The story that has emerged from a scary situation on Sunday morning in rural Chehalis emphasizes an important strand of Lewis County’s DNA — the fact that firearms and self-defense are a crucial part of self-reliance, and country folks will do what they need to do when it comes to making sure their families are safe.
We offer both congratulations and a compassionate heart to the 24-year-old Chehalis man who armed himself and defended his wife when a meth-crazed intruder allegedly broke into his home and charged at him in the predawn hours.
The man showed wisdom, restraint and strength as he shot at the man then tussled with him before holding him at gunpoint until sheriff’s deputies arrived. In fact, some commentators on our Facebook page and on chronline.com have said the man should have done more — that they would have emptied their clip on the intruder. Others have offered specific suggestions about firing twice at the body core, then saving bullets for any other miscreants who might have been a few steps behind the intruder.
While those ideas are well and good, it’s worth remembering that unless you’ve had the horrific experience of actually facing a drug-addled intruder, it’s impossible to place yourself in that situation and know how you would respond in the split-second crucial moments.
Using deadly force against anyone, even someone who appears to mean you harm, is a weighty proposition. Even firing one non-lethal shot undoubtedly took an emotional toll on the innocent property owner, and we offer our support and well-wishes to this man who faced death head-on and survived.
Based on what we know, he fits the description of a solid, self-reliant Lewis County citizen. He knew that choosing to live in a rural area means that you take on the responsibility of defending your family until law enforcement arrives. When you live in the country, that could be five, 10, 20 minutes or more.
We also salute our sheriff, Steve Mansfield, who understands that this is “a classic case” of self-defense by a rural resident who knows that — literally — his life is in his own hands.
“You cannot depend on law enforcement and your government to protect you in every aspect of your life,” Mansfield said.
City dwellers can ignore this reality, but in Lewis County we know this to be true. We live closer to the land and to the realities of natural disasters that can strip away modern conveniences for days or weeks at a time.
Without question, the homeowner achieved what nearly everyone in Lewis County would hope to accomplish when faced with that situation — having prepared to defend himself, he drew his weapon, fired and stood strong.
