PA Homeowner Uses Firearm to Protect Themselves from Intruder with a Butcher Knife

A man in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania was lawfully shot by a homeowner for attempting to break into their home the afternoon of October 21st.

Armed with a butcher knife, Keon Washington kicked in the backdoor of the home he was trying to rob and was immediately greeted by the homeowner with a firearm. The homeowner told police that Washington was warned several times to leave, but when he continued to enter the home he was shot.

Washington fled but was arrested the next morning and treated for non-life threatening injuries.

According to CBS Local 21 News, Keon Washington was charged with attempted burglary, terroristic threats, criminal trespassing, and recklessly endangering another person. The homeowner legally owned their firearm.

Now, here are some of my takeaways from this interaction:

This is why you constantly train and practice using your firearm! Based on what is being reported at this time, the homeowner is a textbook example of what to do when faced with an armed intruder. As a firearm owner, you should never just make assumptions and start shooting. This homeowner was aware of the intruder, prepared to take lethal action, gave the intruder multiple chances to leave, and fired once it was clear that the intruder was armed with a deadly weapon and was refusing to leave. Not only is this process essentially to physically protecting yourself, it will also help you protect yourself for the legal battles that will likely follow.

Not all self-defense situations end in death. I think firearm owners get the idea stuck in their minds that “If I use a gun for protection, I have to understand that I might have to take a life.” While that may be true, sometimes your firearm is just an equalizer.

What if this homeowner didn’t have a firearm, or could not get one because of harsh state restrictions? A butcher knife is obviously considered a deadly or lethal weapon, and in most states can be matched with deadly force. What would have happened had the homeowner not had a firearm to protect themselves?

Stories like these are so empowering. It is important to normalize and promote stories of law-abiding citizens protecting themselves with a firearm. You never know when you may be met with an armed intruder, and you should always be prepared to protect yourself and your loved ones. The best way to do that is to own a firearm and know how to use it.