banging on their front door and windows, reported WSMV 4. Anton Cosby, 32, is accused of trying to forcibly enter the residence on Shreeve Lane.
Police statements cited by WSMV 4 and the New York Post indicate that the homeowner, upon hearing the disturbance, armed himself and warned Cosby to leave the premises. Ignoring the warnings, Cosby allegedly broke a kitchen window and began climbing inside, prompting the homeowner to shoot him in the arm.
Cosby reportedly dropped a revolver near the kitchen sink before fleeing the scene. Police located him shortly after the incident in the vicinity of the home. During the arrest, Cosby attempted to fight officers. He was, however, brought under control, cuffed and transported to Skyline Medical Center with a noncritical gunshot wound.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department confirmed that the local District Attorney’s office has reviewed the case and concluded the homeowner acted in self-defense. No charges will be filed against the homeowner.
Cosby, however, faces multiple charges upon his release from the hospital, including aggravated burglary, felony vandalism, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm while intoxicated.
The incident has shaken the normally quiet Trinity Hills community. Longtime resident Linda Thomas expressed her shock to WSMV 4, noting that such events are unprecedented in the neighborhood. She suggested she will probably take additional security measures despite feeling generally safe in the area, but personally balked at wanting a gun.
“I’m leery that, you know, we have to have guns just to have peace in our neighborhood or our homes,” Thomas said. “That’s the last thing you really want to have to deal with.”
Unless, you are of course, a confident, responsible and prepared gun owner, then the burglary is actually the last thing you really want to deal with. The gun is merely the best, last line of protecting you and your family in such a situation. Certainly, no camera or alarm would’ve helped in this situation…it was all the gun and the prepared homeowner who used it.
