LUMBERTON — A Lumberton man who shot and killed a suspected intruder Sunday had been the victim of a burglary earlier this month during which a handgun had been reported stolen, according to Lumberton police Capt. Johnny Barnes.
Police have turned the findings of their investigation into the shooting death of 34-year-old David Allen Hinson over to the county District Attorney’s Office, which will make the decision on whether 52-year-old Donald Forbus will be charged with a crime.
Barnes said that on May 4, Forbus received a call from a neighbor who told him that the front door of his home at 106 Hayes St. was open. Forbus returned home to find a door kicked in and holes knocked in the walls. Forbus reported that a $200 ladder, a $300 chain saw, and a .32-caliber revolver valued at $50 had been stolen; none of the items have been recovered.
On Sunday, Forbus told investigators that he shot Hinson on the front porch of his home. Forbus said, according to Barnes, that he had heard a noise outside of his home shortly after 5 a.m. that day and when he opened the door, there was a confrontation with Hinson. After shooting Hinson once, Forbus called 911. Barnes has not released information on where Hinson was struck.
Forbus has no prior criminal history, according to Barnes. Barnes said “at the time of the shooting” Forbus told investigators he did not know Hinson. Several people have left comments on The Robesonian’s website saying that Hinson knew Forbus’ children.
According to Barnes, the porch on Forbus’ home is enclosed, which makes it essentially another room on the home; however, any porch attached to a house is considered to be property that the owner has the right to defend under the Defense of Habitation law.
“There’s been laws on the books since probably the mid-90s that gives the person a right to defend themselves in their home,” Barnes said.
The law, nicknamed the “castle doctrine,” gives a legal occupant the right to use deadly force to protect themselves against unlawful entry into property that person inhabits. In December, the state loosened the doctrine to include a person’s vehicle, workplace, and property surrounding their home.
“The porch had a doorway and no door, but that doesn’t matter,” Barnes said. “Even if it was not enclosed and someone walked in, they would still be breaking or entering.”
Barnes said a detective noted that a window on the front of the home, within the enclosed porch, was broken when he arrived Sunday. A baseball cap, which did not belong to Forbus, was found in the yard.
Hinson has previously faced charges for driving while impaired, simple assault and injury to real property. Hinson’s funeral is scheduled for today. He is survived by two children, and was engaged to be married, according to his obituary.
Sincerly,
Jbird.
Rest In Peace David Allen you were and still are loved.Baby You may be gone but you will never be forgotten. And we will find the truth.
My son was not an intruder but a visitor of the home. He did not steal or try to break into this mans house. This has changed our lives in a very terrible way. This man said my son confronted him. I would really like to know what he said. The paper never said that the man said any thing to my son. Did he just open the door and shoot him. Take him away from me so fast? Took him away from his children so fast? His brothers, sister and father have really had a very bad time with this. I feel like some one has taken my heart out of my chest and stole my soul. I expect justice to be done but i dont feel like it will. When my son was shot, there was no tape put around the scene of the crime. After the body was removed from the so called scene of the crime the shooter was allowed to wash the blood off of his porch with a water hose. My son blead to death on this mans porch and the man, who has family in the police dept. was never hand cuffed or even taken to the police dept. for questioning. This was just been blown to the side like my son might have been some kind of animal. I know my son had some pending charges against him, but i also know the shooter is an ex marine, combat trained and he also has a history of charges for holding some one at gun point and receiving stolen property. This has also been kept from the public. sounds like i may need to call in some one that will be over the investigator, the lumberton police and the DA to make sure justice is done. If this man knew how it felt to lose a child, he would have never took the life of david Jr. If he knew how it felt to have to tell a child that there daddy is gone and would never come back or to have to hold his brothers and sister and try to make them understand why this man took our loved one away in such a brutal way when he could have just told him through the door that he had called the police and he had a gun. David Jr. would have left. The shooter was trained to defend his self and could have probly took David Jr. in one hand while he called 911 with the other. there was no need in the death of David Jr. There was no need in the pain. But now there is a need in justice. I was asked to give the detective a chance to do his job. I will. But if justice is not done and done the way it is supposed to be, I just hate to think what might happen if this man is not taken off of the street. I've heard how he is planning to move, I also thought that was illegal during a so called investigation. My son did not deserve what he got but at least the lumberton police dept. could do is give him justice but I know they won't and he will have died because some one else broke into this mans house and the man decided he would stop the next one to come to his porch. Does this mean that if an under cover cop with a pistal on his side comes on my porch and I look out my window and see him and I feel threatened that I can shoot him through the door and never be hand cuffed or taken to the police station? If it would have been an officer instead of David Jr. on that porch that morning to give that man some information on a family member and he would have been shot and died, the shooter would have went to jail without bond and the house would have been taped up. I really hope these people do the job we pay them to do but I am affraid this man thinks he is going to walk. GREAVING MOTHER OF DAVID ALLEN HINSON JR.
To the Hinson Family, Danielle, lil man, Lexi (Bean), Rikki Lynn & all the family and friends that David loved. My prayers go out to all of you to be able to cope with this tragedy and lose of a man who didn't deserve to go out like this!!
Now to the DA, Law Enforcement, Investigators and ppl with common sense. If the law, nicknamed the “castle doctrine,” gives a legal occupant the right to use deadly force to protect themselves against unlawful entry into property that person inhabits. In December, the state loosened the doctrine to include a person’s vehicle, workplace, and property surrounding their home. Then WE THE PPL need the have something about this law a little bit. Now I am all for the 2nd Amendment and for protecting what WE work hard to have to have someone take it from you… But whoever wrote this law and put it into action was a little stupid. 100% COMMON SENSE needs to be taken into consideration (which is lacking in RobCo). This man who shot and killed my friend, being that he was just broken into on May the 4th according The Robesonian. Why was calling 911 the 1st thing done when he heard some noise outside (the police station isn't barely a mile away). But to GRAB a GUN and OPEN the door and SHOOT this man... That is absolutely STUPID, you're asking for trouble!!! Call 911, Let the Person Know That You Have A Gun & That You Will Shot Them If They Enter Your Home & that you have called the police!!!! I think 9.5 times out of ten the person that is NOT in the home will NOT TRY to ENTER. They may stand there and talk trash or maybe beat on the door. But until that door is OPENED by that Person on the OUTSIDE we have to think logically about things.
Unfortunately this is a mistake that can NEVER be taken back and sooooo many ppl will suffer the consequences of this man's actions. I hope and pray that justice will be done & this law will be looked at a little closer. Until then if we go the visit anyone unannounced, we're all target to get shot.
4 any -body who knew my brother knows him as a hard worker didnt ask 4 nothing i know him better than i know myself and i tell to all he is NO theif or liar and one day if justice is not done by our law enforce officers justice will be taking care of by the GOOD LORD. needless to say as all knows me I LOVE MY OLDER BROTHER AND NO SLEEP UNTIL SOMTHING IS DONE TO THIS SO CALLED MAN THAT DONE THIS TO MY BROTHER HES A COLD HEARTED KILLER AND GOD DONT LIKE UGLY AND NEITHER DO I AND ITS ME AND HE IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY BROTHER DAVID ALLEN THANKS FOR EVERYONE THAT KNOWS HIM AND GAVE LOVE FOR HIM AND FAMILY THOMAS HINSON