MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis man is facing serious charges after police say he tried to break into a Hickory Hill family’s home, but the family fought back.
Investigators say the homeowner spotted 19-year-old Kevin Mitchell hopping the fence in the middle of the afternoon, so she ran into the backyard with her children to confront him.
Police say Mitchell pulled a gun on the family, but the tables quickly turned after the woman’s son pulled his own weapon and opened fire.
“I feel like he did a perfectly good job,” neighbor Aleah Jones said, “I mean, he was defending his home.”
Jones lives across the street on Kirby Brooks Drive and says she was outside when she heard the shots.
“I was like, let me go ahead and duck, because I don’t know what’s going to happen but I need to keep myself safe,” she said.
Police say Mitchell was struck in several places, including his arms and abdomen, but investigators claim he was still able to hop back over the fence and jump into a black sedan that sped away.
Police say Mitchell went to the hospital and was developed as a suspect after officers conducted an initial investigation. The incident happened back in March, but Mitchell wasn’t arrested until Thursday.
Police haven’t said how or where they tracked him down, but he’s currently charged with three counts of aggravated assault.
A man who goes by Art is another neighbor who lives across the street.
“Break into somebody’s house, you deserve jail time. A lot of it, and people work hard for what they possess,” he said.
We asked the homeowner if she had anything to say about what happened, but she told us she didn’t want to talk about it.
Mitchell is due in court in early July.