NH Homeowner Arrested for Firing Warning Shot During Burglary

A New Hampshire man stumbled upon the terrifying sight of a burglary in process in his home, and took decisive action with a firearm, but now he could face years in jail for foiling the robbery.

Foxnews.com has the details of the incident which already has 2nd Amendment advocates up in arms:

"Dennis Fleming, 61, of Farmington, was arrested for reckless conduct after the Saturday incident at his 19th century farmhouse. The single grandfather had returned home to find that his home had been burglarized and spotted Joseph Hebert, 27, climbing out of a window at a neighbor's home. Fleming said he yelled "Freeze!" before firing his gun into the ground, then held Hebert at gunpoint until police arrived."

Sounds like a good outcome to most, doesn't it?  Apparently not to New Hampshire police.

Despite the fact that no one was injured in the incident-- and the fact that the New Hampshire legislature is considering passage of a version of the "castle doctrine"-- two arrests were made at the scene.

Fleming has a logical explanation for his actions, as he told Foxnews.com that  "I didn't think I could handle this guy physically, so I fired into the ground. He stopped. He knew I was serious. I was angry … and I was worried that this guy was going to come after me."

For foiling the robbery of his home, and defending himself from possibly imminent harm if the burglar was armed, Fleming faces a similar prison sentence to the person who he claims was invading his home.

While state authorities consider whether Fleming acted within New Hampshire statutes for the protection of life and property, Fleming remains very worried about the possible outcome.

"I have 14 grandchildren, I don't want to be a felon and go to jail," he told Fox. "I'm kind of wound up about it."

Fleming's seven rifles and his .38 caliber handgun have already been seized by police.

Some New Hampshire locals are already letting it be known that charges against Fleming would be a total affront to the right to bear arms and basic common sense.

Penny Dean, a spokeswoman for the Gun Owners of New Hampshire, has claimed her organization is "absolutely outraged."

The Blaze will follow this story and report new developments.

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