Dallas man went back to bed after shooting burglar: police

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A 72-year-old Dallas man fatally shot a suspected burglar outside his home, authorities said, and went back to sleep before calling police. 

James Michael Meyer reported a home invasion after finding the man’s body early Thursday, according to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by the The Dallas Morning News. 

His wife also contacted a lawyer to ask for advice before he called 911, the affidavit said. Authorities have charged Meyer with murder. 

Meyer told police he saw someone trying to break into his storage shed around 5 a.m. after hearing a noise outside. He then grabbed his gun, went out and yelled that he’d shoot if the person came closer, according to the affidavit. 

This booking photo, provided Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019 by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, shows James Michael Meyer, 72, of Dallas, charged with murder in the fatal shooting early Thursday, Sept. 26, of a man that police say Meyer reported as a burglary. (Photo: Dallas County Sheriff’s Office via AP)

The person took several steps toward him, Meyer told investigators, so he fired. As the burglar dropped his pickax and ran toward a nearby park, Meyer fired another shot “into the night” in the direction of the park. Investigators wrote the suspected burglar posed no threat of serious bodily injury once he ran off, based on Meyer’s account. 

Allegedly not knowing whether he shot anyone, Myer told police he went back to bed. He got up around 7 a.m. and told police he thought he saw a “black bag” in the park. It turned out to be the man’s body, according to the affidavit.