He Could've Called 911. Cops Say He Grabbed a Rifle Instead

Man chases, shoots alleged intruder who begged for his life: cops
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Dec 5, 2020 5:30 AM CST
Cops: Man Chases, Shoots Intruder Who Begged for Life
Stock photo.   (Getty Images/MattGush)

A man who says he was the victim of a burglary attempt chased a man down a South Florida street and shot and wounded him with an assault-style rifle as he begged for his life, authorities say. Corthoris Jenkins, 28, was charged with attempted first-degree murder with a firearm, court documents showed Friday, per the AP. Jenkins told investigators he was playing video games when a man burst into his Miami-area apartment on Tuesday, the Miami Herald reports. Instead of calling 911, Jenkins grabbed the rifle and ran after the man, who fell to his knees in the street, a police detective said in court. "He begins to what appears to be to beg for his life," Miami-Dade Detective Iry Watson told a judge on Wednesday afternoon. "But the defendant takes the assault rifle and shoots him multiple times."

Authorities say the man who was shot remained hospitalized Friday, and detectives haven't yet been able to talk to him. There was no immediate report on his condition or the extent of his injuries. Jenkins initially told investigators he "blacked out" and couldn't remember anything about the shooting, per a police report. At the court hearing, Jenkins spoke about the events before the judge. "I didn't shoot him while he was on the ground," he said, per the Herald. He added: "I'm the victim, ma'am." Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer shook her head and said, "You're the victim of a potential burglary, but you can't just go around shooting people," the Herald reported. Police found eight bullet casings on the ground at the scene, the police report says. Officers found Jenkins walking away, and he immediately gave up his gun, authorities say.

(More Miami stories.)

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