An Oregon man who was shot several times after he broke into a business is now suing the company and its owner for $10 million.
Kenneth Voyles is accusing Touchstone Granite & Marble Inc and its owner, James Grant, of battery, assault, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, according the Multnomah County filing.
He is seeking $5 million in compensatory damages and an additional $5 million in punitive damages, according to KPTV.
On March 6, Voyles — who was experiencing homelessness at the time — claims he entered Touchstone through a damaged garage door with the intention of finding shelter.
When he later exited the building through the same damaged door, he did so riddled with bullets.
open image in galleryWhile he was inside the business, Voyles admits that he grabbed and intended to take a drill bag from the business.
Grant was working in a back room at the time and emerged to find Voyles trespassing inside the shop, according to KPTV.
Voyles claims he apologized immediately and that Grant responded by throwing things at him, forcing him to run for a door. He claims he grabbed a pair of bolt cutters along the way to defend himself. His escape was cut short by a locked door.
After Voyles grabbed the bolt cutters, Grant reportedly retrieved his gun and shot him multiple times without warning, the report noted.
The lawsuit claims that Grant shot Voyles several times, told him “you’re going to die,” and then shot him again in the chest from point-blank range.
Voyles did not die, and tried to crawl out through the garage door. As he was crawling out he claims that Grant shot him again, the report stated.
Grant disputed Voyles’ version of events during a March interview. He claims that he found Voyles in his upstairs office and said he followed him to the back of his warehouse, where Voyles became aggressive.
“It went right through my brain that he was ready to attack me,” the owner said in the interview. “He picked up the bolt cutter and raised it, and he was starting to come at me … my life was totally in danger.”
He said he gave Voyles multiple warnings to get onto the ground, but said the intruder refused to go down.
Grant is not the only one named in the lawsuit; Voyles is also suing his company. He justified including Touchstone in the filing by arguing that Grant was securing his business when he fired his gun.