A teacher turned Good Samaritan is relieved to learn that he will not be charged in an August self-defense shooting in Fargo, North Dakota. Prosecutors determined Donald Barron’s actions were justified when he came to the defense of a man being attacked at Prairie Heights Church.
Investigators believe 25-year-old Austin Strom was attempting to illegally enter the church building when 66-year-old Kent Hodges challenged him.
In a confrontation Hodges recorded on his cellphone, Strom attacked the much older man. The violent encounter included kicking Hodges in the head, and he lost teeth and had to have several stitches to close his wounds.
However, Barron witnessed the incident from his car and moved quickly to protect the victim. That was when his Second Amendment rights and innate courage emerged.
According to the Cass County State Attorney’s Office, Strom told Barron multiple times that “I fear no one” and advanced on him. The teacher took several steps away from the aggressor and told him to “stop, stay back.”
A dash camera captured Strom repeatedly warning Barron that he would shoot if he didn’t stop. But his advance continued, and when he closed to only a couple of feet, the teacher fired a single shot.
According to the prosecutor’s memorandum, “Strom collapsed to the ground and died.”
North Dakota’s Stand Your Ground law permits the use of deadly force in one’s home if faced with a violent threat. However, citizens are required to make an effort to retreat if confronted by an attacker in a public area.
Apparently, the prosecutor’s office determined that Strom sufficiently gave ground before firing the fatal shot. The teacher and hero will not face charges for doing what every good citizen should do under similar circumstances, which is the best possible outcome.
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