Audio of a 911 call obtained by News4 reveals new information in the fatal shooting of an intruder last October inside a Poolesville, Maryland, home.
The man who lives inside the home on River Road called 911 just after 9 a.m. on Oct. 11 to say a man was trying to break inside.
During the 12-minute-long call, the homeowner describes the encounter from beginning to end.
"He's trying to turn the door knob and get in. He's looking through the windows," he says.
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Operator: "Do you know this person?"
Homeowner: "No!"
The homeowner then tells the operator he has a gun.
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Homeowner: "I don't want to shoot him, but if he comes in, I will."
Operator: "And what kind of gun do you have?"
Homeowner: “A shotgun. The first two shells are loaded with rubber buck shot…I don’t want to hurt -- I don’t want to kill anybody."
Operator: “OK. I understand."
The homeowner then mentions the man appears to be on drugs and he walked away.
A minute later, he sees him at the back door.
Homeowner: “Hey! Get out! I have a gun!"
Operator: "Sir? Sir?"
Homeowner: “He’s in my house!"
At least two gunshots can be heard in the background of the call. The homeowner yells, "Get back!"
Over the next minute, there's screaming on the line and an apparent struggle.
During the struggle, more gunshots go off.
Homeowner: “I think he’s dead."
Operator: “You think he’s dead?"
Homeowner: “Yeah, I shot him twice. He’s on the ground."
Operator: “On the ground where?"
Homeowner: “In my living room.”
At that point, only four minutes had passed.
The homeowner sounded distraught and asked the operator what he should do.
“He tried to get the gun. He almost got it from me," he says in the call.
The homeowner then told the operator the intruder said nothing, only smiled, before he ran at him and tried to bite him.
The state’s attorney's office says under the Castle Doctrine of Maryland a homeowner is allowed to defend himself against an intruder and no charges have been filed.
Police have not identified the homeowner and News4 has not been able to reach him.
The man who was shot and killed was 34-year-old Harry Trueman Powell, police said.
Investigators said Powell had been sleeping in the basement of the home for at least a day without the homeowner's knowledge.
