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“’I’m proud of our homeowner for defending himself. It’s called a ‘Castle Doctrine.’ He has the right to protect himself and his home from unknown intruders,’ said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.” That’s not the kind of statement that’s usually issued by someone in law enforcement following a shooting, but it’s certainly refreshing.

Sheriff Judd was talking about the actions of a Lakeland area homeowner who shot Steven Stillwell after he threw a flower pot through a glass French door in the middle of the afternoon to break into the home.

Stillwell was shot three times.

According to WFLA . . .

Deputies arrived to find 42-year-old Steven Stillwell lying injured on the living room floor. He was rushed to an area hospital, where was he listed in critical, but stable condition.

Sheriff Judd had a few more words for the local media (and any other members of the criminal community thinking of making similar visits to local homes this holiday season) . . .

“The homeowner did exactly what he should have – he had a gun, he knew how to use it, it was loaded and he shot him a lot. He gave him an early Christmas present,” said Sheriff Judd. “Only Santa Claus gets to come in your house and Santa Claus is invited.”

It’s a Christmas miracle!

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58 COMMENTS

    • Sounds like Sheriff Judd has the potential to come around providing he is not related to an ashley judd…Of course it’s one step forward for Freedom and two steps back to red flag laws and no open carry when buffoons use a firearm in a situation where time allowed them to use their head and feet to get away and let the police handle the matter. Perhaps you may know someone with an itchy trigger finger who needs a lecture more than Sheriff Judd?

    • He isn’t exactly personally against ‘open carry’, just more pro concealed carry. He’s been an advocate of gun ownership and carry for a long time. for example > https://twitter.com/PolkCoSheriff/status/927655598673547264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

      The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun. We do active shooter scenario training – call us @ 863-298-6677

      Judd likes the idea of defensive gun use being a surprise for the bad guy, thus concealed carry. I can’t find the link right now but several years ago he made some comments which indicated that he thinks open carry tends to make bad guys shy away from committing crimes in places where people open carry, thus commit the crime elsewhere increasing the chances of finding an unarmed victim. He thinks it better that the criminal be surprised by concealed carry in the first place they targeted and (by element of surprise, or means to defend, greater chance of stopping them) be stopped there, than to be run off by seeing open carry and have a better chance of finding an unarmed victim they will harm.

      • He also indicated in a news article in 2016 his preference for concealed carry because he thinks open carry makes people a target > https://cc.bingj.com/cache.aspx?q=Sheriff+Grady+Judd+florida+open+carry&d=4717128496384232&mkt=en-US&setlang=en-US&w=K7I1Eru89xhhGkulhC0Z7rgBIHWYnLp_

        “He said to openly carry a firearm would make that person a prime target of the shooter …

        …
        Judd said the best way to treat an active shooter is for the owner of a concealed weapon — which the shooter would not see at first — to “shoot him right between the eyes or at least hold him at bay. That’s the only thing that’s going to keep you alive until we get there.”

        So he isn’t exactly personally against ‘open carry’ in principal, just more pro concealed carry for practical reasons of crime.

        • some merit there…many think of it as a deterrent…but it actually may make you a target of someone who desperately wants a gun..remember what happened to that liquor store owner in “Dirty Harry”?

      • “… tends to make bad guys shy away from committing crimes in places where people open carry…”

        should have been

        … tends to make bad guys shy away from committing crimes in places where people open carry even though some of them will continue with their crime there and target the people who open carry…

      • this guy understands your home is sacrosanct…a place of refuge that cannot be violated…a viable concept for most of us…and not a place you should be forced to flee from…

  4. I’ll bet dacian and Miner49er are all upset that one of their criminal friends bought the farm? TSK, TSK!

      • I *think* Chris Morton, can’t say I recall his comments, tho…

        • He posted under the nym “Chris Morton”. A google search “Chris Morton” site:TheTruthAboutGuns.com can retrieve his comments.

          Here is a Forever Missed web page for him.

          http://www.forevermissed.com/christopher-charles-morton/about

          I first interacted with Chris online on April 26, 1996- over twenty-five years ago!

          In those past twenty-five years, he had greatly influenced my own political views.

          He served honorably in the United States Army. In the advent of commercial Internet service, he went online to defend truth, morality, and freedom. He stood against Communists, neo-Nazis, militant Islamists, and the Woke totalitarians.

          He was one of the best Americans that ever lived. There are few people I know who loved this country and what it stands for more than he.

          We best honor his memory by defending what is right and true.

    • Sorry to hear about that.

      I knew Chris through posts on gun-control related internet sites (talk.politics.guns) at least as far back as the late ’90s. Level-headed, he was one of those who lead me away from a moderate pro-control position to seeing it as the, well, BadIdea(tm) that it is.

      Prayers for his surviving family.

    • omg….. haha….. THAT SHERIFF IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!
      “WE WILL SHOOT YOU”…… HAHA…. CRIMINAL S CU M…. I CONCUR!!!!!!!

  7. When I read the headline I knew it would be Sheriff Judd and Polk County. They love him down there. And yeah, he seems to get the press, but I’d rather see/hear him than many others out there.

    • Yes, we do indeed love Sheriff Grady “Because they ran out of bullets” Judd, when asked why deputies shot the guy who murdered a cop and his dog something like 70 times… 🙂

  8. There are a lot more instances of people defending themselves increasingly with lethal force. It sends a message to Democrats and Blue Cities and our Government that is important. If they think we are gong to put up with allowing them to let criminals into our Country and releasing them from out jails so they can intimidate us they are only going to find that they need to purchase more of those heavy black plastic bags with a zipper. The American Public is NOT going to tolerate Government condoned lawlessness and if they continue to do so they may find themselves involved in a French Style Revolution and have a date with Madame Guillotine.

    • Seems like we have to go back to the way it used to be before we had a taxpayer funded justice system that dealt with crime. now that it has been compromised by communists, we will have to deal with crime the old fashioned way. Suggest everyone to get one of the legal assists like law Sheild or one of the others on the market so big gov can’t persecute you and blackmail you into a plea deal.

    • something like 400 million firearms in private hands in this country…more than there ever has been…yet the democrats never ask why?….

    • I dont think shootzing someone as being a Christmas miracle.
      The perpetrator used a flower pot to break the window glass.
      There used to be guidelines on leaving sht outside people could use to bust into your place. The same article recommended planting thorny plants , such as rose bushes by your windows.
      It is sad that a person has to go to such measures to keep ones domicile secure and it seems it’s only getting worse.

      • those are just prudent precautions…but by no means mandatory…enter someone’s home uninvited and you just might gat shot…that message needs to be made unmistakably clear…

  12. Perusing the search engines, it appears that Mr. Stillwell has a lengthy criminal record mostly for burglary and assorted other charges. Three hits and Still [well] with us…the home owner needs some of those badder, deadlier boolits that Shannon keeps harping about.

    Mr. Still (not so) well requires a considerable time away from society in which to reconsider his life’s decisions and chosen career path.

      • “WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Polk County’s sheriff is defending the actions of one of his deputies who killed a woman who was armed with a shovel.

        The sheriff says Sgt. Sean Speakman was justified in shooting Jessiram Hweih Rivera last week.

        The mother of two girls was 24 years old and weighed about 90 pounds. She was found wandering in and out of traffic on Rifle Range Road, and when Speakman arrived, detectives say she was holding a shovel.

        Speakman says he told Rivera to drop it several times, but she didn’t, and continued to move towards him.

        Speakman ended up shooting her four times.“

      • “LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) – Lakeland’s police chief said Sunday morning, hours after a fatal officer-involved shooting, that he did not know yet why the man killed was inside a construction site on I-4.

        “The vehicle appeared to be deliberately parked where it was at,” said Lakeland Police Chief Ruben Garcia. “You would have to take particular attempts to get in and close yourself into that area. We certainly do not know at this point in the investigation why the subject was there.”

        The Florida Department of Transportation is rebuilding a CSX bridge in the area of I-4 near Kathleen Road to widen the interstate, a spokesperson for CSX said.

        The 61-year old man’s neighbor told 8 On Your Side, the man was at the state-run construction site for work.

        “He was monitoring a pump at nighttime. That pump needs to continue to run so if it runs out of fuel or malfunctions, that was his reason for being out there,” said the neighbor, who did not want to be identified.“

  13. Now the taxpayers get to pay for his housing and medical care. I would rather we had paid for Mr Homeowner to get a bigger gun and shooting lessons.

    • disarming the public, neutering the police and freeing criminals to roam our streets are all part of the progressive agenda…turning us into helpless sheep hiding in our homes with golf clubs or baseball bats is very much to their purpose…never doubt they have a plan for all of us….

  14. The homeowner did as he should have. Shoot to stop the threat. If the alleged miscreant lives or dies comes down to shot placement, luck and the speed and skill of the medics. Although perhaps we need a go fund me account for the homeowner to purchase a larger weapon, and ammuition for training/practice.

    • SOMEONE needs to create a PR campaign of awards for self/home defense gun use. With a big brass trophy, replacement ammo. And if the popo sieze the firearm a replacement as gift or loaner.

  15. There was a fly on his window and I tried to kill it with a flower pot.
    Whatd I get for being a nice guy? Shot three times.
    Good samaritans just haven’t got a chance anymore.

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