A 44-year-old homeowner in Lindsay, Ontario, has been charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon after an armed intruder was critically injured during a confrontation inside the man’s Kent Street apartment at about 3:20 a.m. on Monday, 18 August. Police said the occupant awoke to find the suspect in the residence, and an altercation left the intruder with life-threatening injuries that required air-lifting to a Toronto trauma centre. The homeowner, identified locally as Jeremy McDonald, was arrested, then released with a promise to appear in court. Kawartha Lakes Police Service added that the 41-year-old intruder was already wanted on unrelated matters. Upon release from hospital, he faces charges including break and enter, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, mischief under C$5,000 and breach of probation. Investigators have not disclosed what weapons were involved but emphasised that Canadian law requires defensive force to be proportionate to the threat. Ontario Premier Doug Ford weighed in at a news conference on Wednesday, calling the case evidence that “something is broken” in the justice system and asserting that residents should be able to use “any force” necessary to protect their families. Police Chief Kirk Robertson defended the decision to lay charges, noting that officers must present facts impartially and that the courts will decide whether the homeowner’s response exceeded the limits set out in Sections 34 and 35 of the Criminal Code. The incident has intensified debate over whether Canada should adopt U.S.-style ‘castle doctrine’ protections for people confronting intruders in their homes.