Colorado

When Police Confront Armed Homeowners, It Can Be Hard to Tell Good Guys From Bad

"It's fraught with peril if a homeowner is armed and protecting their family from danger and simultaneously injecting police into that situation," said a lawyer for Richard Black Jr., who was shot in his Colorado home this week

Police officers occasionally shoot armed citizens defending themselves from crime, including a decorated Vietnam War veteran fatally shot in his own home in Colorado this week, NBC News reported.

Richard Black Jr. shot and killed a naked intruder who was attacking his 11-year-old grandson early Monday morning, according to family lawyer Qusair Mohamedbhai. Aurora police said that an officer arriving at the scene who heard gunfire opened fire when he encountered Black.

"It's fraught with peril if a homeowner is armed and protecting their family from danger and simultaneously injecting police into that situation," Mohamedbhai said. "The homeowner is at extraordinary risk and unfortunately what may happen may be a chilling effect on people calling police for assistance."

Firearms instructors say they stress to students that they should tell police they're armed when calling 911 and police training often involves discussions about armed citizens.

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