A Bucks County man who shot a suspected car thief after a high-speed chase and crash has been charged with aggravated assault, the Bucks County District Attorney said Friday.
Baishaun Jones, of the Woodland Apartments in Morrisville, allegedly found a man later identified as Joshua Dennis trying to break into his vehicle, the DA said in a statement.
The resident went back into his home and grabbed his legally-owned handgun, then went outside after Dennis, the DA said.
Dennis noticed Jones and sped off, nearly striking Jones as he drove away. But Jones gave chase in his car.
He shot at least once at the moving car before Dennis crashed a few blocks away. Suveillance video at the crash site allegedly shows Jones getting out of his car and shooting Dennis.
Dennis has been charged with receiving stolen property and other charges.
And Bucks DA David Heckler said Jones would also be charged in the incident.
"Because of the recent widely publicized and entirely justified actions of a local Pharmacist in killing an armed robber, I want to make absolutely clear some of the limits on the permissible use by citizens of lawfully owned firearms for protection their persons, physical property, families, and homes or places of business," Heckler said. "The fundamental and most important principle is that the use of deadly force, is only lawful when it is immediately and unavoidably necessary to prevent the person against whom it is used from causing death or serious bodily injury – which typically means the use of a weapon such as a gun or a knife – to the armed citizen or to a third person who is present and immediately endangered. Shooting a firearm at someone is using deadly force, whether or not anyone dies."
