That is what we are dealing with, folks. The fact that someone of the educated class, in this case a journalist, would believe it strange that a homeowner would confront three trespassers in order to determine whether they were up to no good.
The journalist would no doubt argue a homeowner in such case should hide in shelter until the police arrived, if they did. There is a vulgar phrase for such an argument..
There is also a vulgar phrase for the sort of person who would make such an argument.
Both vulgar phrases apply the the article and its author ...