(FL) Man defends home, shoots intruder
(FL) Man defends home, shoots intruder
Man defends home, shoots intruder
Amy Oshier
PORT CHARLOTTE, December 20, 2002 – A Port Charlotte man took the law into his own hands, firing at an intruder who broke into his home early Friday morning. The teen suspect is recovering at Lee Memorial. The elderly man who admits shooting the teen spoke exclusively with NBC2.
It takes a lot to rattle 89-year-old George Puterbaugh. But last night he was pushed to the breaking point.
?No I didn’t know it was him,? said Puterbaugh.
The elderly Port Charlotte man shot his next-door neighbor in the chest after he caught the teen creeping inside his house after midnight.
?He started to push the door open and when he did I jumped and it had a hair trigger on it. Actually I had it cocked and it went off,? said Puterbaugh.
Several shots were fired, but only one hit 17-year-old Billy Bryan. Puterbaugh says it was a last resort. He has already been robbed three times this year, with a loss of over $700. So now he packs a pistol.
?The gun was in my robe and when I went in the bathroom I put it back on the shelf,? said Puterbaugh.
Deputies will turn their investigation over to the State Attorney’s Office. The teenager will likely face charges, but the shooter probably will not. The law gives people the right to protect themselves and their property, which is what Puterbaugh did.
?I would put the word out to the burglars and robbers and such, you never know who might be armed and might be willing to defend themselves,? said Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Clement.
Billy Bryan underwent emergency surgery to remove the bullet lodged near his ribs. His parents told me they help care for Puterbaugh and they know he didn’t mean to hurt their son.
?He’s pretty torn up about it doesn’t understand what he was doing in the house. Neither do we so we’re just waiting,? said Danny Bryan, Billy Bryan?s father.
Billy Bryan is out of surgery and in guarded condition.
He could be charged with burglary of an occupied dwelling, but charges will be up to prosecutors. Bryan is now a suspect in several thefts at Puterbaugh?s house.
