A man in Memphis, Tennessee, has been arrested after allegedly shooting a man he claims was squatting at a property nearby who had refused to leave his property.
The shooting occurred at roughly 3:30 a.m. Sunday on Scenic Highway in the north of the city. When police arrived to the scene, the squatter was found shot in the leg.
The squatter was said to be occupying the property next door, which was under construction. He then went to the suspect’s home in search of food, saying a woman there had previously told him she would help him.
The squatter walked up the driveway and then DaQuane Williams, the suspect, got out of a car and told the victim to get out of the yard or he would shoot.
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Williams then began shooting at the squatter before being arrested by Memphis Police and admitting to having a gun, reports say.
According to Williams, he was sitting in his car smoking and looking at his phone when he saw the squatter, dressed all in black with his hands near his belt, where he could potentially carry a weapon.
After the squatter refused to leave, Williams said he pulled out his gun and told the victim to “Get the [expletive] out his yard.”
When the squatter did not move, Williams shot at the ground and then fired at the victim’s feet.
Upon being hit, the squatter said, “I’m hit, big bro,” but Williams continued to tell him to leave, according to local station WREG.
When Williams’ mom walked out of the house, the victim limped into the yard next door.
When police arrived, no weapons were found on the victim, and Williams was charged with aggravated assault.
“Any time laws are being broken, there can be a higher likelihood of escalation of violence,” title and escrow expert Alan Chang told Newsweek.
If the people involved lived in an area where squatting is handled by law enforcement, there’s less of a chance violence will occur, but many homeowners are left without protections, Chang said.
“Unfortunately, the majority of states consider these situations a civil matter, so those tend to have more escalation due to extended timeframes, and therefore more heated emotions,” he said.
The American Apartment Owners Association defines squatters as individuals who inhabit a piece or land or building without a legal right to live there. In many states, squatters gain tenant rights after just 30 days of staying in a property to which they had no legal right.
“Almost every state has its own individual laws regarding squatters. Unfortunately, once a squatter is able to assert their rights, they often can resort to filing criminal reports against the actual homeowner to temporarily remove them from the property,” Ryan McCall, principal with McCall Sweeney & Silva, PC and an expert in eviction law, previously told Newsweek.
As more information about squatter’s rights and strategies abound on the Internet, more are able to take advantage of homeowners, Chang said.
“This problem is not just a metropolitan one as bad actors are on the lookout across the nation,” Chang previously told Newsweek. “Technology and availability of information have made looking for a target much easier than in years past.”
