PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — No charges are expected for the homeowner who stabbed an intruder on Monday.

  • No charges expected for homeowner who stabbed intruder
  • Chris Richardson began banging on neighbors doors and trying to enter
  • Homeowner stabbed Richardson when he tried climbing through window

It happened on the 4000 block of 68th Street North early Monday morning. 

Investigators say Chase Richardson, 23, lived at the Savannah Group Home for people with mental disabilities. After an argument inside the home, he snuck out and began banging on doors of homes nearby.

It was so loud it startled Chris Barnard out of bed. Barnard lives next door to the place of the incident. He says the man was pounding the door frantically trying to get inside.

Barnard quickly told his pregnant girlfriend to hide and call 911 while he confronted the stranger through the window. 

"I'm sitting there just like point blank look, I’m ready. Don’t make me shoot you, don’t make me shoot you," Barnard said.

Barnard says the man, now known to be Richardson, tried to open the front door before giving up and heading next door.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office says Richardson broke a bedroom window and as he was trying to climb in, the homeowner, fearing for his life, stabbed him.

Richardson later died at an area hospital.

The homeowner didn't want to speak on camera, but Barnard says he believes his neighbor simply did what he had to do. 

"You can't rehearse these things," Barnard said, "The only thing that prevented me from shooting him was he couldn't get through that window."

Now, people who live nearby are questioning the safety of the group home. 

"Whoever misjudged his condition ought to be looked at. Because they shouldn’t have put him in there if he was that bad," One of the neighbors, Larry Kidd said.

The group home had no comment.

Investigators say no charges are expected against the homeowner who stabbed Richardson.