85-year-old Wyoming homeowner who says he fought with, shot intruder describes scary late-night altercation

An 85-year-old Wyoming homeowner who says he fought with and shot an intruder late Friday night described the harrowing altercation to the Cowboy State Daily.

Wayne Williams told the paper he heard pounding and kicking at 11 p.m. outside his home in the 900 block of East Park Avenue in Riverton.

'So we both fell down the stairs. I was on top of him at that point.'

With that, Williams told the paper he pulled his .380-caliber pistol from its holster, tossed the holster on his bed, went to the front door — and opened it to confront the intruder.

“The guy was obviously irrational,” Williams told the paper, adding that the intruder seemed intoxicated. “He was saying ‘they’ sent him to my house; ‘they’ said he owns my house, and I don’t – crazy, crazy stuff.”

The homeowner added to the Daily that the intruder — standing six inches taller than him — shoved him into the house.

The paper said Williams tried firing a shot, but his gun only clicked. Turns out he forgot to rack a round into the chamber, Williams noted to the Daily.

“Go ahead and shoot me,” the intruder said, Williams added to the paper.

“I don’t know if he was trying to commit suicide at my hand or what he was doing,” Williams recounted to the Daily.

Williams told the paper he wrestled with the intruder and pushed him back outside — and was aided by intruder's “kind of uncoordinated” attack as they fought on the porch.

The homeowner added to the Daily that he believes the intruder tripped at the top of his porch steps, which sent the attacker tumbling down them — along with Williams.

“So we both fell down the stairs. I was on top of him at that point,” Williams explained to the paper.

As they both were trying to get to their feet, Williams told the Daily that he fired a single shot after which he heard the intruder say, “I’ve been hit.” Williams noted to the paper he believes he shot the intruder in the leg.

'I’m still concerned. ... I don’t know if I’ll ever see that guy again. I don’t know if he’ll come back.'

Williams told the paper he got back into his house and called 911. Police soon arrived, but Williams noted to the Daily that officers initially seemed more concerned about him and his gun than with "the guy who was attacking me." Williams noted to the paper that he put the gun down and cooperated.

Officers asked Williams if he’d come to the department for an interview and assured him that he wasn’t under arrest, Williams added to the Daily.

Williams also told the paper his home was searched while he was gone and that the holster he thew on his bed was gone when he arrived back home.

The Daily reported that police didn't respond to that claim, citing the active investigation, and declined Monday to comment beyond its Saturday statement, which noted the alleged intruder had been hospitalized and was in stable condition.

Williams told the paper he had been feeling dizzy and experiencing vision issues since Sunday but isn't sure they're related to Friday night's altercation.

“I’m still concerned," he explained to the Daily. "I don’t know if I’ll ever see that guy again. I don’t know if he’ll come back.”

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