JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A woman in Putnam County shot and killed a man that barged into her home Wednesday in the early morning hours, says the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies say Reginald Best, 64, died as a result of the incident.
The homeowner, a 67-year-old female, told deputies she heard the front door handle shaking at about 3 a.m. and went to investigate. She told deputies she thought it might be her husband returning from work, so she opened the door and at that time Best forced his way into the home.
The woman, who was armed with a firearm, told deputies that she asked Best to leave the residence multiple times. The woman told deputies Best raised up both arms, and she saw he had a firearm in his hand.
Fearing for her life, she says she shot Best one time. After the shooting she called 911.
Prior to the shooting deputies say they received several erratic calls from Best and another female at 172 Silver Lake Drive.
During one of the calls, Best told dispatchers he was hiding from his neighbors and there were people in orange standing outside his residence.
A woman told dispatchers Best had jumped out of the window with a firearm and ran down the street. Deputies were en route to these calls when the shooting occurred.
“This call for service is a perfect example of why I continue to support and fight daily for the rights of law-abiding residents to own firearms,” Sheriff H.D. ‘Gator’ DeLoach said.
“All firearm owners have a responsibility not only to themselves, but also to their families to maintain proficiency with a gun, as our victim here today clearly has. If it were not for her foresight to arm herself, the outcome could have been much graver. It’s unfortunate that Best was struggling with some apparently profound issues and posed a deadly threat to the victim and her family. She absolutely had the right to defend herself and I’m grateful that her decisive action stopped the threat, and eliminated the risk of further loss of life, making her entire neighborhood safer.”