OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA — Weeks after an Oklahoma mom was released after serving 73 days of an 8-year DUI sentence, another Oklahoma case is raising legal questions. This time, a homeowner was charged after police say he fatally shot a suspected squatter inside one of his vacant houses.
Timothy Smith, 59, reportedly went to the home on Southwest 44th Street in Oklahoma City on May 1 with his daughter. Police said he was armed with a handgun when he entered the property.
Suspected Squatter Found Inside Home
According to reports, Smith found Justin King inside a bedroom with an unidentified woman.
Police said Smith argued with King and ordered him to leave the property. During the confrontation, Smith allegedly pointed the gun at King and fired.
King was struck in the neck.
Smith later told police that King had stepped toward him before the shot was fired. However, he also reportedly admitted he did not see King holding a weapon.
Homeowner Defends His Actions
Smith told investigators that King should not have been inside the house.
According to reports, Smith said, “It wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t here,” after the shooting.
Smith and his daughter had gone to the property armed because the neighborhood had been dealing with problems involving homeless people in recent months.
Charge Upgraded After King’s Death
King was taken to the hospital after the shooting. He remained there for more than a week before being taken off life support on May 8.
Smith was first charged with assault and battery with a deadly weapon. After King died, prosecutors upgraded the charge to first-degree manslaughter.
He also faces one count of reckless conduct with a firearm.
Smith was booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center and is being held on a $25,000 bond.
Legal Questions Over Self-Defense
The case has raised questions about when a homeowner can legally use deadly force.
Criminal defense attorney Ed Blau told KOCO that Oklahoma law does not allow someone to shoot a person simply for squatting. He said the case may be harder for the defense because Smith reportedly told police he did not see King with a weapon.
Blau also said the law is different when someone breaks into a home where a person lives compared to a vacant property.
Smith’s defense may argue self-defense, but prosecutors are expected to focus on whether the shooting was justified under the circumstances.
The case now continues through court as investigators review what happened inside the vacant house.
To view more cases involving homeowner confrontations, self-defense claims, and deadly property disputes, check out our video here:
