Independence police are investigating an attempted theft that ended with the suspect getting shot.
Around 4:30 a.m. Thursday, a homeowner on Hawthorne Avenue woke up to a man trying to steal his truck. The homeowner then got a gun and shot the male suspect in the shoulder.
.@ipdinfo investigate attempted robbery. Homeowner shot suspect. Man showed at hospital w/ gunshot wound. Police there & scene @41actionnews pic.twitter.com/V9O9JbEKqE
— Belinda Post (@Belinda_Post) January 12, 2017
Officers said the suspect jumped into a second vehicle and was taken to the hospital with gunshot injuries.
Police now have a second suspect in custody, who is believed to have driven the getaway car. He will be questioned by detectives.
A next door neighbor and retired Army Sergeant Rachel Merlos told 41 Actions News that she believed the homeowner was totally within his rights.
Merlos also weighed in on Missouri broadening its laws so most adults can get a gun without a permit or taking a class.
"The community is your family. To keep everybody safe is to be educated. If you don't want to take the class and then you want to walk around with a weapon, you yourself can get hurt," explained neighbor Rachel Merlos.
This is still very early in the investigation and they are still interviewing those involved.
The homeowner was not hurt during the incident.
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Belinda Post can be reached at belinda.post@kshb.com.
