SR man shoots burglary suspect
A burglary suspect heaved a rock through the glass door of a Slippery Rock home early Sunday morning, police said, and the senior citizen living there shot him.
With the power still out from Thursday’s storm, William Wright, 67, of Slippery Rock woke up around 2 a.m. Sunday, startled to find red lights peeking through the blinds in his bedroom. Looking out to his driveway, he noticed an unfamiliar vehicle and a “large individual,” according to a police report.
He allegedly noticed the man, who police would later identify as Dustin P. Miller, 26, of Slippery Rock, rummaging through a Chevrolet dump truck that belonged to Wright’s friend.
Miller then allegedly approached the glass-enclosed porch leading to the front entrance and began to hit the door, police said.
Wright grabbed his gun as his wife telephoned the police. In the meantime, the suspected burglar went around the rear of the house and Wright fired a shot in “a safe direction,” according to police documents. Wright told police that he did this to scare Miller away.
Instead, Miller allegedly went back to the front of the house, grabbed a large rock and used it to break through the glass enclosure.
Wright fired a shot on the ground and Miller appeared to take the hint when he went back to his car, police said. But Miller came back in what Wright described as an “aggressive manner,” according to the police report.
As Miller approached, Wright warned him not to come in, police said. But Miller allegedly continued to approach. Aiming his gun at Miller’s left leg, Wright shot him, according to police.
Miller was taken to Allegheny General Hospital, where he was treated for a non-life threatening gunshot wound, and later released.
After Miller was arrested, police said they saw a number of empty beer cans in the bed of his Ford Ranger pickup truck. Police said they also saw a case of beer in the passenger seat and smelled marijuana from the vehicle’s partially-open front window.
Police charged Miller with burglary, theft from a motor vehicle, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, DUI and violation of the controlled substances act.
Miller was released from Butler County Prison on a $15,000 bail.
