Sheriff: Chehalis homeowner shoots, injures meth-addled intruder
CHEHALIS, Wash. - A homeowner shot and injured an intruder who broke into his home and refused to leave early Sunday, then held the man at gunpoint until sheriff's deputies could arrive at the scene.
Local law enforcement officials later determined the intruder was apparently high on methamphetamine at the time of the break-in, and the Lewis County sheriff said the homeowner had handled the "life-or-death situation" correctly.
The drama unfolded at about 4:45 a.m. Sunday when the 24-year-old homeowner heard someone talking just outside his home, in the 400 block of Highway 603 in Chehalis, as he was sleeping with his wife.
The homeowner called 911 then armed himself with a pistol while waiting for deputies to respond, said Chief Deputy Stacy Brown of the Lewis County Sheriff's Office.
As the homeowner was waiting, the intruder burst into the home and started down the hallway toward the homeowner, who was standing in front of his bedroom door to protect his wife.
The homeowner warned the intruder to stop, but the intruder charged at the homeowner instead, Brown said.
The homeowner fired one shot, hitting the intruder. But the suspect kept coming and tackled the homeowner. The two fought and then the homeowner was able to break free, holding the intruder at gunpoint until deputies arrived about 20 minutes after receiving the 911 call.
An investigation revealed that the suspect, later identified as Brian L. Creed, 51, of Chehalis, had recently moved into a nearby house off of Nix Road, Brown said. He admitted to deputies that he had used methamphetamine earlier in the day.
Creed was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital and then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center, where he was later listed in critical but stable condition. He is under arrest for investigation of burglary and assault.
The homeowner was uninjured. Detectives are at the home continuing their investigation Sunday morning.
Lewis County Sheriff Steve Mansfield said he believes the homeowner handled the dangerous situation well.
"My office works very hard in ensuring people feel safe and secure in Lewis County. However, people have to be prepared to protect themselves in situations like this in their own homes," Mansfield said.
"Our response times are as fast we can make them, but there may be a time when you are by yourself and you are forced to make a life-or-death decision to protect yourself and your family, like this man did."
Local law enforcement officials later determined the intruder was apparently high on methamphetamine at the time of the break-in, and the Lewis County sheriff said the homeowner had handled the "life-or-death situation" correctly.
The drama unfolded at about 4:45 a.m. Sunday when the 24-year-old homeowner heard someone talking just outside his home, in the 400 block of Highway 603 in Chehalis, as he was sleeping with his wife.
The homeowner called 911 then armed himself with a pistol while waiting for deputies to respond, said Chief Deputy Stacy Brown of the Lewis County Sheriff's Office.
As the homeowner was waiting, the intruder burst into the home and started down the hallway toward the homeowner, who was standing in front of his bedroom door to protect his wife.
The homeowner warned the intruder to stop, but the intruder charged at the homeowner instead, Brown said.
The homeowner fired one shot, hitting the intruder. But the suspect kept coming and tackled the homeowner. The two fought and then the homeowner was able to break free, holding the intruder at gunpoint until deputies arrived about 20 minutes after receiving the 911 call.
An investigation revealed that the suspect, later identified as Brian L. Creed, 51, of Chehalis, had recently moved into a nearby house off of Nix Road, Brown said. He admitted to deputies that he had used methamphetamine earlier in the day.
Creed was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital and then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center, where he was later listed in critical but stable condition. He is under arrest for investigation of burglary and assault.
The homeowner was uninjured. Detectives are at the home continuing their investigation Sunday morning.
Lewis County Sheriff Steve Mansfield said he believes the homeowner handled the dangerous situation well.
"My office works very hard in ensuring people feel safe and secure in Lewis County. However, people have to be prepared to protect themselves in situations like this in their own homes," Mansfield said.
"Our response times are as fast we can make them, but there may be a time when you are by yourself and you are forced to make a life-or-death decision to protect yourself and your family, like this man did."
Komo,
You left out the best quote of the year from a real Sheriff, not some appointed city tool.
I think that is my favorite quote of the year so far, mostly because he is right on the spot. This was not about ambushing someone in the front yard who might be stealing stuff. This was about being in fear of your life and being backed up against your own bedroom door. All bets are off then!
From the Sheriff:
 âAs a matter of fact, about the only thing I could say the victim could have done better is he could have fired sooner, fired more often and he could have used a better brand of ammunition,â
Good on the homeowner for being prepared to protect his family! But you never shoot just once, it's too easy to miss with that one shot or for the target to still be mobile after just one hit. Three shots would be a good rule of thumb for starters, more as needed. Glad it all worked out okay though!
This is the problem with an armed public, and definite PROOF that nobody needs to have a CLIP with a bunch of bullets in it! The intruder wasn't even armed, and was likely there just to steal things so he could buy more drugs. He's an addict that needs our support, not to be shot. The homeowner should have given him money. <deep sarcasm>
 @Fugonn Aside from, "The homeowner should have given him money" I've heard all the rest from some on the far left.
20 minutes for the police to show up??? The homeowner should have fired until empty. Thats a long time to wait for the cops while holding a meth head at gunpoint. What would the liberals want this guy to do, cower and beg not to be hurt from this intruder? Makes sense to have at least a pistol these days readily accessible
@kbbcoop Rural areas, like those in Mason and Lewis counties, are only patrolled by one or two deputies at night. They are responsible for a huge area, so they could be 100 miles away from the location of the call to which they have to respond. Out here, 20 minutes is not a bad response time at all. That is also the reason why most people who live out here are willing and able to defend ourselves, and we also don't expect anyone else to do it for us.
Wow, 20 minutes. I understand the location makes it difficult for a quicker response. This is why I'm glad to live in a town. I need my police there quickly. However, they are not my only means of defense. I am armed and ready to protect my babies against any intruders that have the misfortune to enter my home uninvited. If I have a choice between the lives of me, my husband, and my children, or the intruder.... it's really no choice, is it? For all you out there spouting anti-gun propaganda, wait until it's between you and an intruder...I'm sure you'll change your tune if you're faced with the reality of your death (or severe injury) or theirs. Its not as if most intruders will stop and listen to you reason your way out of the situation.Â
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Great job to the homeowner that protected himself and his wife from this meth-head.Â
To bad the homeowner is not a better shot.
This young man is really really luck. It could just as easily ended with the homeowner dead. I was always totld to empty the whole clip if you needed to shoot at an intruder. Keep firing until you know they are down and not getting up. A wrestling match with a gun is a dangerous situation.
 @lin Clip/magazine... A magazine has a spring. A clips does not. A simple way to keep tell the two apart.
 If anyone needs and extra "s', I have one left over.
KOMO.... Really, activate our ability to edit our posts.
Good for the homeowner. Figures the 24yo would have his s**t together and the 51yo would be the wasted moron. Only thing I might change would be a larger caliber perhaps, though sometimes the drugs allow the criminal to do things they might not otherwise.
 @theToucan His main error was only shooting once.
I am surprised that this even made the news given the recent media manipulation. I would have given the thug at least a double pop but I don't know which weapon the homeowner had. The trouble with not killing the intruder is that they can come back and sue you. I think the laws are set up for repeat business by design. They are having horrible results in Australia after making guns illegal,, Â now in situations like this,,, Â the homeowners are helpless and complaining loudly. We should take heed. Â
This is terrible, just terrible. The home owner should have waited for 911 to work. Oh wait he tried they took too long.
Well he should have climbed out a window with his wife and tried to run off in the dark hoping the dope head would not be able to find him. Only the Police should have a gun. Who cares if it takes them too long to get there to save your life. Better the home owner and his wife get killed than they risk having a gun in the home. What if this poor dope head dies now? If he lives he might have some kind of permanent disability that may get in the way of him robbing people so he can buy more dope. Terrible, just terrible.
@Alex Clayton If he has a disability from this the tax payers will be paying for his drugs from now on and he won't need to rob people.
OR, he'll sue the homeowner and live off of the settlement.
 @Alex Clayton The homeowner use a "pistol" which, if I understand correctly, would *not* be banned by the proposed gun laws.
 @DevilsAdvocate Under Diane Feinstein's proposed legislation, ANY firearm that has a grip or can be gripped, will be banned. The banned gun list is just a smokescreen to keep the attention averted from that little important fact.
He should have shot the intruder again. This time, a headshot would do it. 51 and on meth...this person has nothing to contribute to society, might as well kill him.
He only shot him once? What did he have, A derringer?
@DarkParty No kidding. Fire multiple shots. He is lucky that the was able to get free and regain control of his weapon.
Good. He deserved to be shot. What a worthless piece of crap loser.
Better words cannot be spoken
A clear and undeniable example of the benefit of firearms for home protection. I only wish, most of the deaths by firearms in the home had this story-line. Such is not the case.Â
Unfortunately this will go down as another "gun violence" statistic for the lefts benefit.
"Meth addled intruder"--sounds like a good name for a rock band.
When in doubt, remember the rhyme...
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"Two to the chest and one to the head,
And Tommy the Terrorist is dirt-napping dead."
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When a meth-head is inside your home and refuses to leave, why leave somebody to testify? Kill the SOB.
At least this incident happened in Lewis County, where a jury [if there is one] will see things the right way.
"the Lewis County sheriff said the homeowner had handled the "life-or-death situation" correctly." Well no doubt if he's defending himself and his property. Wondered how this whole thing must've looked thru the methhead's eyes! Oh my God!!! LOL!
Should have double tapped..
This is the kind of story I think of when people say, "why would anyone need a gun?"
@Willow How true....I mean, the police were ONLY 20 minutes away.
@Upgrayedd Whe you have only SECONDS...the police are Just Minutes away...
Meth is such a wonderful drug. Helps us get rid of idiots really easily.
You people who say "should have used a .45 instead of a 9mm." really need to study up on your ballistics.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7JxF4TYJps
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He used a 40S&W, but with solid nose bullets, not hollow points.
 @Cutlass442 Bottom line is: Shoot whichever caliber YOU can best shoot with. there is no one universal magic caliber. If you can get your rounds on target in a timely manner, you're good to go.
 @Bornhere Exactly. But to say "should have used a .45" like its some God like miracle round is ballisticly ridiculous. This way of thinking may be true 30 years ago, but the wound channel made by the rounds of today are very similar even though the caliber is different. 2 shots to the chest with a .22 is better than missing with a .44.
 @Cutlass442 I'll take a .40 over both. .45 and 9mm are both worthless!
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 @SEC Rules Worthless? Just a tad extreme.. but hey, it's clear what you think about them. I'll take my Kimber .45 and its 8rd clip up against an intruder any day. A 230gr round at 850fps at 50' is going drop just about anyone. Provided you hit center mass. Do not misunderstand... I will be squeezing more than one round.
 @SEC Rules  @Cutlass442 Clarence Clemmons was shot point blank center of mass right below sternum with a .40 and walked the face of the earth for another 40 hours.
 @Rick4001CS  @SEC Rules  @Cutlass442 Clarence Clemons played sax with Springstein.  Maurice Clemmons was shot.
 @SEC Rules .40 is covered in those 2 videos as well. Little to no difference in terminal ballistics. Most important aspect is shot placement. If you shoot and miss or his an arm it really doesn't matter if you're shooting a .22 or a 500 magnum.
@SEC Rules @Cutlass442 Placement is key. .40 or .45 may have a larger grain round, but I'll take more in the magazine to offset my aim and adrenalin.
 @Cutlass442 Ill agree with that. Did not watch the videos.Â
This is the exact reason you should have a gun to protect yourself and your home. I would have kept pulling the trigger till the guy went down. This happened within 5 miles of my house. Makes a person think about it.
"The homeowner fired one shot, hitting the intruder. But the suspect kept coming and tackled the homeowner."
People, people, people. Make sure you have adequate firepower for the situation. .45 hollow points work very nicely. A better choice would be 12 gauge #4 buckshot. A bit messy but guaranteed to stop a tweeker in their tracks.
@Luciferian The cannon doesnt matter if you cant hit your target. My wife hates my 45 and cant hit squat cause she is recoil shy. She is dead on with a 380 and can stack followups pretty quickly and accurately.
20 minutes is pretty dang good for where the home owner is. At that time of night, there were only two or three deputies in all of Lewis county on patrol. Look at how large Lewis County is, and you'll see what I mean. Had the deputies been up around Packwood, the response time would have been closer to 90 minutes. That's something city folks just don't get. Living in the country means you stand up for yourself and not wait for mother government to help you in your time of need. Just glad nobody got hurt.
 @None Couldn't agree more. Where I live we have only two deputies patrolling an area larger than the size of Manhattan Island. If they are somewhere else dealing with a serious problem it can take some time for them to show up. We have had home invasions, meth labs/meth heads, burglars, etc. (all the usual) and most people living out in the country area are armed and prepared to protect themselves and their families. It is the only thing that makes sense.
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