Man Shot to Death When He Barges Into Neighbor's Look-Alike House

[Drizzt]

Florida Man Shot to Death When He Barges Into Neighbor's Look-Alike House

The Associated Press
Published: Feb 3, 2003

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) - A man who apparently thought he was entering his own town house was shot to death by his neighbor when he barged inside the look-alike dwelling in the middle of the night, police said.

Jeffrey McNeil, 32, banged on the door of John Arnold's townhouse early Sunday. Awakened by the noise, Arnold loaded a pistol, opened the door and shot McNeil when he entered and made a threatening move, police said.

No charges were filed because Arnold appeared to be acting in self-defense, sheriff's spokeswoman Marianna Pasha said.

Arnold told detectives he was asleep around 2 a.m. when he heard someone yelling obscenities and knocking on his garage and front door. Arnold's teenage daughter and a friend of hers were in the house, which was similar in appearance to McNeil's house just two doors down.

Arnold said he asked McNeil several times what he wanted. Arnold told investigators the intruder was mumbling and acting strangely, Pasha said.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAONWJWQBD.html

 

[Blackhawk]

Used to work with a guy who attended a party in an apartment complex. He left for a while, they tried to get back into the party. Beat on the door, yelled, threatened, and broke the door down. Wrong floor. The terrorized family dad within put a .45 in the guy's pump.

Stuff happens....

Thing is, the dead guy in this case may have well thought the real homeowner was an invader and attacked him. When people are grossly mistaken and confused, there's no predicting what they'll do or guessing how dangerous they are.

Would you have shot him?

I would.

 

[m.i.sanders]

I would have too.

 

[Greg L]

Yet another reason not to live in subdivisions or complexes.

Given the facts as reported I probably would have shot too. Doubt if I would have opened the door in the first place though.

Greg

 

[DeltaElite]

Caca Pasa.

I wouldn't have opened the door.
If someone is pounding on your door at 2am, why would you open it? Geez, Louise.
Any bets on whether or not alcohol is involved?

 

[Bruce in West Oz]

This is exactly the scenario used here in Australia by anti-gun groups and anti-gun politicians to:

(a) preclude "self-defence" as a reason for owning a firearm

(b) force "home storage" legislation through (no firearm can be kept "ready")

The homeowner here would definitely have been arrested and charged by the police with either manslaughter or murder -- the odds are it would have been the latter. His only hope would be a sympathetic jury.

I expect to see this incident get a huge amount of media coverage here, as a "lesson" to all of us

Bruce

 

[Bob Locke]

Had a buddy who was living with me get arrested for trying to get into the wrong house. He was at a party, got drunk, and got dropped off two houses down from my place by another buddy (who was also drunk). After banging on the door for 10 minutes (because the key didn't work - go figure), he tore the screen door off the hinges and was in the process of trying to force entry into the house when the cops arrived. Lucky he didn't get himself shot like this fellow did.

Sad state of affairs, this one. Made me rethink a couple of things, though, primary among them the placement of a couple of handguns. I didn't have one in the basement where my computer is located, and if someone decided it was time to enter my residence univited I'd be a little short-handed in dealing with them. But not anymore.

Multiple lessons learned from this story.

 

[QKRTHNU]

I wouldn't have opened the door.

Ditto.

Actually happened to me. My house looks very much like my neighbors. One night about 2:30 in the morning someone was pounding on the door and yelling. I went downstairs and looked out the window at the guy who I'd never seen before and was clearly drunk.

I just kept yelling back through the door that he had the wrong house. Finally his lady companion convinced him he might have the wrong house.

There was not a chance I was going to open the door.

If you had to use force it would be much better if the cops can see that the door had been broken down vs you opening the door.

 

[CWL]

Happens quite often.

Alcohol is usually part of the equation.

I was at fault in Las Vegas once, while attending drunken bachelor party in casino hotel, attempted to enter wrong room (right number, wrong floor) sometime after 3-4 AM. Glad the occupant didn't shoot me -I sure banged and yelled enough!

One way to minimize these cases is to lock all doors when going to bed.

 

[ahenry]

I wouldn’t have hesitated to shoot him. Mistakes are often fatal, I intend to make sure it’s not fatal for me or mine.

 

[Diesle]

This guy is lucky as hell that the prosecutor didnt take this one.

Wonder if he'll be as fortunate on the civil side...


Diesle

 

[Pendragon]

Yet another reason not to live in subdivisions or complexes.

More like a reason to not get drunk or high.


As for the prosecutor - they often seem more intent on convictions than justice, but the fact is that in a self defense shooting, the person you shoot does not have to be an actual bad guy - you just have to have the reasonable belief that he is going to hurt you and in this case, that would seem to apply.

Of course they can go the civil route, but most people get a lawyer on contingency and most contingency lawyers would look at this case and run far away. There were witnesses who saw the erratic behavior - lawyers are evil, not stupid.

 

[2dogs]

Man killed as he enters wrong home

http://www.sptimes.com/2003/02/03/TampaBay/Man_killed_as_he_ente.shtml

Man killed as he enters wrong home
A Clearwater homeowner shoots a man who barges into his townhouse. The slain man turns out to be a neighbor.
By CHRIS TISCH and MEGAN SCOTT
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 3, 2003


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CLEARWATER -- In a neighborhood where many of the townhouses look alike, Jeffrey S. McNeil somehow ended up in the wrong one early Sunday morning.

Pinellas sheriff's officials say McNeil, 32, banged on the front door of his neighbor's townhouse, possibly thinking it was his home. After the homeowner, John E. Arnold, opened the door, McNeil barged in and made a threatening move, Arnold told detectives.

Arnold, who had loaded his pistol when he heard the banging on the door, raised the gun and fired twice, hitting McNeil once below the right eye.

Arnold called 911. Rescuers arrived and pronounced McNeil dead in Arnold's home at 2583 Estancia Blvd. McNeil lived with his parents at 2587 Estancia Blvd., two doors down.

Detectives are trying to figure out how McNeil wound up at Arnold's door. They were investigating whether alcohol might have played a part because they found a tapped keg in his truck, which was parked in Arnold's driveway.

"Detectives say McNeil ... probably came home to the wrong address (and) became agitated when he could not get into what he thought was his own home," sheriff's spokeswoman Marianna Pasha said.

McNeil's father, Harry, said his son was helping a friend build a bar Saturday night.

"I know he wasn't intoxicated," Harry McNeil said. "He's a health nut. He didn't smoke, drink, nothing like that.

"He parked in the wrong driveway. I've done it myself."

Harry McNeil said his son attended high school in Countryside and Tarpon Springs, then college in Connecticut. He played soccer and taught the game to youngsters, his father said.

"He was a good person," he said.

Although McNeil's death remains under investigation, Pasha said initial indications are that no charges will be filed.

"Preliminarily, it appears to be a self-defense incident," she said.

Arnold declined to comment Sunday.

Sheriff's officials said Arnold was sleeping about 2 a.m. Sunday when he heard a commotion outside his home.

His teenage daughter and a friend of hers who was staying over also were awakened.

Arnold told detectives someone was banging on his garage and his front door and yelling obscenities, Pasha said. So he fetched his pistol, loaded it and headed downstairs, she said.

Although the front door has a peephole and Arnold didn't recognize McNeil, he opened the door. McNeil then forced his way inside, Pasha said.

Arnold asked McNeil several times what he wanted. Arnold later told investigators that the intruder was mumbling and acting strangely, Pasha said.

Arnold told detectives that McNeil came at him.

"The homeowner (Arnold) said he felt threatened and was concerned for his safety," Pasha said. "He became afraid, so he shot him."

The first shot missed, zinging out the front door. The second shot hit McNeil.

Neighbors had mixed feelings about the incident. Some thought Arnold should have called police first; others felt McNeil had to have been impaired.

All were surprised. Neighbors said no one on the street has caused any problems in the past.

"This is a very quiet place," said Sam Citro, who sometimes talked with McNeil about their Harley-Davidson motorcycles. "People leave their doors open."

Neighbor Louise Alstatter said: "I feel sorry for both guys. The guy who shot him, he will live with it. The one who is dead is dead. I feel sorry for both families."

 

[Dave P]

"This guy is lucky as hell that the prosecutor didnt take this one."

That's usually how these go in FLA - a man's home is his castle, and he can defend it as required.

 

[Don Gwinn]

If you're too drunk to find your house, you're too drunk.

 

[BenW]

One way to minimize these cases is to lock all doors when going to bed.

Or to not get drunk. I hate being responsible for other people's actions.

 

[Carlos Cabeza]

NOTE TO SELF: IF KEYS DO NOT WORK LOCK, BACK UP TEN STEPS TO VERIFY CORRECT ADDRESS OF HOME TO WHICH I WISH TO ENTER.

 

[Mr. James]

Although the front door has a peephole and Arnold didn't recognize McNeil, he opened the door. McNeil then forced his way inside, Pasha said.

WHISKEY TANGO HOTEL, OVER???

 

[COHIBA]

get a removeable peephole and a can of FOX LABS.


drunk; KNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCK!!!!!!
me; who is it?
drunk; OPENDA****INDOOR...
me; one minute...SPPPPPPPPPPPPPPSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
drunk (although a bit more sober) ;
AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

 

[Carlos Cabeza]

Some OC to the face of a ragin' drunk !!! Excellent idea !
Whowoulda thunkd it !

 

[Drizzt]

'ya think the tapped keg was a clue?

 

[bbrins]

Yeah, he's lucky the prosecuter did not pick it up. That's why I don't live in a subdivision or condo.


I know someone who actually made it into his neighbor's apartment because she did not lock the door. Well, he got as far as climbing in to bed next to her and thought, "Wait a minute, I don't have silk sheets." He managed to get his clothes back on and make it half the way back down the steps before she woke up. She was pretty angry at the time, but now they look back and laugh. Oh yeah, did I mention that he was good and drunk?