Brian Vazquez

In a statement, Bell said, “These cases are never easy in the sense that any death is tragic. But based on the facts as we know them, this is clearly a case of an individual protecting his home (and family) from an intruder.” Brian Vazquez, 43, entered a home in the 1400 block of Grant Road early in the morning of Aug. 13. He came in through a rear door. The homeowner confronted Vazquez with a shotgun, ordered him to leave and shot him when he wouldn’t, police said. Vazquez died at a hospital. A Bell spokesman, Christopher King, wouldn’t say if the decision not to charge the unidentified homeowner was based on Missouri’s Castle Doctrine. The Post-Dispatch reported that friends of Vazquez believe he was lost and entered the home by mistake. He had been staying with a family about six houses from where he was shot. They thought he went outside to smoke a cigarette and assume he took a walk. “There has been some speculation in the media as to the mental state of the intruder, but even if true, this would have little weight on the homeowner’s ability to protect his family,” Bell said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this tragedy.”