[yarddog]

I can’t imagine anyone shooting someone in that way. That is assuming the report is accurate.

I bet he is charged and should be.

[Kartographer]

Such are the days we live in. There are no villians in this story just grief, saddness and loss for all involved.

I pray that the merciful healing hand of the Lord would reach out and touch the trouble hearts of all involved.

[PowderMonkey]

"It is unlikely that Hendrix will be charged with any crime, according to The Chattanoogan."

Don't count on it. This could be a career maker for any local anti-gun DA. Claiming self defense will be a major stretch of the imagination.

[W.Lee]

I have made the personal decision to defend myself with whatever means I have at my disposal. But if the facts in the story are true, this is not self defense.

[yldstrk]

Hendrix is a stupid pos

[oh8eleven]

Mr Westbrook, an Air Force veteran
Based on the evidence in this story, shooting was not justified.
But what the heck did the victim's military status have to do with anything?

[ClearCase_guy]

In 2013 -- although times are tough right now -- this was a bad shoot. Homeowner over-reacted and was stupid.

After the SHTF? In a zombie apocalypse? Anyone with a brain will be shooting strangers on sight if they cross the property line. When things are REALLY bad (and they are not right now) you would be well-advised to take no chances.

[cva66snipe]

Unless the man was breaking down their door or trying to force his way in and harm them he was as such not endangering their life. IIRC in Tennessee you have to be in serious danger to use lethal force. You can meet the person with a firearm and even have it aimed until you are sure of your safety. A 70 year old in the yard a life threatening threat? No. A threat yes quite possibly. Life threatening at that point? No.

The man being out and about is the worse case nightmare for caregivers. Sad to say sometimes Memory Care facilities which are secured are the best answer at least while the person can walk off.

[FES0844]

A 72-year-old man with advanced Alzheimer’s ...

Ports & other medical devices are implanted. They should be
implanted with a chip or some kind of device to alert, identify & locate family or police.

[Sans-Culotte]

I can see being alarmed by someone at the door in the middle of the night. But I wouldn’t have shot unless they forced the door.

[MCF]

Hendrix did not know who the old man was or that the he had any illness. It sounds like Hendrix fired 3 warning shots which the old man ignored and keep advancing on Hendrix when he was finally shot dead.

[cuban leaf]

There is just enough information in this article to confirm one thing: Alzheimer can cause you to do all sorts of things that will kill you or get you killed. This includes doing things that can be mistaken for attempting to violate peoples property with nefarious motives and then be confused enough to act and talk in a way that confirms a person’s suspicions.

[TheRhinelander]

The guy should be charged. That’s ridiculous.

[spodefly]

It is difficult for me to imagine a scenario wherein a 72 year old man wandering around the front yard in a semi-responsive condition represents a potential deadly threat that justifies armed response.

[CrazyIvan]

This hits close to home for me. I had a relative who developed Althimers at a similar age. He was a veteran of hand to hand combat in WWII and had been a LEO most of the rest of his life. He felt threatened once and nearly cleaned house on the whole nursing home staff. This included some big young men. Not saying this is a similar situation, but it could be.

[cva66snipe]

At 4:00am Wednesday Morning East Tennessee and parts of Norther Georgia were under very poor weather conditions. Wet including snow, sleet, and rain came down all night. Temps were upper 30’s. It's a miracle the man lasted outside as long as he did. As for Mute? Patients loose the ability to communicate as the disease progresses. If he was talking it likely was not understandabe

It sounds like it was likely a only one caregiver situation and the man simply got out. Families dealing with this do not get outside help in the way of others to watch the person if no other family is there. In other words caretaker is on their own.

[piytar]

If the facts in the story are accurate, this looks like a BAD shooting and the shooter should go to prison for a LONG time!

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Sadly, this retired LTC should have been under custodial care. If he was, this can be prosecuted as reckless neglect.

An advanced Alzheimer’s patient, taking his dogs for a walk at midnight, while lightly dressed in very cold weather, possibly freezing temperatures, could be a death sentence in its own right.

Just the opposite is true in Arizona, with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia patients, usually aged, going for a walk in the heat of summer. Several die each year from this.

The homeowner made a fatal mistake by not bringing a flashlight with him, in that if at all possible, you do not fire a gun without first identifying your target. It was mentioned that the homeowner’s wife had already called 911, so it was just as possible that he could have shot a police officer, had one arrived quickly.

In this case, as a minimum the homeowner should be charged with a misdemeanor, for reckless endangerment, even if that is not the exact charge.

[jumpingcholla34]

I'm a great believer in being armed and defending my home, but there's no reason to put yourself in a position to use deadly force when the suspicious guy is not in your house or trying to force entry at the time: especially when you've already called 911.

I hope I can end my days knowing that all my shooting was at the range.

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

I forgot to add, the shooter now has to live with this bad shoot for the rest of his life. For the next decades, he is going to question himself and think, what could I have done differently? Why did I overreact? What cues did I miss? Did I panic? Was I rash?

He is probably going to find a yes answer to a lot of those questions. Charged or not, he has to live the rest of his life knowing he ended the life of an innocent man. I would be surprised if it doesn’t take some toll on him. Every neighbor knows it.

He is in for a lot of bad years.