Sheriff Steve Mansfield describes what occurred inside the home off Highway 603 after the armed resident confronted a stranger.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The Lewis County prosecutor sent a message yesterday, regarding the weekend incident in which a rural Chehalis resident shot and injured a nighttime intruder inside his house.
It appears he acted appropriately in protecting himself and his wife, Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher said, speaking for his boss, Jonathan Meyer who was out of town.
Meagher said their office will still review the situation, as they will any time someone shoots someone else.
Deputies were called about 4:45 a.m. on Sunday to the 400 block of Highway 603 where the 24-year-old resident said he was asleep with his wife and heard someone talking outside, the person came in the home and then charged him as he stood outside his bedroom door, according to the sheriff’s office.
The identity of the 24-year-old man who fired one shot with a 40 caliber handgun has not been released.
“This is about as straightforward of a case of use of deadly force as we’ve had in a longtime,” Sheriff Steve Mansfield told a press conference yesterday at the Lewis County Law and Justice Center in Chehalis.
“As a matter of fact, about the only thing I could say the victim could have done better is he could have fired sooner, fired more often and he could have used a better brand of ammunition,” Mansfield told the gathering.
The gun shot victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with a bullet wound to his lower abdomen, according to the sheriff’s office. Brian L. Creed, 51, was listed in critical condition on Sunday at mid-day, but by yesterday the hospital claimed he was not listed on its patient directory.
Creed is in the sheriff’s office custody for a probable burglary charge, according to Mansfield. He is at the hospital, but under the full time watch of a deputy, he said.
What Creed was doing in the couple’s manufactured home isn’t clear.
Mansfield said Creed lives on nearby Nix Road and appeared to be highly under the influence of drugs, probably methamphetamine.
The couple’s door had been left unlocked, according to the sheriff.
When the young man told him to stop, to get on the ground, Creed came at him with his arms up in the air, Mansfield said. That’s when the young man fired, according to Mansfield.
“The victim found himself in a fight for his life,” Mansfield said, describing the two men as rolling around on the floor until the resident broke free and held Creed at gun point until deputies arrived.
Mansfield said Creed made comments that “led one to believe he probably didn’t know why he was there in the purest sense of the matter.”
The young man was uninjured, but got a bump on his head, according to the sheriff’s office.
Mansfield emphasized to the gathered news reporters yesterday that the public needs to realize his deputies are not likely to be present at the moment one needs them most.
Whether it means getting a gun or not for protection, folks need to take personal responsibility for their own safety, Mansfield said.
“People need to think through these sorts of things,” he said.
The exterior of the home where this occurred was well lit, according to the sheriff.
Under furthering questioning, Mansfield said people need to always consider if a reasonable person in the same situation would use deadly force.
“It has to be for your life, or another life threatened,” Mansfield said. “It can’t be for your property.”
The young couple, and their neighborhood, happened to be very well prepared, the sheriff said.
They have a block watch group that became very active last year when they realized a three-bedroom house on Nix Road was home to several men transitioning out of prison.
The county pressured it to close it doors, which it did soon after the county filed a civil suit last July regarding alleged zoning violations.
Sheriff Mansfield and block watch captain Bradd Reynolds said yesterday that Creed had recently moved back into the house. He isn’t and hasn’t been a tenant there however, according to the property owner Janice Thompson and the former manager of transition homes, Judy Chafin-Williams.
Thompson said she understands Creed is acquainted with her renters and does visit there. She said she didn’t know much more about him, except she thinks a single man.
“This is the nightmare we all talked about,” Reynolds said of Sunday’s encounter the young couple had with Creed.
The former police officer says he tells neighbors to get guns, but learn how and when to use them.
Mansfield said Creed is a convicted felon and has some misdemeanors, mostly from Cowlitz County.
“Some, I believe some drugs, thefts,” Mansfield said. “Nothing violent like we saw here.”
•••
Hear an excerpt from the 911 call, here
For background, read “Twenty-four-year-old Chehalis man shoots, wrestles with intruder” from Sunday February 10, 2013, here
New no trespassing signs have gone up outside the rural Chehalis home
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
“…the public needs to realize his deputies are not likely to be present at the moment one needs them most.”
Think about this, on any given night, at the time this occurred there are usually only two deputies in the entire 2500 sq. miles of this county. I would venture to guess that the first cops to this guys house were probably cops from Chehalis or Centralia. If not, it was because the deputy assigned to the west end of the county happened to be close by…otherwise he or she could have been who knows where. You’ve got to be prepared folks, you are going to be on your own when it counts.
Rules to stay alive by: Shoot until the threat stops, aim center mass (torso), use good expanding ammo (hollow points), preferably a caliber that starts with the number “4” (in a pistol), “3” (in a revolver), draw an imaginary line in the sand and shoot before your attacker crosses it. GET TRAINING…it doesn’t have to be the guy that advertises here, but get training and make sure it includes a segment on the legal ramifications and psychological aftermath of shooting someone (not always bad) …this is huge. Once you have the training…and this is where everyone drops the ball…practice, practice, practice…repeat often. Just my 2 cents
Then by all means take pen in hand and write your state representative and start lobbying for stiffer penalties in burglaries, or start your own petition drive and get it done! It’s the people we vote for who make the laws, not a cop.
one word,… photoshopped.
123mememe
I like your idea for (true) sex offenders, haha. I just can’t stand when our Justice system coddles these kinds of people or put more of the blame on the home owner trying to protect his property. I guess I’m in the minority, I think things were better in the old days.
@Big Lou – the prisons are already full enough. How about that thing where if you steal you get your hand cut off?? Might prevent a lot of repeat offenders, at least for a third offence. Of course we wouldn’t be able to recognize a sex offender as easily, but I’m sure that word will get around….
Free Air says:
“This was not about ambushing someone in the front yard who might be stealing stuff”.
I think most people do not consider theft as a serious of a crime as I do. I hate thieves. Why was the couple in Onalaska on his property at night? Why did they shine a light in his eyes? Yes, I agree we cannot execute people for stealing, but this man has a right to defend his property. Was he in reasonable fear for his life? Was the woman covicted or burglarly for that night?
I don’t know all the details, he may have used excessive force, but I wish we would consider changing our law to what Texas has. You have the right to defend your property there without fear of prosecution.
We had 4 Residential Burglaries on my road in the Chehalis Area this year. If you break into a home and you have a criminal record that should be 25 years in prison min. That’s my vote!
“The gun shot victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center…” ?
The injured alleged home invading criminal was taken to Harborview Medical Center…
There. I fixed it for you.
Good on Sheriff Steve Mansfield for supporting this legitimate use of force.
I do like the position that Sheriff Mansfield has taken on the 2nd amendment and armed self defense.
The homeowner is not under an obligation to put himself or his family at risk by not reacting to an intruder/assailant with deadly force.
Also robbers and other miscreants should be aware that their criminal actions are at high risk to their lives. I believe that it is a deterent to know that there is a good chance that they may be killed by a homeowner during burglary, criminal trespass, or assault.
But it does sound like this intruder was a long term mentally ill / drug addicted loser. Put in that position, I would use deadly force if he was in my home in the middle of the night and attacked me when challenged.
I do feel bad for the person who had to shoot him. He didn’t ask for that situation and it does take a toll on a person.
This is why taking guns away from law abiding citizens is a bad idea. I myself don’t own a gun…. but I believe in the right to own one and be a responsible owner and knowing how to use it… I am so glad this has a good ending.
As society continues to disintegrate we all need to protect ourselves better.
Kudo’s to Sheriff Mansfield for his comments. It’s nice to see the head Law Enforcement Officer for the county believe in a home owners right to protect his family. Maybe this shadow of a man that was shot will realize that only death awaits him at the end of the road that he is on. It’s not to late for him to change his ways. He is still breathing.
This young man is welcome to be my neighbor any day.
Absolutely especially when the suspect can’ t even say why he was in the house. Luckily the young couple was not hurt except for a bump on the head.
I think that is my favorite quote of the year so far, mostly because he is right on the spot. This was not about ambushing someone in the front yard who might be stealing stuff. This was about being in fear of your life and being backed up against your own bedroom door. All bets are off then!
“As a matter of fact, about the only thing I could say the victim could have done better is he could have fired sooner, fired more often and he could have used a better brand of ammunition,”