Woman’s warning shot hit trespasser in her yard, Tennessee cops say. She faces charges
A homeowner is charged after she shot a man in her backyard, Tennessee police tell local news outlets.
The 34-year-old woman said she heard a noise around 4:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 6, and found a stranger in her backyard, WDEF reported. The homeowner asked the man to leave, she told police.
When the trespasser didn’t leave, the woman fired what she said was a warning shot but instead struck the man in the ankle, Chattanooga police said, according to WRCB. The man was given aid and taken to a hospital for treatment.
Police said the homeowner was charged with aggravated assault after the shooting because the man did not pose an imminent threat when he was shot, WRCB reported.
The trespasser later told police he was homeless and was passing through the yard to get to an area where he was going to sleep, WTVC reported. He said two women asked him to leave the yard and that he was shot while trying to leave.
The homeowner told police she saw the man had a bag of items, which she thought they were stolen, according to a police affidavit obtained by WTVC. She told police she did not intend to hit the man.
Chattanooga is in southeastern Tennessee near the Georgia border.
This story was originally published February 6, 2023 at 4:53 PM with the headline "Woman’s warning shot hit trespasser in her yard, Tennessee cops say. She faces charges."
