ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. — An Altamonte Springs man was shot twice early Wednesday morning after he told police he confronted three people breaking into his car.
Officers said the shooting happened at The Edge at Lake Lotus Apartments around 5:20 a.m.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
The man, who didn’t want his name to be used, spoke to Channel 9 hours after he got home from the hospital.
He said he was getting ready for work when his smartwatch vibrated, letting him know that motion was detected in the camera he has installed facing toward the parking lot out front of his building.
READ: Bicyclist shot in Orlando neighborhood
He said he looked out his window and saw three men trying to break into his car.
“I hit what I thought was the alarm button to trigger the alarm to scare them off but I ended up hitting the lock button which just flashed the light,” he said.
That scared them off, but he said he decided he didn’t want them to get away, so he took off after them with a knife in hand.
READ: Traffic alert: Semi crash blocks lane along State Road 417
He said he lost two of them but had his eyes on one and chased him into a swampy area inside the complex and a fight began.
That’s when he was shot twice.
“I immediately reached for my knife and dove at him and tackled him to try to disarm him,” he said.
READ: Police: Florida couple kept adopted son in 8-by-8-foot garage enclosure for years
He said he was able to drag the suspect into the parking lot of the apartment complex and that’s when police arrived. Officers said the suspect involved received multiple non-life-threatening lacerations.
“In a heartbeat, in a heartbeat I would do the same thing again,” he said.
Jamari Williams, 16, is charged with burglary while armed, and Courlan Smith, 16, is accused of attempted felony murder.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Altamonte Springs police at 407-339-2441 or dial 911.
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2022 Cox Media Group
