The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office said the suspect, Oliver Turner, had been “drinking heavily” and was acting “out of his mind.” Present in the home were Michelle Jones, her eight-year-old daughter, and her 80-year-old uncle.
The uncle is Lee Eubanks, who is also the owner of the residence. He told investigators that Turner was a friend who had been staying with the family for a few days.
Jones lived at the home with her young daughter. She reported to law enforcement that she arrived home Saturday evening only to find Turner drunk and acting aggressively.
She also discovered the outside of the house was on fire. It is unclear what transpired at this point, but apparently the fire was extinguished.
Jones told police that after that explosive situation calmed down, she tried to go to bed. It was then, she said, that Turner allegedly grabbed her and dragged her into a bathroom where he attempted to pour acetone on her. She was able to free herself and took her daughter outside to the car.
The mother said she then ran back into the house to check on her elderly uncle. While there, she went to get her revolver to defend herself and her family from Turner. When she retrieved her gun and left the bedroom, she said the drunken guest approached her. It was then, fearing for her life, that she fired a single shot.
When investigators arrived, they observed scratch marks on the mother’s neck and a small injury to her hand. They noted that these were consistent with what she told authorities when she gave her statement.
Mobile County Sheriff’s Lt. Mark Bailey told local media that the incident is clear-cut.
“Not just the case of self-defense for her, but deadly force is justified under certain circumstances where you’re defending others as well. And that’s what she was doing. She was defending not only herself, but her daughter and her…uncle was still inside the house.”
Bailey added that the alleged attacker “was hell-bent on setting the house on fire is what she was thinking at the time.”
Authorities also revealed that Turner previously had multiple encounters with law enforcement and carried a lengthy criminal record. That dubious history included a 2021 arrest for 1st degree arson.
There is no cause to celebrate when a person loses their life, but it is noteworthy when a law-abiding citizen defends their life and property against someone who would do them harm. The alleged attacker, according to the official statement, was clearly bent on causing destruction in the home.
He reportedly had already grabbed her and dragged her into the bathroom. She clearly had reason to fear for her safety and even life and was the only responsible adult in a position to defend both her young daughter and her elderly uncle. And it was a smart move to get her child away from the house and the rampaging guest.
The presence of a firearm in the residence may have saved Jones’ life and even those of her daughter and uncle. The mother exercised her right to self-defense in a dire situation, and her family is safe today.
Gun control advocates would remove firearms from people who undoubtedly need them to protect their loved ones and property from the unexpected. They would leave good people defenseless against the whims of those who would do them harm.
In this case and countless others, an American citizen is grateful for Second Amendment freedoms that enabled her to protect what is most important. That is a story that bears repeating.
