SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Greene County sheriff's deputies and Springfield police officers recently picked up five suspected burglars at two homes within four days. Cops said the arrests were thanks in part to alert citizens.
In both instances, regular people tracked down the burglars and held them at gunpoint until officers arrived. Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson warns citizens, however, that although they might feel emboldened by a law that lets them defend themselves against intruders on their property, the law doesn't give them blanket permission to shoot an intruder.
"I was fortunate that it turned out like it did. I guess I was prepared to do what I had to do," said Chad Woolsey, a man who detained a burglar at his brother's house near Willard on Friday morning.
"I did already have my gun drawn. I started yelling for him to get on the floor. He wouldn't do it," said Woolsey.
Deputies arrested two people for that burglary. Deputies picked up Michael Price, 26, at Woolsey's brother's house, where Woolsey was holding him at gunpoint. Deputies tracked down Price's wife, Brandy Price, 24, later Friday in Polk County as she drove toward the couple's home in Buffalo.
The second "citizens arrest" happened Monday morning on West Kearney Street near West Bypass in northwest Springfield, when two brothers-in-law grabbed a gun and a machete and confronted three burglars on a vacant property belonging to a family member. Police arrested James Young, 19; Brandon Matthews, 22; and a juvenile for that burglary.
"We made it real clear to get down on the ground and show us their hands," said Ken Richardson, one of the brothers-in-law.
"We didn't give that a whole lot of thought as far as potentially what could happen," said Richardson.
Patterson said it is dangerous any time citizens intentionally confront criminals. Patterson said, if the criminals are injured in such incidents, the citizens involved could still be prosecuted despite Missouri's "Castle Doctrine."
"No piece of property is worth risking your life our another person's over," said Patterson.
Patterson said the Castle Doctrine provides citizens with the ability to protect themselves and others against threats to their property. The law applies to the house, car, or business the person rents or owns.
"If you were to drive up to your house and you were to see an intruder running away with a big-screen TV in their arms, you could not use deadly force to protect and retrieve that property. In that situation, there was no threat posed to you or your person," said Patterson.
More and more people are buying guns to protect themselves and their families. The National Shooting Sports Foundation reports several factors indicate gun sales are at an all-time high nationwide. Those factors include background check statistics, firearms production and importation, and firearm-retailer surveys.
One of the best indicators of sales is the FBI's National Instant Background Check System. Licensed firearm retailers use the system to conduct on-the-spot background checks on people purchasing firearms. December marked the 19th straight month of background check increases.
"It's been a lot of increase in people just looking for something for protection," said Nick Newman, owner of Cherokee Firearms in Springfield.
Newman said many of his first-time customers come in looking for handguns, and four out of every five guns sold are handguns.
"We get a lot of people coming in wanting to know what they can and can't do, what's considered part of the Castle and what isn't," said Newman.
Missouri's Castle Doctrine went into effect in 2007.
