An unidentified man was shot and killed early Sunday morning, after he broke into a Winter Haven home just before 4:00 a.m.
Polk County deputies said, the suspect first went to a home at 410 Lake Daisy Drive and broke into a screened porch and laid down on a table there. The man then got up and went to the home next door at 412 Lake Daisy Drive and began banging on the front door, screaming, cursing and demanding to be let in.
According to deputies, the occupants of the home, Traci and William Cornwell were awakened by the banging and the unidentified man was asked to leave.
William, 33, continued to yell at the suspect to leave through the screen door, but the man opened the screen door and ran into the Cornwell’s home.
Armed with his handgun, William retreated causing an accidental discharge of one round into the ground, investigators said.
Investigators also said, the man stopped briefly, took off his shirt and yelled, “You wanna fight?” and ran directly at William.
William fired one more round into the suspect’s chest killing him.
The Cornwells’ 3-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter were sleeping in their beds during this incident, deputies said.
“If there ever was a justified shooting, this is it,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “This is a classic ‘Castle Doctrine’ case — William Cornwell had every right to protect himself, his wife, and his children, from this irrational, out of control man who broke into their home. The mistake the suspect made by breaking into that home was a fatal one.”
Deputies are still trying to determing the identity of the deceased.
