A Lakeland Man Shot 3 Times By Homeowner After Breaking Inside House With Flower Pot: Cops

LAKELAND, FL — A 42-year-old suspect is in critical condition after a homeowner shot him for allegedly throwing a flower pot through a back door of a Lakeland home on Thursday afternoon, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.

Steven Stillwell of Lakeland is accused of going into the house following the breaking of glass on the door. The homeowner shot Stillwell three times with a legally owned gun, according to deputies.

Officers saw Stillwell injured and lying on the living room floor and provided first aid. The homeowner gave his gun to cops. Stillwell has been taken to a local hospital where he was last listed in critical condition, authorities said.

Home surveillance footage from the house located near the Gibsonia-Galloway Road showed Stillwell running from a gate in the backyard to an attached back porch area of the home with french doors that led into the living room from the porch, according to investigators. Those are the doors Stillwell is accused of breaking with a flower pot. Law enforcement officials said evidence shows that the suspect was shot inside the home.

“The castle doctrine is very clear in Florida law. A person’s home is his refuge," Sheriff Grady Judd said. The evidence in this case at this point indicates that the suspect illegally forced his way into the home. The homeowner did exactly what he had a right to do. I commend him for protecting himself and defending his home.”

Judd said criminal charges are pending against Stillwell.