Home in Anderson where shooting took place
On September 27, 2021, a little after midnight, in Anderson, Indiana, surveillance cameras captured a man lurking around a home on a quiet residential street.
The address on 8th Street is not far from the university and the police station. The man, later identified as Jeffrey Flowers, was not content to lurk and look in windows. It has been reported he broke into the house through the back door.
On Fox59.com, prosecutor Cummings states the recordings reveal Flowers pretended to be a police officer. He demanded to know the location of a woman, saying "Where is she?!" and "Where is the money?!". Cummings described the man as wearing a mask over his face.
The resident of the house, a woman, saw Flowers breaking into her home. Police say she retreated to an upstairs bedroom and accessed a firearm. It was reported Flowers threatened to start shooting. Instead, the woman shot and killed him.
ANDERSON, Ind. — An Anderson woman shot and killed a man suspected of breaking into her home overnight.
911 dispatchers received a call from a female homeowner in the 1300 block of E. 8th Street around 12:47 a.m. The woman told police there was a break-in at the home, and she shot the suspected burglar.
By the time police arrived, they found the alleged suspect dead in an upstairs bedroom.
With home surveillance cameras rolling, prosecutors insist a man forced his way into the woman’s home.
“Neighbors had videos of him parking in front of the residence and looking through windows, ultimately breaking through the door and pulling a weapon out,” said Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings.
Prosecutor Cummings says the suspect could also be heard on video asking for money and pretending to be law enforcement.
After the shooting, the woman ran from the house seeking help from neighbors. The neighbors described what they observed to a reporter. From wthr.com:
ANDERSON, Ind. — Neighbors in Anderson say a woman was going door to door in the middle of the night asking for help after she shot and killed a man who broke into her home early Wednesday.
"There was somebody screaming, 'Help me, help me! Please call the police!'" said Amari Lewis.
Lewis and Caitlin Knox woke up to their doorbell ringing over and over and their neighbor from across the street desperate for help.
"She was very scared and frantic. She didn't want to go to jail. She wanted to make sure her kids were OK," Lewis said.
No toxicology reports have been released. The neighbors reported the woman said she did not know Flowers. This may be a case of the wrong address and/or the influence of drugs. This correspondent has read of many cases where people on meth, alcohol, or other drugs have committed stupid and dangerous crimes under the influence.
Prosecutor Rodney Cummings illustrated the changing attitude toward defense of self and others, especially in your own home. From fox59.com:
“In your home is probably the most protected place you can be,” said Cummings. “If you’re breaking into someone’s home in the middle of the night, if you don’t get shot or killed you should feel fortunate.”
A defender who forces the attacker to come to them has many advantages. They can be behind cover. They have the advantage of surprise, where the aggressor has to look for and locate them. Legally, when you have retreated to a defensible position, it strengthens their case for self defense.
As nations around the world have trended toward authoritarian, the United States stands out as one where defense of home, one's self, and others, is enshrined in law and the public mind as morally just and acceptable.
The investigation in Anderson will continue. The purpose should be to insure the initial impressions are consistent with the physical evidence and personal history of those involved.
©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
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