A man was shot and left in critical condition early yesterday after allegedly forcing his way into his ex-girlfriend’s west Fort Worth home and attacking her, according to police. Officers were dispatched to the 5500 block of Hidden Creek around 7 a.m., after the woman called 911 and reported she had shot someone inside her house.
Police said the woman told officers her ex-boyfriend barged in without permission and began assaulting her. She said she first used pepper spray to try to stop the attack, then fired a handgun, hitting him three times. The man was taken to a hospital in critical condition, and detectives are now working to sort out exactly what happened, including reviewing the 911 call and witness statements.
Police Account
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, officers determined that the woman’s ex-boyfriend had entered her home without her permission and then assaulted her, prompting the emergency call. The outlet reports that, per police, she used pepper spray first and then shot him, striking him three times before officers arrived and he was transported to the hospital in critical condition.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram also notes that as of its report, police had not released the names of either person involved and had not announced any charges, while the investigation remains open.
What Texas Law Says
Under Texas law, people are allowed to use force, and in limited situations, deadly force, if they reasonably believe it is immediately necessary to stop someone else’s unlawful force. State law also creates specific presumptions that can apply when an intruder unlawfully and with force enters an occupied home.
Those rules are laid out in Texas Penal Code Chapter 9, including Sections 9.31 and 9.32, which are frequently referenced in cases involving alleged home invasions. Whether any legal justification applies in this situation will be decided later, as investigators and prosecutors review the evidence.
Investigation and Resources
Fort Worth police say the case is active and they have not released the identities of those involved. Anyone with information has been asked to contact the department, according to the Fort Worth Police Department. The department’s website lists non-emergency and media phone numbers and includes links to victim-assistance resources.
Survivors of domestic violence can also find help statewide through the Texas Council on Family Violence. Police are asking anyone who saw the incident or has relevant video to reach out to investigators as they work to reconstruct the events of that early-morning confrontation.
