Man fends off burglars

Two would-be burglars were surprised to find an armed homeowner waiting for them when they entered his home north of Oak Grove last Wednesday afternoon.

The homeowner heard someone ring the doorbell at the front door of his residence.

When he went to the front door, he observed two white males -- Louis R. Jones, 32, Independence, and Johnathan E. Davis, 33, Oak Grove -- walking from the front to the back of his home, according to a press release from the Lafayette County Sheriff's Department.

He then saw Jones and Davis in the backyard. The homeowner, who had armed himself, went to the side door of his home. As he approached the door, it was kicked in by one of the men. The homeowner fired at the men.

The Lafayette County Sheriff's Department responded to the attempted burglary on Gillespie Road in western Lafayette County near the Jackson County line.

Jones was shot in the left shoulder, and Davis fled the scene in a grayish green 1990 model Chevrolet Suburban parked at the end of the driveway by the road.

The vehicle left toward Jackson County on Gillespie Road, the press release said. Davis was apprehended several days later and is now in custody at the Lafayette County Jail.

The injured suspect was treated at the scene by Sni-Valley Fire Protection District Paramedics and taken by air ambulance helicopter to Research Medical Center where he remains hospitalized.

Both men have been charged with first-degree burglary -- a class B felony. If convicted, the men could face five to 15 years in jail.

Lafayette County Sheriff Kerrick Alumbaugh said both suspects had extensive criminal histories.

Because the incident remains under investigation, Alumbaugh didn't comment much on the case, but he emphasized the homeowner would "absolutely not be charged."

"He acted perfectly in the situation," Alumbaugh said. And "he was forced to take action."

The two suspects are believed to have burglarized another home on the same road prior the incident, Alumbaugh said.

The suspect who was shot remains hospitalized and will need medical care for several days. Due to his current medical condition investigators have not been able to question him.

The investigation continues.

Editor's note: Charges contained in reports provided by law enforcement officials are not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting charges must be presented before a jury, whose duty is to determine if the accused is guilty or not guilty of the charges.

Contact Nathan St. Clair at

concordianreporter@centurytel.net