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Florida man wrestles rifle from suspected burglar

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla.-- Richard Golden was sitting inside his Northside home when he heard glass shatter.

He said a rifle-wielding intruder broke through his glass sliding door with the gun and went in to demand money.

That's when the fight ensued. 

"And 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.  And when he distracted him, I made my move, and I grabbed him, locked the gun in," Golden said.

He said he put the alleged robber, identified as Timothy Hinson of Arlington, in a self-described headlock, and poked his fingers into the man's eyes as far as he could. 

"Dropped the clip, because I had training, military training, and then there was still one in the chamber.  It went off.  I knew I wasn't dead.  I know I wasn't shot.  And then military training took over, and I gouged him in his eyes until I felt his brain," Golden said.

After that Golden said, he sat on the bloodied Hinson until police arrived. "I sat on him and gouged him in his eyes until the cops got here."

"I took his own gun away from him beating him with it," Golden recalled.

Golden's arms are still cut up from the scuffle, and he says he's frankly not sure why he was targeted. He said he'd never seen Hinson before in his life. 

Golden lost one of his dogs because the gate was left open during the scuffle.  

Hinson was treated for his injuries and taken into custody.  He has a court appearance July 30.