(VitalNews.org) – A woman in Salem, Indiana, is reported to have thwarted an armed assault against her husband by shooting dead his attacker in front of their home. Michael Chastain, 45, is alleged to have driven his vehicle through the couple’s front yard at approximately 6:30pm on Monday August 7. Upon exiting his car, he is reported to have grabbed the male homeowner and forced him onto the ground while pointing a gun at his head. Fortunately for the homeowner, his wife witnessed the scene from inside the house and quickly retrieved her own handgun. She walked out of the house and towards her husband and Chastain before fatally shooting Chastain.
Responding to a 911 call, members of the Washington County Sherriff’s Department arrived at the house and found Chastain still in the yard, bleeding from a gunshot wound. He was taken to Salem’s Saint Vincent hospital and pronounced dead shortly after. Police have not established a motive for Chastain’s alleged assault on the unnamed man, nor have they confirmed what his intentions were beyond threatening him with a firearm.
Chastain was already known to the family, as he had previously dated the couple’s daughter. Their relationship had ended prior to the alleged attack at gunpoint, and the daughter was not living with her parents as of August 7. Chastain was said to be well-known in the local area and is reported to have had a criminal record. Police did not charge the woman for her use of the weapon, although it is not yet clear whether any charges will be levied against her in future.
Indiana has a self-defense, or “Stand Your Ground”, law that allows people to use reasonable force in a situation where somebody is threatening you or others with serious harm. The law notably gained media attention when a man was praised for ending a mass shooting that took place at a shopping mall in Greenwood, Indiana, in July 2022 in which an ordinary civilian shot dead the perpetrator who had killed three people and injured two others.
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