Staff Reports
A 73‑year‑old Vietnam War veteran in San Francisco says he shot an intruder during a violent home invasion this week — and local TV gave him a chance to tell his side of the story. The veteran told reporters the suspect drilled a hole through his front door to get inside, attacked him during a struggle and fled after being hit by one round. Police later detained an injured man several miles away and are still investigating whether the two incidents are linked.
What happened in the Sunset District
Neighbors and surveillance video show a man pacing the block in the early morning before someone forced entry into a home on the 1200 block of 22nd Avenue in San Francisco’s Sunset District. The homeowner says the suspect drilled a hole through the wooden door, got inside with a large husky and confronted him on the second floor. The 73‑year‑old veteran told KPIX/CBS he was grabbed, knocked to his knees and fired one shot in self‑defense. The round reportedly struck the intruder in the buttocks; the man fled and was later found hurt on the 400 block of 47th Avenue, where paramedics took him to San Francisco General Hospital. Animal Care & Control took custody of the abandoned dog.
Self‑defense under California law — and common sense
California allows people to defend themselves when they reasonably fear serious harm. That doesn’t mean every shooting is automatically justified, but it does mean facts matter. A 73‑year‑old veteran answering an armed break‑in in his own home sounds a lot more like self‑defense than headline fodder. Prosecutors will have to decide whether the veteran’s belief that he faced imminent danger was reasonable. If you care about law and order, you should want investigators to look closely and make a fair call — not to kneecap a homeowner who fought back against someone who drilled his door like it was a DIY project.
A message to burglars — and to city hall
This episode also speaks to broader problems in San Francisco: brazen burglaries, creative break‑in methods, and a public that wants to feel safe in its own home. Call it what you want — a professional burglar with weird door habits or just another criminal making life harder for neighbors — the result is the same. Cities that tolerate petty and violent crime invite more of it. If public safety and victims’ rights matter, officials should be clear: homeowners have the right to protect themselves, and law enforcement must get the facts and act without political theater.
Watch for what comes next
Police still need to confirm whether the hospitalized man is the same person who forced entry, and the district attorney will decide on charges after the investigation. In the meantime, give this veteran his due for standing his ground and protecting his home. San Francisco officials, take note: fix the policies that leave law‑abiding citizens feeling exposed, and give neighborhoods the tools and support they need to keep crime down. That’s how you stop a burglar from picking the wrong house in the first place.
