A suspect entered an elderly man’s home, brutally assaulted him, and left. However, when the thug returned to the scene of the crime moments later, the elderly homeowner was waiting for him.
While home alone one evening, a 69-year-old Oklahoma man was surprised by an intruder. Police say 49-year-old Ken Cosgrove allegedly entered the unidentified victim’s home in Bokoshe and proceeded to physically assault him. After the attack, Cosgrove exited the home but swiftly turned to go back inside. In the time it took him to return, the homeowner ensured he was prepared.
As a homeowner, one terrifying reality includes the possibility of coming face-to-face with an intruder. For the elderly, this danger poses an even greater risk. Fortunately, as the homeowner proved, there’s an easy way to drastically reduce this threat.
Poteau Daily News reports that the police received a call just before 11 p.m., stating that an intruder had been fatally shot. Officers arrived on the scene to find Cosgrove deceased and the elderly homeowner armed and alive.
“When deputies and I arrived on scene, there was in fact a gentleman slumped over at the bottom of the steps in the front yard,” Leflore County Sherrif’s Department Investigator Lt. Paul Moss said. “(LeFlore County) EMS (Emergency Medical Services) confirmed him to be deceased with a gunshot wound. I had my deputies go ahead and tape off and secure the scene.”
Lt. Moss confirmed that the homeowner confessed to shooting Cosgrove but that it was self-defense. He has not been charged with any crime.
“I was only a few miles down the road,” Moss continued. “Being Lt. and an investigator here at the (LeFlore) County Sheriff’s office, I was contacted by our dispatch center, who stated that we had a call that my deputies were responding to a potential burglary or home invasion (in Bokoshe) that had turned into the homeowner actually shooting his firearm at people that were in a truck as well as an individual who was trying to get into his house and actually assaulted him. At the time, it was unknown if he had actually struck anybody with the firearm.”
It is unclear how many suspects were involved and how many shots were fired. Police confirmed that Cosgrove’s body was found outside the home. As the investigation continues, police hope to piece together the case.
“The case is still pending as far as the result of the investigation as of right now, but between our agencies we have made significant progress on it,” Moss said. “The vehicle that was shot at by the homeowner fled the scene. We have a possible ID on the two occupants who were in the vehicle, which we’re not releasing at this time, either — but we have made a break in that.”
The homeowner was taken to a nearby hospital for his injuries sustained during the alleged assault and was released hours later. Investigators hoped that finding the two individuals in the vehicle would lead to some answers.
For many citizens, defending oneself from a home intruder who is younger, stronger, and who has the element of surprise on their side is an impossibility. Fortunately, as this homeowner proved, it doesn’t have to be a fair fight.
This is the reason the Second Amendment is the great equalizer. You don’t have to be a martial arts master to ensure that your property, your loved ones, and your life are properly protected. You just have to be well prepared.