Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010

In the two years Teamus Mills has owned a small handgun, he's never had to use it.

After Tuesday morning, he hopes he never has to again.

"I pointed that gun and missed them on purpose," Mills told KAKE News. Only three hours earlier, two men had tried to break into his Southwest Wichita apartment in the 1900 block of W. Dora.

"They were so close, I could have killed them both. And I hope they know that," he said.

It all started around 11:30 Tuesday morning. Mills says he was napping when he heard a knock at his door. He got up to look through the peephole.

"I was familiar with one of them," Mills said, "but not enough for him to show up at my home unannounced and with a guy I didn't know."

Mills decided not to answer the door. Then something caught his attention.

"I turned around to go back to sleep, and I hear one of them say, 'Hey, you want to get him?' They were talking about robbing me," Mills said.

Mills says the two men likely didn't realize he was home. As they began walking around the apartment to the rear entrance, Mills called 911 and got his gun.

Seconds later, the suspects kicked in the back door, knocking over shelves and spilling groceries all over the floor. Mills met them face-to-face with his weapon.

"They stopped," Mills said. "You should have seen the look on their faces."

Mills says he fired four warning shots, shattering a window only feet from the suspects. Police found one of the bullets in the exterior wall of a nearby vacant house.

"He was in fear for his life," said Wichita police Lt. Guy Schroeder, adding it appeared Mills was acting in self-defense. "He was protecting his life and his property."

Police arrested the two men a short time later. Detectives say they are brothers, ages 18 and 20.

Neighbor Ann Walters heard the shots from her home about a block away.

"In this neighborhood, you better be careful cause you need home protection," Walters said.

Nearby resident Kenny Lemon was surprised burglars would try to break-in during the day while somebody was home.

"It's kind of scary that somebody would actually try to do it," Lemon said.

Mills says police took his gun as evidence. He says had his children or girlfriend been with him at the time, he might not have let the burglars escape.

"I've actually always told myself if somebody breaks in I'd probably kill them," Mills said.

Instead, he hopes the suspects use their second chance at life to turn themselves around.

"I hope they learned a life lesson," Mills said.