When Seconds Count, Police Are (20) Minutes Away

And self-defense IS legal in North Carolina. No charges to be filed in Dowd Road fatal shooting - Sandhills Sentinel

It took three months to make the "self-defense is legal" determination, but they did get there. Then again, this was not your typical case.

The determination of justification is based on the reasonable belief of the homeowner, considering the totality of the facts known to the homeowner at the time of the shooting, and the North Carolina Castle Doctrine, according to Fields. The homeowner’s actions were deemed justifiable under the North Carolina Castle Doctrine, which allows for the use of defensive force in situations where there is a perceived imminent threat to personal and family safety within one’s home or property.

A remote home, a family consisting of a husband, wife, and three kids, and a stranger taking photos of the kids and the property.

The husband approached the stranger, and asked him to leave. The stranger became belligerent, so the husband armed himself and the wife called 911. About 13 minutes later, she called 911 a second time. She had also armed herself. She pleaded for the cops to get there as quickly as possible.

More than 20 minutes passed from the time of the first call until law enforcement arrived. At the time of the initial call, deputies working the area were on the scene of an unrelated life-threatening medical emergency, delaying their response.

That is not a dig against cops. They cannot be everywhere. They do not have unlimited resources. That is just reality. In this case it meant that this family was on its own.

The shooting took place just after the 2nd 911 call, but before police arrived on the scene.

Click thru for the 911 recordings. More explanation of what the dead guy was doing.

For all of the insanity, there is a real lesson. Don't mess with people on their own property, especially when they are armed. If an armed homeowner asks you to leave his property, you should leave his property.