The district attorney’s office reviewed the porch shooting quickly because the evidence was unusually complete.
Doorbell camera.
911 audio.
Ballistics.
Porch damage from the first discharge.
Witnesses.
Darren’s statement.
My prior police report.
Written threats.
Attorney correspondence.
There was almost nothing ambiguous about how the confrontation began.
Still, I spent the first night wondering whether I would be charged.
Self defense investigations are not television scenes where a police officer watches one video, shakes your hand, and declares you a hero.
People had to review evidence.
Statements.
Medical reports.
Use of force.
Timing.
Whether the threat remained active when I fired.
Every detail.
Laura came to my house the next morning.
The porch had been cleaned, but dark stains remained.
A temporary patch covered the bullet damage above the door.
She sat at my dining table.
“You will not discuss this publicly.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“No neighborhood Facebook group.”
