Posted on 11/28/2013 5:45:24 AM PST by Uncle Chip
after ringing his doorbell when he became lost and confused after wandering off in the middle of the night
A 72-year-old man with advanced Alzheimer's has been shot dead by a homeowner after he rang the bell at the stranger's house when he became lost and confused in the middle of the night.
Ronald Westbrook rang the doorbell of a home at 4am on Wednesday after wandering around in the dark for almost four hours in rural Walker County, Georgia. He had walked around three miles from his home by the time he approached the door.
The shooter was identified as Joe Hendrix, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, according to Sheriff Steve Wilson said.
Mr Westbrook rang the door bell and turned the door handle of the home in the new development where Hendrix had just moved in with his fiancée. The woman, who has not been identified, called 911 and was on the phone with a dispatcher when Hendrix confronted the elderly man in the yard with a 40-caliber handgun.
Mr Westbrook, an Air Force veteran, did not respond to the commands that Hendrix issued to him because Alzheimer's Disease has left the72-year-old practically mute.
Hendrix fired four shots with one bullet striking Mr Westbrook in the chest and killing him. The victim's body was removed from the scene at 10.30am on Wednesday.
It is unlikely that Hendrix will be charged with any crime, according to The Chattanoogan.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I can’t imagine anyone shooting someone in that way. That is assuming the report is accurate.
I bet he is charged and should be.
Such are the days we live in. There are no villians in this story just grief, saddness and loss for all involved.
I pray that the merciful healing hand of the Lord would reach out and touch the trouble hearts of all involved.
I have similar thoughts. No situational awareness or thoughts that they are dealing with a harmless person; just a chance to kill someone. Many here on FR would disagree - they think any shoot is a good one, even the cop who riddled the kid with the toy gun.
No. If he entered the house and was told to leave and he kept advancing he may have felt a threat for himself or his fiancé. Bad judgement? Maybe but not a crime from my prospective.
Whomever was suppose to be watching the guy is the responsible party.
Similar to the Michigan case where the guy shot the girl who showed up at his door in the middle of the night.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3091837/posts
I have made the personal decision to defend myself with whatever means I have at my disposal. But if the facts in the story are true, this is not self defense.
Hendrix is a stupid pos
he was shot in the yard
this was a little pos who shot someone asking for help
After the SHTF? In a zombie apocalypse? Anyone with a brain will be shooting strangers on sight if they cross the property line. When things are REALLY bad (and they are not right now) you would be well-advised to take no chances.
It is similar but worse in this case. The guy rang the doorbell. The girlfriend was on the phone to 911. He doesn’t shoot him at the door but shoots him when he is out in the yard.
He probably ordered him to tell him his name and he couldn’t — so he shot him.
That is murder.
The man being out and about is the worse case nightmare for caregivers. Sad to say sometimes Memory Care facilities which are secured are the best answer at least while the person can walk off.
A 72-year-old man with advanced Alzheimer’s ...
Ports & other medical devices are implanted. They should be
implanted with a chip or some kind of device to alert, identify & locate family or police.
Tennessee Castle Doctrine is pretty lax. All he has to claim is reasonable belied of imminent bodily harm.
The media (at any level) rarely ever gets the facts right.
Even when they don’t have an agenda they just fumble these cases very badly.
I seriously doubt that the facts recited in this article even come close to what really happened.
As a defense attorney I often deal with cases where the local news reports things that my client supposedly did. I have been stunned at how off the wall they often are.
I mean sometimes only 10-20% of the story is true and has facts supporting it.
That said, if it went down just as this article recounts, then I don’t think this is a good shoot.
And I am always on the side of the homeowner in forced entry cases.
Attempting to turn the handle is different than a forced entry.
And a confrontation in the yard takes the level of scrutiny up a huge notch.
Nobody said the guy had to go outside and give “commands” to this elderly person.
But I’ll bet there is more to this.
It will come out eventually.
If it was a good shoot then I feel real bad for how this article portrayed the homeowner.
But the girl was on the phone with the cops. Felt Threatened? Did the 72 year old have a weapon? Could 2 younger people overtake him? I took a class and saw a video SHOOT or DON’T SHOOT?
I can’t beleive this or maybe the report is not giving us enough information. I hope he is charged!
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