A man in Texas is being charged with murder after he fired shots at a home intruder before returning to bed without contacting authorities.
James Michael Meyer of Dallas, Texas, told police that he was awoken by noises near a shed on his property around 5 a.m. last Thursday. Armed with a handgun, he went to inspect the disturbance and discovered a man trying to break into his shed. Meyer warned the intruder not to come any closer or he would shoot, but the suspected burglar moved closer with a pickax in hand. Meyer said he then fired, which caused the intruder to drop the ax and run toward a park close to Meyer’s property.
Meyer said he then fired a shot “into the night” in the direction of the park as a warning for the culprit to stay away. Upon waking the next morning, Meyer discovered the man’s body in his backyard, at which point he contacted authorities. Meyer told police that there was a burglary in progress and that he needed medical assistance but declined to divulge complete details to the 9-1-1 operator.
Police discovered the deceased man in Meyer’s backyard with a single bullet wound to the back of the neck, according to the Dallas Police Department website. The warrant issued for Meyer’s arrest indicated that the man had been dead for several hours when authorities arrived on the scene. The warrant also noted that neighbors reported hearing three shots, not two as Meyer described to police.
The deceased individual has not yet been identified by police. Meyers was arrested on Thursday but posted his $150,000 bond and was released on Friday.
