Indianapolis homeowner says he fought off intruder, killed him with his own gun

INDIANAPOLIS — One man is dead following an attempted home invasion on Indianapolis’s east side.

Tuesday the homeowner who killed the suspect spoke out about the shooting a short time after he was released without charges.

The front of his home and car were riddled with bullets after the homeowner said he killed an intruder and then exchanged gunfire with additional suspects outside. That homeowner insists he had no choice but to defend his life.

Just before 7 p.m. last week, police were called to a neighborhood near 38th and Post after a homeowner reported a masked man forced his way into the home during an attempted robbery.

“He smacked me in the head with a gun and told me I knew what it was and then I yelled out he’s trying to rob me,” said Brent Smith.

Brent Smith claims he then quickly began to fight with the would-be thief and the pair crashed through a glass table inside his home.

“It was like a movie, me and him wrestling over the gun,” said Smith.

During that struggle, Smith admits he shot the intruder with the suspect’s own gun.

Damon Swanigan Junior, 22, died on the front step of the home, which was then hit by a barrage of bullets from outside. That gunfire damaged the siding, the front door and shattered the windows of a car parked in the street.

“When the gun went off I heard thousands of gunshots,” said Smith. “It was a lot of gunfire man, a lot of gunfire.”

Smith said during that shootout, he grabbed his own gun and returned fire before the suspects in the street drove away leaving behind a pile of broken car glass.

“I didn’t even think them or me. I was just basically trying to survive myself man,” said Smith.

Police questioned Smith overnight, but because the law allows people to defend themselves and their home with deadly force, he was released pending further investigation.

The next morning Smith remained emotional thinking about the life he had taken.

“That doesn’t make no sense man. I didn’t want to do that,” said Smith. “I don’t know his intention, but I didn’t want to be shot. That’s just all there is to it.”

Police did not have any information on the suspects who may have fled the scene.

Anyone with information about this incident should call Detective Douglas Morning at the IMPD Homicide Office at (317) 327-3475 or e-mail the detective at Douglas.Morning@indy.gov. 

Alternatively, they can call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at (317) 262-8477 or (TIPS) to remain anonymous.