Prosecutor: Homeowner justified in fatally shooting Lansing man during attempted burglary
SEBEWA TWP. — A 69-year-old Ionia County homeowner who fatally shot a Lansing man will not be charged with the man's death, prosecutors say.
Justin Eddy, 40, was shot and killed during a reported attempted home burglary in Sebewa Township, near Portland, in early January.
Ionia County Prosecutor Kyle Butler ruled Monday that the homeowner acted in self-defense when he shot Eddy, and chose not to issue charges.
A man, later identified as Eddy, forced his way into a home in the 4000 block of East Musgrove Highway occupied by a married couple, a 69-year-old man and a 63-year-old woman, just after 10:30 p.m. Jan 1.
He told the couple he was being chased by someone who was trying to kill him, according to the news release. He had arrived at the couple's home in a pickup that had been stolen from a home about two miles east, according to the news release. He abandoned his own pickup at that location, leaving the engine running and headlights on.
The man grabbed his gun and went outside with Eddy, while his wife stayed inside and called 911. They were not able to find anyone outside.
The man told Eddy "Don't come in here," just before the 911 call ended, according to the news release. The police investigation showed Eddy went back inside the home and smashed the cell phone and asked for the gun several times.
Eddy struck the man in the face and pushed him down to the ground and attempted to take the gun from the man's waistband before the man shot and killed Eddy, according to the news release.
He was pronounced dead at 11:36 p.m. Toxicology reports showed Eddy had a blood alcohol content of 0.25 and the presence of fentanyl in his system, supporting his "erratic behavior," according to the release. He had struggled with drug abuse and had recent contacts with police and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Although Eddy was not armed at the time of his death, the male homeowner was "nonetheless in reasonable fear of death or great bodily harm" when Eddy was in his house, Butler said in the news release.
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Contact Kara Berg at 517-377-1113 or kberg@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @karaberg95.