Apparently breaking into residences and victimizing innocent people can work up an appetite in a fugitive on the run. Terry Lee Martz was feeling a might peckish on Saturday while carrying out a broad daylight home invasion at a residence in the eastern Oregon town of Ontario.
Martz let himself into the home on Saturday around noon where a woman was reading in the living room and a man was outside in a shed. When the man came into the house, he found Martz pointing a gun at him…and demanding a sandwich.
It isn't clear what else Martz wanted, but it wasn't anything good. After feeding the felon, the homeowner asked for permission to check on his wife who, it's safe to assume, was shaken up by the experience. She probably had no idea at the time that the man who was holding the two of them at gunpoint was on Idaho's most wanted list for a parole violation for kidnapping, rape and sexual abuse of a minor.
Sensing an opportunity, the homeowner then asked for permission to check on their “house guest” in another room. Martz was gullible (or dumb) enough to say yes. That gave the man a chance to grab a shotgun.
According to argusobserver.com . . .
The district attorney reports that the men got into a physical struggle while holding their guns and, during that time, the shotgun was discharged.
That struck Martz near the side of his chest, and enabled the residents to restrain and disarm him.
They then called police, who responded with paramedics. According to the district attorney, at last confirmation, Martz was expected to survive the gunshot wound.
The two homeowners were unhurt.
“The victims are fine in that situation, which is kind of a big deal,” said Undersheriff Travis Johnson in a phone interview on Monday.
Yes. Yes it is.
One of the easiest things you can do to increase your safety is to keep your doors locked. That's not something that many of us are used to if we live outside of metropolitan areas, but as Malheur County Undersheriff Travis Johnson helpfully notes . . .
“It's a hard habit to get into locking your door all the time and, really, the bottom line is most of us are very safe in our homes, even with the doors unlocked throughout day. But for safety reasons, obviously, if you lock your door, it makes it harder for people to get in,” the undersheriff said, adding, “These situations are pretty uncommon, but becoming more common.”
Read the original article in its entirety at thetruthaboutguns.com.
Glad the good guys came out on top!
Good diversion to grab gun.