The Armed Citizen® Aug. 1, 2025

Armed Citizen® Today

An armed father and homeowner in Henry County, Ind., defended his family from an early-morning intruder on Friday, April 25, according to the local sheriff.

Police responded to the incident just before 2 a.m. that morning, after the homeowner called 911 and reported that someone was attempting to break into his home. When officers responded, they found the man lying on the front porch with a single gunshot wound to the face. The homeowner told deputies that the man had smashed two windows in the front of the house and was reaching inside the home when the homeowner fired one shot from his .45-cal. handgun, hitting the suspect in the face.

The intruder was airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital, where he underwent surgery and was listed in critical but stable condition. Police confirmed that the suspect had 135 prior encounters with law enforcement, mostly related to what were characterized as "mental health issues." At the time of the incident, the homeowner had his wife and 3-year-old child with him. (WISH TV; Henry County; Ind.; 4/25/25)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives – April 1971   

Leland Bellot, 34, of Placentia, Calif., heard a disturbance in a room of his home where his wife and four women guests had gathered. Grabbing a .45-cal. pistol to investigate, he discovered an intruder holding the women at gunpoint.

When the man pointed his shotgun at him, Bellot fired, grazing the man's head and knocking him down. Police later charged the suspect with the armed robbery of a local service station. (Daily News Tribune, North Orange Co., Calif.)