News/Commentary

Armed woman comes to rescue of husband held at gunpoint by daughter’s ex, firing fatal shot

August 14, 2023 | | Print Article

An Indiana woman’s forceful response appeared to save her husband’s life when their daughter’s ex-boyfriend held him at gunpoint.

(Video: WLKY)

An investigation was opened in Washington County, Indiana after 45-year-old Michael Chastain was reportedly shot and killed Monday Aug. 7 at a home in Salem. According to police, the decedent had driven onto the front lawn of the unidentified homeowners on Organ Springs Road where he forced his ex-girlfriend’s father to the ground and held a gun to his head.

“[Chastain] exited his vehicle and put a firearm toward the homeowner’s head,” Indiana State Police Sgt. John Davis told WLKY before explaining how the wife stepped in.

“The wife of the homeowner observed the altercation that occurred, walked outside with a firearm and eventually shot Chastain,” he said.

After being shot, first responders arrived on the scene and transported Chastain to Saint Vincent Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. According to WAVE, no charges had been filed against the homeowners, but the investigation from the Indiana State Police had yet to be turned over to the Washington County Prosecutor’s Office at that time.

Though the circumstances that led to the altercation remain undisclosed, what is known is that Indiana does have a “Stand Your Ground” law in place that justifies “using reasonable force against any other person to protect the person or a third person from what the person reasonably believes to be the imminent use of unlawful force.”

In July 2022, that law was heavily discussed when then-22-year-old Elisjsha Dicken stepped in to neutralize an active shooter at the Greenwood Park Mall. As had been reported, the killer had exited the bathroom and begun discharging a weapon into the food court, killing three people.

Within 15 seconds from when the suspect, Jonathan Sapirman, opened fire, Dicken drew his own gun and used it to take out the killer of Pedro Pineda, Rosa Mirian Rivera de Pineda, and Victor Gomez.

“I will say his actions were nothing short of heroic,” Greenwood Police Chief James Ison said at the time. “He engaged the gunman from quite a distance with a handgun, was very proficient in that, very tactically sound, and as he moved to close in on the suspect, he was also motioning for people to exit behind him.”

“To our knowledge,” Ison added, “he has no police training and no military background.”

ADVERTISEMENT

The chief also pointed out, “Many more people would have died if not for a responsible armed citizen that took action very quickly.”

Meanwhile, the Indiana Senate went on to pass legislation earlier this year seeking to bolster security at schools as it created a taxpayer-funded voluntary handgun training program for teachers by a vote of 42-8.

Reactions to the homeowner’s actions were similarly positive to those taken by Dicken last year while details remained scant.

ADVERTISEMENT

DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW

Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!

$10
$15
$25
$50
Other
$
Success! Thank you for donating. Please share BPR content to help combat the lies.
Kevin Haggerty
Latest posts by Kevin Haggerty (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

BPR INSIDER COMMENTS

Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!

Latest Articles