Video surveillance captures homeowner, burglar suspects in shootout in Clayton County
Armed veteran who "survived Afghanistan" caught on camera protecting home, wife from burglars
In Clayton County, a veteran says he wanted to make sure his wife was protected after video surveillance caught suspects attempting to break into his vehicle in the driveway. The surveillance video captured the homeowner run out of his home with flip flops, pajama pants, no shirt, and a rifle to get the armed suspects away.
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - A gun battle breaks out in a quiet neighborhood near Jonesboro after a quick thinking homeowner jumped into action after seeing a group of men on his property.
Surveillance video captured the scary moments, and thankfully he escaped without injuries.
"My first thought was to protect my house and protect my property. I just wanted to get the intruders away," Whitfield Smith said.
That was all Whitfield Smith wanted to do early Monday morning when he noticed a group of men on his Ring Camera.
"As I keep looking at the ring camera I noticed a young man running from the neighbor's yard across my yard and into the street to meet up with two other gentlemen," Smith said.
One of the men made a near fatal decision.
"He sprints up my driveway. I can see from the camera he’s hunched down wearing a gray hoodie, and he has a firearm in his hand. He tries to get into the BMW in the driveway. The doors locked," Smith described.
"I grab my rifle and I head outside," Smith said.
Smith was wearing flip-flops, pajama pants and no shirt.
This veteran went to war to protect his wife who was hiding inside.
"There was one gentleman on the other side of the trees and the main one was right here using my truck as a shield," Smith said.
At one point he kicks off his flip-flop, races inside, puts on clothes and comes back out.
He says he didn’t have time to be afraid and only time to act.
"This was coordinated. They were working together as a team to get this done," Smith said.
This father fears he would have been dead if it wasn’t for his BMW to shield the nearly two dozen bullets.
"I don’t want to die at home. I survived Afghanistan and everywhere else. To die at home? In my own yard," Smith said.
The men were able to steal a gun that was inside his truck.
If you know anything about this crime come forward to Clayton County Police.
You can remain anonymous.