TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) - A Toledo police officer responded to a call of a burglary, when the 92-year-old woman who lived in the home shot at the officer, apparently thinking he was the bad guy.
Annie Huddleston, 92, made several calls to Toledo police around 12:30 Thursday morning, and reported that someone was trying to get into her central Toledo home. When officers arrived she did not respond, and was no longer speaking with dispatchers.
"Maybe she was being held hostage, maybe she had been injured, we didn't know," Sgt. Joe Heffernan said, explaining the mentality of the officers.
Police were unable to get in contact with Annie, and considering the nature of the 911 call, Lieutenant Randy Pepitone went to the door to check on her safety. That is when he heard a loud bang.
Annie got her revolver and fired at the officer, apparently thinking he was trying to break in. You can see the hole from the gunshot right next to the front door.
Lieutenant Pepitone hit the ground, and the bullet grazed his head. He required stitches, but is expected to recover.
"Another centimeter to the right and it could have been a whole different situation," Sgt. Heffernan said.
Police say it took a little while to confirm it was the homeowner who fired the shot, and even now, they are not sure whether there was a burglar in the first place.
Neighbors say break-ins are a concern. Stewart Smith lives nearby with his wife and kids and saw the commotion. He says he understands his neighbors' fear and wants to move his family somewhere safer.
"I worry about people breaking into my house, taking what little stuff we do have. We work hard for our stuff," Smith said.
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