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FORT WORTH, TEXAS — A woman pepper sprayed and then shot her ex-boyfriend after he broke into her home and began attacking her, striking him three times.

Officers responded to a report of gunshots at the 5500 block of Hidden Creek just after 7 a.m., as reported by WFAA. When they arrived, police found the incident had been a domestic situation where the man entered the woman’s home without permission and began assaulting her.

The woman deployed pepper spray against her attacker first. When that did not stop him, she drew her firearm and fired, striking him three times. He was transported to the hospital with critical injuries. No charges have been reported against the woman.

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What stands out to me about this case is the layered approach to self-defense. I carry pepper spray alongside my firearm, because they are different tools for different situations. There are moments where pepper spray is the appropriate response and a firearm is not, and having that option gives you a way to meet a threat without escalating to lethal force when it is not warranted.

But this incident is also a reminder of something you have to be prepared for: pepper spray does not always work. Some people fight through it. Some are impaired by drugs or alcohol and barely react. The spray did not stop her attacker here, and she had to escalate. Luckily she had a firearm to defend herself with when the less-lethal option failed. That is exactly why I do not treat pepper spray as a replacement for a firearm. It is a complement to one. If you carry less-lethal tools, you should also have a plan and the means for when they do not end the threat.