Chris Williams

12 News | azcentral.com

We're hearing for the first time the 911 recording of the moments when a west Phoenix woman, huddled in her bathroom, confronted and shot a man charged with breaking into her home. She was on the phone with 911 before, during, and after the shooting till officers arrived.

Investigators say the 47-year-old homeowner did everything right, by calling 911, arming herself and hiding. On the recording, we hear the frightening ordeal play out.

The break-in and shooting happened May 6 near 67th Avenue and Indian School Road. Michael Lewis, 20, was arraigned in June after a month-long stay in the hospital, recovering from the gunshot.

The homeowner, a widow, told 12 News it was her late husband who taught her how to handle a .38-caliber handgun.

On the recording, we hear her tell the dispatcher the suspect "beat on her" before she fired.

Michael Lewis pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary and aggravated assault. He was granted bond last week and is out awaiting sentencing on Sept. 15.

That's when the homeowner plans to face her attacker for the first time since ending his visit with a bullet.

TRANSCRIPT OF THE 911 CALL OF MAY 6, 2014

Dispatcher: Phoenix 911 where is your emergency? Hello? 911.

Homeowner: (Garbled)...please help me. Somebody is trying to get into my house.

Dispatcher: Okay, what are they doing?

Homeowner: They've tried my front door, my front door, and now they're trying to break in my back gate.

Dispatcher: Okay, stay on the line with me, I've already got officers started. Do not hang up. Okay?

Homeowner: (Garbled)...I have a gun in my hands. I'm terrified.

Dispatcher: Okay. I've already got officers already on the way. I'm going to keep you on the phone until officers get there, okay? Just...

(Inaudible)

Dispatcher: ...the back gate now?

Homeowner: I think they're in the back now.

(Garbled)

Homeowner: Somebody is in the back on my porch.

Dispatcher: Somebody is on your porch?

Homeowner) Please hurry! Please!

Dispatcher: Ma'am, they're coming out there as fast as they can. Can you see anybody?

(Garbled)

Dispatcher: I'm not asking you to look but, but did you see anyone? Like, are there any open windows?

Homeowner: No but somebody is banging on my arcadia door.

Dispatcher: Okay. Are you expecting anybody?

Homeowner: No. There's nobody (garbled) outside in my driveway (garbled).

Dispatcher: Like I said, I want to keep you on the phone until officers get there, okay? Do not hang up. I've got a lot of officers...(garbled).

Homeowner: They just broke in.

Dispatcher: It just, they, it just broke?

Homeowner) Yes. They broke my arcadia door.

Dispatcher: Okay, yes, I've got them coming out there. They're coming out as fast as they can. Have you heard any voices?

Homeowner: No, they're coming in right now.

Dispatcher: Okay. Tell me if you see them. Tell me what they look like, how many of them are armed, whether they're men or women, women....

Homeowner: I just saw one.

Dispatcher: Just saw one? Okay. Did you see a person or a shadow of a person?

Homeowner: I see.... Hurry, hurry! They're coming in right now, please, please, please, please!

Dispatcher: Yes. They're coming out as fast as they. I promise you. They're, they're coming out there as fast as they can. I got a lot of officers responding. And, I'm getting, and as everything you're telling me I'm typing in and other dispatchers are giving it to them immediately. They're getting all of this information.

Homeowner: They're breaking out my window.

Dispatcher: Are you in your bedroom or?

Homeowner: My bathroom.

Dispatchers: Yes. They're coming out as fast as they can I've got a lot of officers responding. Is there an alley behind your house?

Homeowner: (Whispering) yes.

Dispatcher: You back up to the canal, right?

Homeowner: (Whispering) yes.

Dispatcher: Yes. Okay. You don't need to answer anything. I'm just going to stay on the line with you. Okay?

(Garbled screaming. Phone dials. Gunshot.)

Michael Lewis: Ow! (Expletive.) What was that? What was that? What was that? (Expletive) did you do?

Dispatcher: What happened?

(Garbled)

Homeowner: Did you think you could beat me half to death?

(Garbled)

Michael Lewis: I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Homeowner: What did you come in my house for?

(Garbled)

Homeowner: I shot him.

Dispatcher: You shot him?

Homeowner: Yes.

Michael Lewis: Oh my God!

Dispatcher: Okay! I've got them, I've got everybody coming out for help. Okay?

Homeowner: Please hurry.

Homeowner: Don't get up or I'll shoot your (expletive) again!

Dispatcher: Okay. Where did you shoot him? Ma'am, where did you shoot him at?

Homeowner: In my house. He's in my bathroom.

Dispatcher: No, no, where in his body?

Homeowner: (Garbled)...hallway.

Dispatcher: Where in his body did you shoot him?

Homeowner: What?

Dispatcher: Where in his body?

Homeowner: He's laying half in the bathroom and half in my hallway. Where is his body?

Dispatcher: No, no, yes, like did you hit....

Homeowner: I don't know.

Dispatcher: Okay. Okay, do you recognize him? Is he somebody....

Homeowner: No. I don't recognize him.

Dispatcher: Okay, so he came into the bathroom where you were?

Homeowner: I'm in the front bathroom. (To Lewis) I said don't move!

Michael Lewis: (Inaudible.)

Dispatcher: What is he saying?

Homeowner: He said he thought the house was abandoned. (To Lewis) Abandoned? (Garbled)...with the car and locked gates and yes.

Michael Lewis: (Inaudible.)

Homeowner: You bet you're sorry you nasty thing. You tried to get in doors. I heard you out there and....

Michael Lewis: (Inaudible.)

Homeowner: Because why should I unlock the door when you're rattling and beating on everything and trying to climb my fence?

(Garbled.)

Dispatcher: Yes there's no need to, the, the officers are going to be there in a few, just about every officer on that side of town is responding out there, okay?

Homeowner: Please get somebody here.

Dispatcher: They're coming out as fast as they can. Are you hurt at all?

Homeowner: I don't know. My face is bleeding from some place, I don't know (garbled). I don't know. He was beating on me.

Dispatcher: He was, who was hitting you?

Homeowner: He was beating on me when he found out I was in here. That's why I dropped the phone and I almost dropped the gun but I ended up shooting.

Dispatcher: Okay.

Dispatcher: I've got them all coming out as fast as they can. They're arriving in the area now, okay?

Homeowner: Yes.

Dispatcher: When, when, when you hear them at the door I'm going to have to, you're going to have to....

Homeowner: I'm not going to walk over the top of this guy.

Dispatcher: No, no. I'm not going to want you to leave the bathroom. I'm going to have them come to you but you're going to have to put down the gun, not near him....

Homeowner: I will.

Dispatcher: Okay. Okay.

Michael Lewis: I'm here!

Dispatcher: I'm going to wait until you see the officers before I disconnect, okay? I'm showing they are there. They should be coming inside.

Homeowner: Okay.

Officers: Police Department.

Homeowner: Come on back, I've put the gun down.

Officer: (Inaudible.)

Dispatcher: Okay. I'm going to let you go now.

Homeowner: (Garbled) okay.

Dispatcher: All right. Bye bye.