A 70-year-old grandmother took her safety upon herself and shot an intruder when he broke into her Philadelphia home. Maxine Thompson said the only thing going through her mind was self-preservation: “Kill him before he kills me.”
The entire incident began as Thompson slept in her home. She was awoken at 4:30 am to the sound of someone breaking into her house. “First I thought I was dreaming, and then I looked out the window, outside. I was still hearing the banging, banging, banging, so I yelled to whoever, ‘Who’s that on my door? Get off my door, get off my door,’” Thompson recalled.
Police confirmed Thompson’s recollection, as Fox News reported that a 43-year-old man did try to force his way into her house at that time.
Despite her verbal warnings, the alleged burglar didn’t stop and continued to smash her dining room window and enter her house. Thompson, going into survival mode, grabbed her late mother’s handgun and shot at the suspect. She told Fox 29 it was her first time using the gun. “I shot at him. He turned around and he ran and when he ran, I ran down the steps behind him and shot at him some more,” Thompson recalled. “Kill him before he kills me. That’s what was going through my mind.”
The alleged burglar was struck while Thompson fired at him several times. He ran to a nearby car wash and called the police to report he’d been shot, Fox 29 reported. He was arrested, taken to the hospital and treated for a gunshot wound to his upper arm.
Thompson, whose son is a Philadelphia police officer, said the incident played out within 10 minutes. She recalled how the suspect could have killed her if she didn’t fire the gun.
“After everything was over, then I did get a little shaky. He could’ve killed me,” the grandmother said. Thompson just hopes the intruder will think twice before attempting to violate other’s rights saying she hopes she taught him and other people a lesson. “Stay the hell out of people’s houses,” Thompson said.
As for her broken window, she replied: “I have people that will come and fix this. It’ll be fixed in no time.”
HIGH 5 GRANNY DO IT TO THEM BEFORE THEY DO IT TO YOU………
Straight Shooter, you’re right on target. {Pun intended, what the hell}
GO GRANNY! I would’ve done the same thing. Too bad the bastard is still alive. But I’m glad she survived it. And all she thought about was self-preservation; EXACTLY AS IT SHOULD BE! She has every right to self-defense. Doesn’t matter what any stupid unconstitutional law says. It would be advisable for her to take a firearms course, just in case she’s ever faced with the same situation again.
Yea!!! for the ol’ gal. Funny isn’t it how she saw the issue plain as day. ‘kill him before he kills me’. Sounds like about the perfect self-defense right we’ve all grown up with.
If she had hit him in a vital area he would’ve been one less black male POS to worry about. Had it been me, I would’ve shot him in the head. Most effective.
Wish I was a bad ass tuff guy such as yourself. How did you obtain your courage and ninja skills?
Anonymous, you make a good troll and that’s it for you. Run along, sonny.
I’m not implying that her shooting the criminal wasn’t justified but if there was some grey in the incident this little caveat is decisive.
“Thompson, whose son is a Philadelphia police officer”…
Grey gets the benefit of doubt in your favor.
Kevin2, that remains to be seen while the investigation is still taking place. She shouldn’t face any charges whatsoever.
I have a “layered” defense system.
barbed wire fences, dogs, a mule, me ,and then,
my wife. My wife is a very good shot.
She is a grandma.
Rellik, my cousin at the BOL also has a ‘layered’ defense system. NOBODY wants to confront her with a Mossberg 500 in her arms. I can also vouch for her being a damn good shot. Even all the family living down the road are all damn good shots and have their own ‘layered’ defense systems. When we all get together for target practice, we have a helluva time together.
In Australia, if the bad guy is in effect ‘retreating’, no matter how he got in, or what he did up to the time of the ‘retreat’, she would get charged.
THEN they would charge her with possession of a firearmn!
Old Codger:
I bet most cases are never reported.
_
Our media and police are 100% anti gun, and anything that helps the party line is OK.
The police wrote the anti gun laws, and tighten them as often as possible.
Old Codger
NJ is like that too and even further as the legal occupant has an obligation to retreat if possible. Delaware is clear. If the person is unlawfully in dwelling fails to disarm or surrender (they need not be armed) you can use lethal force. If they’re fleeing and you shoot them in the back they failed to surrender. If your not convicted criminally they can’t charge you in civil court. Thats about as good as it gets. The latter is applies (no civil unless convicted criminally) outside of the home too but its more restrictive otherwise. Florida has stand your ground that prosecutors are doing their best to ignore.
Old Codger, some parts of the US have a similar stupid law like that.
Our rural folks out in the country have been shooting back and getting aquitted.
There was one incident here not long ago.
Long story short. A man and his family lived on an acrage that borders a native reservation. Drunk natives were seen driving back and forth to a local fishing spot thier truck broke down these filthy Indians saw fit to just go onto this guy’s land and try taking his atv his pickup he confronted the first native in the barn trying for the ATV and chased him with a baseball bat out into the yard where he sees his pickup being jacked. He took out his own front window the thief hit the gas in reverse smashing into his wife’s car
Minutes earlier his wife pulled into the yard and was unloading groceries and left the car door open she was in the house by the time the fight spilled into the front yard.
Gerald Stanley ( property owner) thinking his wife was just crushed grabbed a tt-33pistol approached the truck to drag his drunk Indian ass out there was a struggle and opps the gun went off under his chin point blank.
There was a trial and by Canadian law he was found NOT GUILTY. Of course the Indians are screaming racism.
Asshole got what he deserved.
Angry beaver, this happened in CANADA and the property owner was ACQUITTED? Amazing, considering the kind of gun laws you’re forced to live with. Agreed about Indians. Indians here in the US are the same way.
Gerald Stanley shot the thief one Colton boushie. With a 9 mm parabellem round.
We were quite surprised as well. He walks his land free to this day. More importantly it set a precedent for defending ourselves. Lol believe me were not all pussies. We have guns too. Maybe not as nice as yours but none of he less effective.
And in truth we don’t need a licence of any kind for black powder ball cap weapons
Smoothbore. But still I know guys I would get within 100 yards of lol.
Times they are a changin.
Angry beaver
Can I assume Mr Stanley is still allowed to possess a firearm in Canada? I’m surprised at his handgun ownership.
Kevin2, I’m also surprised considering it’s Canada.
I believe the pistol in question was indeed confiscated. His restricted possession license remains in tack.
No big loss those tt-33 Russian tokerev pistols are plentiful and cheap we mostly all have them.
Russian hardware was briefly let in and then not.
That’s what most of us use here for “assault style rifles.
The most popular Russian hardware is the SKS cz 858 tt-33pistol. Hunting calibers common here are .303 British 39-06 300 win mag 7mm .308 an the 30-30. Popular handguns are the tt-33pistol .380 auto 9mm auto don’t see many guys using hand guns here other then to sit in a closet.
It’s a real.pain in the ass to own them here.
The only legal place to fire a handgun is at a gov approved gun range you must be an active member in good standing to pay the $300 a year fee. Or on private property. And only if your the registered owner. Alot of semi automatic rifles are under the same restriction.
No I can not carry my .44 dirty Harry while deer hunting.
If I’m caught with it anywhere outside those two places I lose everything. All rifles all licences even the shit back in my house they will arrest detain you while they execute a search warrant on your house to collect anything to do with hunting or fishing ammo guns reloading supplies knives fishing gear all of it. Gone.
I will ad though that in the last 6 years two game wardens turned up missing.
Some states have a “retreat law”. Virginia is one I think. If someone has broken into your home and there is an avenue of retreat, you are supposed to retreat. If there is no retreat and your life is in danger, you can shoot. Chasing the intruder down and shooting him is against the law.
Brian, those ‘retreat’ laws can get stuffed. The one who needs to retreat is the burglar, etc.
Agreed.
Say you retreat from your home in NJ and your armed. Do you leave the gun in the home otherwise your break the law and that in itself is a 3 year (in which 1/3 must be served) sentence.
Like Australia its another place on the “do not live there” list. Its a shame for Australia because the rural nature of much of the place and all the coastline looks like an inviting place to live.
If there is no Body, then there is no Crime.
Yeah, but does granny get to keep her gun, or do the big bad good guys confiscate it?
Good Job. Now he won’t leach on the public. Good shooting!!!!
Sgt.
Sarge, she ought to take a firearms course and learn how to make head shots. The perp survived so he’s another burden for the taxpayers.
Better to be tried by twelve men than carried by six!
Funny how they try to portray her as some decrepit old woman by keeping calling her grandmother. Heck, I wouldn’t cross that woman no way, no how.
Virginia does not have a retreat law. Nor does it support “Castle Doctrine” or “Stand your ground.” Legal Beagles told me that our law (and State Constitution) already protects citizens. Basically, if you believe that your life is in danger, you may use deadly force to protect yourself. The issue gets a little fuzzy when you are talking about protecting property. Home invasion? Yep. Walking in on a burglary? Yep. Someone breaking into your house? Yep. An armed carjacking up close and personal? Yep. Shooting someone from your front porch who is hot-wiring your car in the driveway – not so much. Your kid is in the car? Yep. OK to shoot to protect another person.
I personally believe that the 2A is pretty clear without discussion, but Virginia has passed a lot of laws that clearly PERMIT owning, buying and using guns so that the cops and attorneys can’t make up rules against people. We also have a half-way decent CC system (which I also consider unconstitutional). Mostly do-able fee ($45 when I last renewed), a little too much time allowed for processing (and they take EVERY SECOND of it!), and a Judge has final say, not local cops, Mayor, or whomever they drag out from under a rock. They look for firearms training, clear police record. Pretty much a rubber stamp, money making thing if you aren’t a felon. And they really don’t like straw purchasers – which figures in because with a cc, you have the right to unlimited purchases at one time or any time.
Obviously, if you are a felon, you already have a gun and don’t give a damn anyway.
Granny will be found guilty and given five years probation.
The man will get a multi million television and book deal.
Good job! Next time, aim for the head.