PALM COAST, Fla. – A Palm Coast mother shot a man who allegedly forced his way into her home, threatened her and her children, and refused to leave, authorities said.
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The incident occurred around 1:50 p.m. on Big Bear Lane, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
The backstory:
Deputies responded after Courtney Price called 911 and reported she had shot a man who entered her residence.
When deputies arrived, they found blood evidence at the scene, but the man had already left in a vehicle.
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Investigators said Michael McDonald, 33, entered Price’s home Sunday after opening the garage, banging on windows and coming through the front door. Price told deputies McDonald demanded money, threatened her family and continued advancing after she warned she was armed.
Michael McDonald, 33, of Palm Coast
Authorities said Price repeatedly ordered him to leave and warned she would shoot. When McDonald continued advancing toward her, Price fired a single shot, striking him in the arm, according to authorities.
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McDonald fled the scene in a silver Kia SUV. Deputies later located the vehicle at AdventHealth Hospital, where they conducted a felony traffic stop and detained him. He was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Price and her children were not injured. McDonald was known to the homeowner, deputies said.
What they’re saying:
Price said the incident unfolded quickly after McDonald, whom she knew through his sister, entered the residence and began demanding money.
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“I did what I had to do to protect my children and myself,” Price said.
Price said she became fearful after he allegedly threatened her and her two sons.
“I panicked and got my gun, and that was my first time using it,” she said.
Price said she warned McDonald that she would shoot if he did not leave. Instead, she said, he continued moving toward her.
“He said, ‘I don’t care … shoot me,'” Price recalled.
She fired a single shot.
“I wasn’t trying to kill anyone. I was trying to get him out to where my kids and I were safe in my house,” Price said.
Chief Deputy Joseph Barile of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said the case illustrates why Florida’s self-defense laws exist.
“She’s in her own home, and someone comes in uninvited, refuses to leave, advances toward her, is aggressive toward you and her kids, she even goes a step further, saying she’s going to shoot … and he still doesn’t leave — she had a right to defend herself, and she did,” Barile said.
What’s next:
Authorities said the woman acted lawfully under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law and was protecting herself and her two children.
McDonald was charged with burglary with assault and was being held in custody. Officials said he has an extensive criminal history that includes grand theft and robbery offenses.
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