Prosecutors issue charging decision for Gig Harbor man who fatally shot intruder
A 66-year-old Gig Harbor man will not be charged for fatally shooting someone who broke into his house.
The Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office declined to file any charges stemming from the July 4 incident, according to spokesperson Adam Faber.
“Given the circumstances, to include the break-in and the deceased’s actions while inside the home, the homeowner’s actions were justified and lawful,” Faber said in an email.
The incident began shortly after 10 p.m. on July 4, when a man, later identified as Paul William Dotson, 48, busted out a window at a home near the corner of 80th Street Northwest and Rosedale Street.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said Dotson likely thought he was at his father’s house when he broke in. His father lives nearby.
Dotson appeared to be drunk, was yelling and carrying a liquor bottle, sheriff’s Sgt. Darren Moss said.
The homeowner heard the commotion in his home and shot the intruder. Dotson was pronounced dead at the scene from a shotgun wound to the chest.
While nuanced, Washington law states that force can be used against someone if a person believes themselves “about to be injured” and is attempting to prevent an offense or a malicious trespass against them, as long as the “force that is not more than is necessary” (RCW 9A.16.020).
This story was originally published July 14, 2021 at 5:14 PM.
