Intruder Picks The Wrong House In North Carolina

A North Carolina homeowner will not face charges after police say he shot a man who was attempting to force his way into the residence.

The incident happened in Gastonia on July 12, but investigators say the two suspects initially gave police a very different account of what occurred.

According to the Gastonia Police Department, 57-year-old Cedric Ford and his girlfriend, 47-year-old Sanja Stallings, called 911 and claimed Ford had been shot near an intersection during what appeared to be a drive-by attack.

That story quickly began to fall apart.

Police said investigators used Flock Safety’s Audio Detection system to locate the approximate area where the gunshot had actually been fired. The system detected a shot at about 7:14 a.m. within roughly 100 feet of a home on Ware Avenue, far from the location Ford and Stallings had described.

Detectives went to the Ware Avenue property and spoke with the homeowner, 74-year-old Donald Bolynn. Police described Bolynn as elderly and disabled.

Bolynn told investigators that he had already been the victim of several burglaries and robberies during the previous month. According to police, those earlier incidents also involved Ford and Stallings.

Investigators ultimately determined that Ford had gone to Bolynn’s home at approximately 7:13 a.m. and attempted to break inside. Bolynn responded by firing a single shot through a window, striking Ford.

Bolynn later told WBTV that he suffers from several health problems, including hearing loss. Despite those difficulties, he said he heard someone trying to force his way into the house.

At first, Bolynn said he could not see what was happening. He then spotted Ford at the window.

“That’s when I got my gun and shot,” Bolynn said.

Police concluded that Bolynn had fired while Ford was attempting to enter the home. The department later confirmed that the homeowner would not be criminally charged.

Ford and Stallings were both charged with first-degree burglary, according to WBTV.

The case also highlights the growing role of surveillance technology in criminal investigations. In this instance, police said the Flock Safety audio system allowed detectives to identify the location of the gunshot and quickly challenge the couple’s account.

Without that information, officers might have spent more time investigating the alleged drive-by shooting Ford and Stallings initially reported.

Flock Safety systems, however, have become a source of controversy in communities across the country. The company is best known for its Automated License Plate Readers, commonly referred to as ALPR cameras. Supporters say the systems help police locate suspects, stolen vehicles, and evidence connected to crimes.

Critics have raised concerns about privacy, government surveillance, and the possible misuse or improper sharing of data collected by the cameras.

Public opposition has sometimes gone beyond complaints at local meetings. In Virginia, one resident reportedly faced charges after damaging 13 Flock cameras. The suspect later received praise from some people on social media who viewed the destruction of the cameras as a protest against expanding surveillance.

Whatever concerns surround the technology, Gastonia police credited it with helping investigators uncover what they say truly happened in this case.

Authorities say Ford was not the victim of a random roadside shooting. Instead, they determined that he was wounded while allegedly attempting to break into the home of a man who had already been targeted repeatedly.

For Bolynn, the situation appears to have been another frightening encounter at his own residence. This time, however, he was armed and able to defend himself.

“The homeowner will not face charges,” Gastonia police said.

The Western Journal