Florida man calling himself ‘The Beast’ gouges eyes of armed home intruder

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (WFLA/CNN) – A Florida man is calling himself “The Beast” after fighting back against a home intruder and taking gruesome action to keep him subdued until police showed up.

Richard Golden of Jacksonville was sitting in his home when he heard glass shatter. He says a man broke through his sliding glass door with a rifle and demanded money. 

But Golden says he didn’t give in. He fought back.

“He hit me in the head with a rifle and a buddy of mine just happened to come up at just the right time and distract him,” Golden said. “And when he distracted him, I made my move and I grabbed him, locked the gun in.”

Golden told WJXT he put the man, later identified as Timothy Hinson, in a headlock. He then poked his fingers into the man’s eyes as far as he could.

“Dropped the clip, because I had military training, then there was still one in the chamber,” Golden said. “It went off. I knew I wasn’t dead, I knew I wasn’t shot. And then military training took over and I gouged him in his eyes.”

But Golden didn’t let up then. He made sure Hinson couldn’t escape before police arrived.

“I sat on him and gouged him in his eyes until the cops got here,” he said. “I took his own gun away from him, beating him with it.”

Golden still has cuts on his arms from the struggle. He also lost one of his dogs who managed to escape during the scuffle.

He told WJXT he doesn’t know why he was targeted and said he’s never seen Hinson before in his life.

Hinson was treated for his injuries and taken into custody.