Ex-boyfriend climbed into her apartment — and was greeted with gunfire, Florida cops say | Miami Herald

The burglary didn’t come as a total surprise, the Florida woman said — and neither did the alleged perpetrator.

A 32-year-old Lakeland, Florida, woman was at her apartment around 5 a.m. Monday when her ex-boyfriend broke through her window and clambered into her home, she told police.

Afraid for her own safety, the woman grabbed her handgun and began firing at the ex-boyfriend, according to the Lakeland Police Department. The ex-boyfriend has been identified as 26-year-old Ronald Williams.

The woman fired several shots and hit Williams in the buttocks and legs, police said.

Police arrived at the scene at 5:18 a.m. on reports of a disturbance. But just as the responding officer was trying to figure out the exact address of the disturbance, the officer heard two gunshots, police said. Moments later, at 5:22 a.m., the officer spotted Williams running out of the apartment and into the street. He appeared to have a bullet wound to his knee, police said.

Williams told the officer he had been shot. He was then taken “to a position of cover” so he could get medical care as other officers handled the crime scene, police said.

Williams had previously made threats against his ex-girlfriend, she told police. The ex-girlfriend was worried enough about the situation that she had been asking a rotating group of friends to stay at her apartment, police said.

Police had originally been called to the scene by a neighbor after the woman's friend (who had witnessed the alleged burglary) knocked on the neighbor’s door and told the neighbor to call 911, police said.

Williams, a Lakeland resident, faces charges of burglary and dating violence battery, according to police.

But right now, Williams is still at a hospital being treated for his injuries, police said. The injuries are not considered life-threatening.