Just before 5 p.m. on Sunday, a man in Pinch, W.V., noticed two people prowling around his neighbor’s house. When he realized the men—31-year-old Steve Lee Rose Jr. and his 18-year-old accomplice—were in the process of breaking in, he confronted them. Noticing that at least one of them was carrying a pistol, the neighbor pulled his own gun and fired, grazing the 18-year-old and prompting both to flee.
Soon after, responding officers traced Rose to his home in Charleston, where he was arrested and charged with burglary. His accomplice was transported to a local hospital.
According to Sgt. Brian Humphreys of the Kanawha Sheriff’s Office, because police response times are known to be much longer in rural areas such as Pinch, and because the suspects “pulled a gun on him,” the neighbor won’t be charged in the shooting.
