A 71-year-old Seattle homeowner used a samurai sword to defend himself against a pitchfork-wielding burglar who had broken into his house over the weekend, authorities said.
Officers responded around 1:30 p.m. Sunday to a report of a residential burglary in the 2100 block of Beacon Avenue South and detained two men, Seattle police said.
The victim, still holding a samurai sword, had visible injuries, while the other man had a stab wound to his torso, according to police.
The bloodied victim can be heard on officer-worn bodycam video obtained by FOX13 Seattle telling police his house had been burglarized.
Seattle police shared a photo of the pitchfork that the suspect allegedly used to attack the victim. (Seattle Police Department)
“He was inside my house, and he attacked me with a pitchfork,” the victim, whose name was not released, said of the suspect. “I grabbed the samurai sword and defended myself with the samurai sword.”
The 71-year-old homeowner was holding a samurai sword when officers arrived. He told officers that he defended himself against the burglar with the sword. (FOX13 Seattle KCPQ)
The victim had arrived home to find that several items inside were misplaced, and a kitchen window had been shattered, police said. Walking farther into his home, police said he found a man standing in his living room.
During a physical struggle, the suspect held the victim down and gouged his eye with a pitchfork, authorities told the station. However, the victim broke free and ran to a bedroom, where he grabbed a firearm.
The suspect followed the 71-year-old and tried to wrestle the gun away. The victim’s 61-year-old wife witnessed the struggle and tried to pull the suspect off her husband.
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When the 71-year-old tried to shoot the suspect, the gun jammed, police said.
The victim then found a samurai sword and stabbed the suspect, who subsequently ran outside to a nearby residence where he was later detained.
Seattle Fire treated the victim at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries to his face and torse. The suspect was treated at Harborview Medical Center for the non-life-threatening stab wound.
The 61-year-old suspect was arrested for burglary. He will be booked into King County Jail after being medically cleared.
