Police in Ontario, Canada, said they charged a homeowner after he fought with an alleged intruder earlier this week.Kawartha Lakes Police Service said officers responded around 3:20 a.m. Monday to an apartment on Kent Street in Lindsay for a report of an altercation between two males. Lindsay is about 2.5 hours northeast of Toronto.'I know if someone breaks into my house or someone else's, you're gonna fight for your life,' Ford added. 'This guy has a weapon. You're gonna use any force you possibly can to protect your family. I'm telling you, I know everyone would.'Arriving officers learned that the resident woke up to find an intruder inside his apartment, police said, adding that the intruder received "serious life-threatening injuries" as a result of the altercation.The intruder was taken to Ross Memorial Hospital and later airlifted to a Toronto hospital, police said, adding that there is no risk to public safety.However, police said they charged the 44-year-old homeowner with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon and then released him with a future court date. While police did not describe the weapon, CTV News reported that court documents indicate the homeowner used a knife.Police said they already wanted the 41-year-old intruder — also a Lindsay resident — for unrelated offenses at the time of the incident. Police said they charged the intruder with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose; break, enter, and theft; mischief under $5,000; and "fail to comply probation."Police said the intruder will be held in custody pending a bail hearing when he's released from the hospital. CTV News, citing court documents, said Michael Kyle Breen's criminal record includes prior break-and-enter charges.The incident got the attention of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who said the charges against the homeowner indicate “something is broken" in the system."I know if someone breaks into my house or someone else's, you're gonna fight for your life," Ford added. "This guy has a weapon. You're gonna use any force you possibly can to protect your family. I'm telling you, I know everyone would."RELATED: Leave your car keys at your front door so car thieves don't hurt you, Toronto Police tell residents. Backlash is brutal. Indeed, observers have been delivering a steady barrage of barbs against police on social media for charging the homeowner. Here's a sampling of comments underneath a completely unrelated post on the Kawartha Lakes Police page on X:"Any idea why it's illegal to defend yourself/home from an intruder with a known criminal history?" one commenter wrote. "The whole world is waiting to hear some dumb-ass woke excuse for Canadas suicidal empathy.""Which one of you dufus cops charged the guy for defending his home from a felon?" another user wondered. "The world can't wait til trial to see who it was and if it was your town's dingbat policy or his own personal nincompoopery. Every line of your trial will be scrutinized online. Congrats. Yer famous.""Shame on you Kawartha cops," another commenter declared. "If you did your job in the first place you wouldn't have a wanted criminal running free breaking into people's houses. Way to alienate the public, especially those like me [who] back the blue.""So if a wanted criminal broke into one of your officer's houses, you'd advise them to just bend over and take it? Would you help the thief pack up your belongings?" another user asked. "Biggest chicken s**t act I've read in the news in a long time … and in this day and age, that's saying something."The invectives apparently hit cops so hard that the Kawartha Lakes chief of police found it necessary to fire off a scolding message to the public on Facebook, calling the criticism "unjust and inaccurate."Chief Kirk Robertson added that while it's lawful in Canada for individuals to use reasonable force to protect themselves and their property if they believe they are facing a threat, the "law requires that any defensive action be proportionate to the threat faced. This means that while homeowners do have the right to protect themselves and their property, the use of force must be reasonable given the circumstances."RELATED: Blaze News original: 5 infuriating times authorities punished victims of physical attacks — as well as a Good Samaritan A pair of Blaze News writers who live in the Great White North offered their thoughts on the matter as well."If an intruder breaks into a person's home, the homeowner should not have to consider the intruder's feelings when protecting their property or family," Andrew Chapados said. "Ontario, and Canada as a whole, needs to introduce the castle doctrine as soon as possible."Joe MacKinnon concluded the following: "Canadians voted in the same government that unlawfully declared martial law against peaceful protesters, shrugged off church burnings, stigmatizes lawful gun owners, pushed blood libels, strained the country with unprecedented amounts of unassimilable foreign nationals, and routinely euthanizes its most vulnerable citizens. I highly doubt that there will be sustained backlash now over the prosecution of a man who woke up to find a wanted thug in his apartment and acted defensively. Canada's criminal justice system not only gives certain races preferential treatment in terms of sentencing but — as evidenced by this case — holds the lawful to a higher standard than criminal elements. It's an increasingly unworkable system where the good are punished and the bad are rewarded."Indeed, this wasn't the first time something like this has happened in Canada. Back in January 2024, police in Peterborough, Ontario — which is about 45 minutes east of Lindsay — charged the victim of a bat attack with aggravated assault after the victim allegedly took the bat from the attacker and hit him with it several times. RELATED: Pregnant Tesla passenger 'injured by flying rock,' police in Canada say — and observers have field day with cops' word choice In that case, the public also got angry at cops for charging the victim — and Police Chief Stu Betts, like his counterpart on the Kawartha Lakes, took a defensive posture and called the criticism "unfair."The Toronto Sun reported in April 2024 that the crook who hit the clerk with the baseball bat was sentenced to 18 months in jail, while the clerk who hit him back with the bat — international student Tejeshwar Kalia — faces up to 14 years in jail. RELATED: Trudeau has resigned, but his persecution of Canadians continues The Sun said the video shows Kalia didn't gain control of the bat until he and the assailant were outside, and at that point Kalia lunged at the assailant, who was reaching for his pocket and said he would "stab me," Kalia added.The paper added in a follow-up story that while GoFundMe canceled Kalia's crowdfunding campaign after it had raised $16,000 to help him pay for legal help as well as rent, food, and school expenses, GiveSendGo and its co-founder reached out to Kalia to try to help him. The Sun added that Kalia is out on bail but under house arrest, which means he can't work and has no money.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The career-spanning collection features recordings chosen by the legendary musician that reflect the genre's profound influence on her music. The post Joni Mitchell to Release Passion Project, “Joni’s Jazz” Box Set appeared first on Best Classic Bands.

The Chomping Will Proceed: DeSantis Pulls an Andrew Jackson on Order to Shut Down Alligator Alcatraz

You might want to think twice before using a USB charging port in an airport or library, because it's technically possible for a hacker to hijack the port.

You might want to think twice before using a USB charging port in an airport or library, because it's technically possible for a hacker to hijack the port.

The Texas Senate gave final approval to a new, Republican-leaning congressional voting map early Saturday, sending it to Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature.

Erik and Lyle Menendez were denied parole by a California board this week after decades in prison for killing their parents in 1989 at their Beverly Hills mansion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that countries of the Global South should push Russia toward making peace in its war with Ukraine, including by helping bring Russian leader Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.

Nicknamed 'Punctum,' this puzzling phenomenon is highly energetic, but is only seen in millimeter-wavelength light and cannot be explained by any known object.

by the Author of The Widow in the Woods Here’s where the story left off last time. When Kate awakened, dappled sun shone on the wall of the cave, and she couldn’t remember where she was for a moment. She went to stretch and was momentarily confined by the sleeping bag, which brought her to full, panicked wakefulness immediately. The Glock was right there beside her, like a silent guardian. She felt the hard, unforgiving floor of the cave beneath her and winced as she sat up gingerly. She smiled to herself. She knew that Ariel would bounce right up with the resilience of a young person, making her feel even older. She wriggled out of the bag, stuffed some tissues in her pocket, and strapped the Glock to her waist. Then, she went outside to do her business before waking Ariel. She stretched when she got out of the cave, putting her hand on the stony entrance for balance. She was stiff and achy from sleeping on the cold ground. She felt like she’d aged 50 years in one chilly, uncomfortable night. Once out of the cave, she squinted up at the sky. The sun was fairly high. They’d slept late. That was okay, though. She figured that the most dangerous time to be out on the trail to Mr. Slocum’s house would be in the daylight.  Her plan was to stay hidden all day if they could, then hike to the neighbor’s place just after dusk. Dawn and dusk were always more dangerous times to be out and about in the habitats of wild animals, but here she was, back to that “man or bear” analogy. She’d far rather deal with the wildlife than the crazed stalker that Logan had become. She made her way back into the cave and broke out another bottled latte, chugging down the precious caffeine. She decided it was best to let Ariel sleep for as much of the day as possible to reduce her stress. Kate pulled a crossword puzzle book, a pen, and a deck of cards from one of the kitty litter containers. She rolled the backpack into a makeshift pillow and leaned against the wall, with the bag padding her back. The cave wasn’t very big, but she could sit up where the walls curved toward the ground without hunching over. She was four puzzles deep by the time Ariel began to stir. As predicted, the girl hopped up as though she’d just finished a peaceful slumber on a downy king-sized bed at a five-star hotel. She followed Kate’s lead, going outside for a few moments. When she came back, Kate handed her a granola bar and a baggie of dehydrated apple slices. She grabbed the same thing for herself and the two sat down cross-legged, eating their breakfasts. “No coffee?” Ariel raised a curious eyebrow. “Not hot coffee,” replied Kate, shaking a bottled latte in her daughter’s general direction. “I’m not going to build a fire or get a scent in the air or do anything else that might draw Logan to us.” “So, what’s the plan, Mom?” asked Ariel around a mouthful of chewy granola bar. “We’re going to let him search for us today, then when it begins to get dark, we’re going to Mr. Slocum’s place, calling the cops, and getting the heck out of here.” “He sure is going to be mad,” Ariel mused, a bit of a quaver in her voice. “You really don’t think he’ll find the cave?” Kate looked outside the mouth of the cave. She spoke slowly, gravely, “I can’t promise that he won’t find the cave. But I can promise you that if he does, he will not touch you.” She turned back to face her daughter and met her eyes. “I give you my word, I will not let him hurt you.” Ariel glanced knowingly at the gun that Kate had removed from her holster and put beside her for easier access while she was seated on the floor. Kate saw her gaze and affirmed, “I’ll do what I have to do.” Ariel looked away and was silent for a long minute. Then she said, “If you don’t, I will. I know what he did to you, too, Mom,” she replied. Her voice was strong and unwavering but her eyes were distant. “Can I carry a gun today as well? You know I can shoot the cap off a bottle. You’re the one who taught me.” Kate froze. She hadn’t realized that Ariel knew about the brutal sexual assault she had endured at Logan’s hands. It took her a moment to gather herself to respond. “Ari, I don’t want you to have to live with something like shooting another human being,” Kate stated firmly. “That would be so traumatic for you, and you’ve already been through so much.” Ariel set her jaw firmly. “It would be better than being helpless if he tried to take me again.” Kate sighed. “Let me think about it, okay?” She picked up a deck of cards that sat beside her. “Crazy 8s?” … Kate and Ariel spent the afternoon quietly playing cards in the cave. When they stepped out to commune with Mother Nature briefly, it felt like a typical summer day, the hot sun beating down between the turning leaves. But inside the cave, it was cool and damp, the air at least 20 degrees cooler than it was outside. The tension of constantly listening for footsteps drawing near or shouts from down the mountain made their games less than relaxing. Every snapped branch, every crunch of leaves, had Kate holding her breath, heart racing, hand on the pistol, until she determined it wasn’t an immediate threat. She couldn’t decide if it was good or bad that she couldn’t hear Logan yelling. It was good in that he wasn’t too close. It was bad in that she had no idea where he was or what he was doing. She came to a decision and abruptly rose from the floor of the cave. “I’m going to give you pepper spray and a taser, Ariel,” she announced. “What you need to know about the taser is that if you’re touching him when you tase him, you’ll be shocked too. Pepper spray will blow back in your face if the wind is blowing the wrong way. But neither of these will kill anyone or cause long-term harm.” “But, Mom -” Ariel started. “No gun,” Kate interrupted. “That’s my final decision.” Ariel looked sulky. “I don’t want to play cards anymore.” She folded her arms. “Then read your book,” Kate suggested, pretending not to notice her daughter’s sullen expression. “Fine,” she huffed, flopping back down on her sleeping bag and picking up her book, her back turned to Kate. Kate wanted to continue explaining her reasoning to Ariel, but she wisely kept quiet to let the girl sort it out and calm down on her own. This would be a good time to repack their bags for the treacherous night hike ahead of them. They needed to move quickly and quietly, and Kate had some special additions she wanted to add to the packs. Part of her yearned to stay hidden in the caves until Logan gave up and went away, but she knew, rationally, that this would not be over until she ended it. And one way or another, it ended today. About Daisy Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging author and blogger who’s traded her air miles for a screen porch, having embraced a more homebody lifestyle after a serious injury. She’s the heart and mind behind The Organic Prepper, a top-tier website where she shares what she’s learned about preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty. With 17 books under her belt, Daisy’s insights on living frugally, surviving tough times, finding some happiness in the most difficult situations, and embracing independence have touched many lives. Her work doesn’t just stay on her site; it’s shared far and wide across alternative media, making her a familiar voice in the community. Known for her adventurous spirit, she’s lived in five different countries and raised two wonderful daughters as a single mom. Now living in the beautiful state of North Carolina, Daisy has been spreading her knowledge through blogging for 15 years now.  She is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books, 12 self-published books, and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses at SelfRelianceand Survival.com You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, and X. The post Haven Hill: Chapter 17 appeared first on The Organic Prepper.