Homeowner not facing charges for killing burglar

MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- It’s a position no one wants to be in – standing between your family and someone who is putting them in danger.

That’s where one area resident found himself early this Friday morning… Forcing him to make a life and death decision.

“That is a home owner’s worst fear. To have somebody come into your house while you’re asleep,” said Sheriff Cecil Cantrell.

Around 1 a.m. the Monroe County Sheriffs Office got a call about a home break-in on Reeves Drive.

According to the Sheriff, that break-in turned into a home invasion.

“This gentleman broke into his house and invaded his house, was in the kitchen. What woke them up was that he was growling, I don’t know why, but he was growling, and that’s what they were saying. They actually thought an animal had gotten into their house. A dog or something,” said Sheriff Cantrell.

Instead, he says the homeowners found 38-year-old Andrew Culver standing in their kitchen.

Sheriff Cecil Cantrell tells us the family told Culver to get on the ground.

He cooperated at first.

“He told him to stay down the law was on the way, and when he told him that he said he got up and charge him and at that point, he shot him,” said Sheriff Cantrell.

Culver received a fatal gunshot wound to his upper body.

The homeowner is not facing any charges at this time.

A Mississippi Law covers situations like this.

“He did exactly, in my opinion, what the castle law was set up for. It was set up in such a way to protect the homeowners and people that are trying to live within the bounds of the law, and this gentleman was. He, actually this person gave him no choice but to do what he did. He didn’t want to do it, but he had to, and he didn’t know whether the man had a gun, or a knife, or whatever. He charged him,” said Sheriff Cantrell.

Sheriff Cantrell says there’s a warning here for would-be burglars.

“When you break into somebody’s house it may end up bad for you because people are not going to put up with that. You just really can’t blame folks, you just really can’t. They’ve got protection, and they’re going to protect their family and their home, and they have a right to do that, and that’s exactly what happened last night,” said Sheriff Cantrell

Sheriff Cantrell says this is an ongoing investigation to make sure there are not any other circumstances that they are not aware of.