usmarine0352_2005
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http://www.twincities.com/allheadlines/ci_9247614
He shot an intruder in his house because he felt threatened. Why is he being charged?
I know he might of instigated it, but when another person decides to break into your house knowing your there, with intent to cause you harm, isn't it your right to self-defense?
Minneapolis firefighter charged in man's death
Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 05/13/2008 07:17:38 PM CDT
SIREN, Wis. — A Minneapolis firefighter accused of killing his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend in northwestern Wisconsin was charged today with second-degree intentional homicide.
Kyle Lee Huggett, 32, of Danbury, was scheduled to make an initial appearance Wednesday afternoon in Burnett County Circuit Court. The charge carries up to 60 years in prison.
Prosecutors said Huggett shot 29-year-old John Peach, the ex-boyfriend of the woman Huggett was dating, after Peach broke through the front door of the woman's town of Swiss home on Jan. 20.
District Attorney Kenneth Kutz did not immediately return a message left on his work voice mail by The Associated Press late today seeking comment on the delay in filing the charge.
According to the criminal complaint, Huggett and Peach traded increasingly argumentative text messages the day of the shooting.
Deputies who obtained copies of the text messages said Huggett belittled the fact that Peach was receiving Social Security Disability, and said he was going to replace Peach as the dad of the 5-year-old boy Peach fathered with the woman.
Peach replied to one message with an unspecified threat and said he was thinking about coming over to the woman's house where Huggett was.
Huggett briefly considered contacting police but chose not to, the complaint said. Instead he replied with a text message saying he was a 230-pound veteran of the Army National Guard and he didn't take the threat seriously.
Just before 10
p.m., a barking dog alerted Huggett to a truck pulling into the driveway. He retrieved his gun from the basement just as he heard Peach knock on the door. A few moments later "the door flew open" and Peach entered the darkened home, apparently unarmed.
Huggett said something to Peach and Peach took a step toward him. The firefighter fired at least twice at Peach, who staggered outside and collapsed on the driveway, the complaint said.
Huggett checked on him and found no pulse.
The woman had called the sheriff's department when Peach began pounding on the door. Before deputies could respond, the woman called back to say she heard shots fired and believed her boyfriend was the shooter.
When authorities arrived, Huggett appeared calm and unemotional.
"I shot him," the complaint quotes him as telling a deputy. "He broke into my house and I thought he was going to kill me."
Huggett was arrested and released after posting 10 percent of a $50,000 signature bond.
Peach was on Social Security Disability after suffering unspecified injuries in a work-related accident several years ago, deputies said.
An autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was two gunshots to the chest, but noted that Peach was also suffering from heart-related issues.
Computerized state court records did not list any lawyer for Huggett.
No phone listing for Huggett could be found when The Associated Press tried to reach him for comment.
He shot an intruder in his house because he felt threatened. Why is he being charged?
I know he might of instigated it, but when another person decides to break into your house knowing your there, with intent to cause you harm, isn't it your right to self-defense?