Montco D.A.: Fatal shooting of intruder justified

A Norristown man who shot and killed an intruder who had entered his house used justified force, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said Monday.

"The laws of our commonwealth provide that citizens of our community may stand their ground and defend themselves inside their homes," District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said.

"Faced with an armed intruder who illegally entered his home, the resident was justified in using deadly force to protect himself."

On July 28 at 1:27 a.m., police went to a house on Willow Street where they found the body of Daryl Marquis Evans, 22, in the living room with gunshot wounds to his chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators said that when the resident, who was not identified, heard a knock on the door, he got his registered .40-caliber Smith & Wesson semiautomatic handgun, tucked it under his shirt, and went downstairs from the house's second floor.

He opened the front door and was confronted by Evans, "who displayed a handgun," the district attorney's statement said.

The resident did not recognize the intruder, who entered the house with gun drawn. After the intruder pointed a gun at his chest, the statement said, the resident shot six times and struck Evans in his chest, his pelvis, and a leg. Evans fired his 9mm pistol once inside the house.

The District Attorney's Office said the resident called 911 after he fired the shots and cooperated with authorities.

Evans, of Norristown, pleaded guilty in 2009 to aggravated assault, according to a court document. After serving time in a state prison, he was charged in connection with separate cases with intent to deliver a controlled substance, robbery, and possession of a controlled substance, the district attorney's statement said.

Evans was being sought for missing a court proceeding on those charges when the Norristown break-in and shooting occurred.