LONGMONT — A Longmont homeowner who fired a shot into the ground after he found an intruder rummaging through his refrigerator on Sunday morning likely won’t face charges, according to Longmont Police Cmdr. Jeff Satur.

Police asked the Boulder District Attorney’s Office to review the case to determine whether the armed homeowner acted within the bounds of the law when he found a man in his kitchen about 5 a.m. Sunday.

“At this point we think what he did was reasonable,” Satur said. “We are not recommending any charges at this time.”

Catherine Olguin, spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office, said the final decision will likely be made in a couple of days once the prosecutor assigned to the case can complete the review.

Police were called to a home on the 3500 block of Columbia Drive on Sunday morning on a report of an intruder in the home. The homeowner was holding the man, identified by police as Kelly Stuart Carter, at gunpoint waiting for officers to arrive. The couple who lives in the house told police they woke at 4:50 a.m. to sounds in the house. The woman called police while the man armed himself with a pistol and searched the house. He found Carter in his kitchen taking a can of sparkling soda, according to police reports.

The homeowner ordered Carter to get on the ground several times, but Carter initially backed out of the door. The homeowner fired a round into the ground, which prompted Carter to comply with the order to get on the ground, police reported. When officers arrived, they determined Carter was intoxicated and rode a bike to the home, where he likely got in through an unlocked door.

Carter was arrested on suspicion of second-degree burglary and theft of less than $50. He is due in court later today for filing of charges.

Pierrette J. Shields can be reached at 303-684-5273 or at pshields@times-call.com.