FORT SMITH, Ark. — Sebastian County officials have justified a person who killed a man trying to illegally enter their home on June 28, 2023, according to a press release.
The Fort Smith Police Department said the deadly shooting took place on Seven Oaks Drive at around 2:15 p.m. that day.
The press release states that an elderly man was inside his home when he heard a noise coming from a back sliding door. Officials said the man went to his bedroom to get his shotgun to protect himself.
A neighbor also noticed this activity and called the homeowner to alarm him. With the firearm in his hand, the homeowner called 911 to alert police, the release said.
Soon after, the intruder managed to break the glass with an object and started to enter the home through the shattered glass. That's when the homeowner "fired two rounds from his shotgun into the curtains," stopping the intruder from coming inside, according to the release.
When officials arrived to the scene, the man identified as 21-year-old Easton Richardson, was found injured. Richardson was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. According to the release, the homeowner "wept when he learned that the intruder he shot was a young man."
When police interviewed the suspect's family members, they were told that Richardson had mental disorders and was not on his medication at the time of the shooting. The autopsy report shows that Richardson died of a shotgun wound to the chest, and the toxicology report showed his blood had "three times the legal limit" of alcohol allowed when operating a motor vehicle. The report also showed that Richardson was positive for marijuana, the release said.
The press release states "physical evidence at the scene confirmed the statements given by the homeowner and his neighbor about where and how the break-in occurred."
After careful investigation, county officials concluded that the homeowner used "deadly physical force in defense of a person," and will not be facing any charges.
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