Victim says boyfriend shouldn't have been shot
Updated: December 18, 2012
DECATUR -- Amber King watched her boyfriend get shot and killed. She says it never should have happened.
King got into an argument with her boyfriend on Sunday. He became violent so she ran to a house on manor drive for help.
Her boyfriend Matthew Hollgarth ran into the house and was shot by the conservation officer who lived there.
People on facebook and throughout social media are calling Hollgarth a monster.
They're saying he had every right to be shot. But his girlfriend, the victim and who witnessed it all has a much different story.
Flashback ten years. It's when Amber King met who she says was the love of her life.
"He was so funny and goofy. No matter what kind of mood he was in he could always make you laugh." King said.
THERE WAS NOTHING MATTHEW HOLLGARTH LOVED MORE THAN HIS GIRLFRIEND AND THEIR FOUR-YEAR-OLD SON LANDEN.
"We were gonna be together forever. He was my everything. Now he's gone." King said.
Flash forward to early Sunday morning. King and Hollgarth got into a heated argument.
She ran and banged on the door of this house.
"I didn't know what to do." King said.
The man inside was a conservation officer and told her to get on the floor. Moments later, Hollgarth kicked down the door.
"This is stuff you see on TV. I never would've suspected this to happen to us." King said.
After warning him, the officer shot Hollgarth.
"I was just screaming for him and he wouldn't answer me." King said.
HE WAS GONE.
"I know something bad happened, but that wasn't him. It wasn't him." King said.
King says Hollgarth was never violent and had never laid a hand on her before that night.
But says one bad argument, killed the love of her life.
"It's the worst thing anybody could ever go through. To watch the person they love more then anything...take their last breath." King said.
King and Hollgarth's mom say the officer was wrong in killing him.
"I feel as if he probably could've shot him in the leg or the arm." King said.
"He had no right to shoot Matthew to kill him. Matthew shouldn't have died." Hollgarth said.
To these people Hollgarth was a son, nephew, grandson and father. They hope the ones who are labeling as a monster take a second look.
"You can always assume and base stuff off stories but no one will ever know. No one will ever know."
The name of this officer isn't being revealed, but he has been cleared by the Decatur Police Department.
Police say this officer was defending his children who were in the house at the time.
King and Hollgarth were dating off and on for years. They got divorced a year ago. The grounds of their divorce was mental cruelity.
She says they've had their disagreements but nothing like this.
King got into an argument with her boyfriend on Sunday. He became violent so she ran to a house on manor drive for help.
Her boyfriend Matthew Hollgarth ran into the house and was shot by the conservation officer who lived there.
People on facebook and throughout social media are calling Hollgarth a monster.
They're saying he had every right to be shot. But his girlfriend, the victim and who witnessed it all has a much different story.
Flashback ten years. It's when Amber King met who she says was the love of her life.
"He was so funny and goofy. No matter what kind of mood he was in he could always make you laugh." King said.
THERE WAS NOTHING MATTHEW HOLLGARTH LOVED MORE THAN HIS GIRLFRIEND AND THEIR FOUR-YEAR-OLD SON LANDEN.
"We were gonna be together forever. He was my everything. Now he's gone." King said.
Flash forward to early Sunday morning. King and Hollgarth got into a heated argument.
She ran and banged on the door of this house.
"I didn't know what to do." King said.
The man inside was a conservation officer and told her to get on the floor. Moments later, Hollgarth kicked down the door.
"This is stuff you see on TV. I never would've suspected this to happen to us." King said.
After warning him, the officer shot Hollgarth.
"I was just screaming for him and he wouldn't answer me." King said.
HE WAS GONE.
"I know something bad happened, but that wasn't him. It wasn't him." King said.
King says Hollgarth was never violent and had never laid a hand on her before that night.
But says one bad argument, killed the love of her life.
"It's the worst thing anybody could ever go through. To watch the person they love more then anything...take their last breath." King said.
King and Hollgarth's mom say the officer was wrong in killing him.
"I feel as if he probably could've shot him in the leg or the arm." King said.
"He had no right to shoot Matthew to kill him. Matthew shouldn't have died." Hollgarth said.
To these people Hollgarth was a son, nephew, grandson and father. They hope the ones who are labeling as a monster take a second look.
"You can always assume and base stuff off stories but no one will ever know. No one will ever know."
The name of this officer isn't being revealed, but he has been cleared by the Decatur Police Department.
Police say this officer was defending his children who were in the house at the time.
King and Hollgarth were dating off and on for years. They got divorced a year ago. The grounds of their divorce was mental cruelity.
She says they've had their disagreements but nothing like this.
Comments
People who are completely uneducated on self defense issues often say things like "they could have shot him in the arm or leg". That guy brought this on himself when he made_the_decision (get it folks, he's accountable for his decisions) to kick in that door.
Steven H.
January 26, 2013 at 12:59 pm
This article is absolutely ridiculous and skirts around many important facts. I'm glad the Herald & Review had the journalistic integrity to get the story straight. The 911 recording doesn't lie, and this article has no mention or regard that the officer and his CHILDREN'S safety was at stake here as well. I would have been too embarrassed to put a byline on this, too.
Bridget S.
December 20, 2012 at 1:15 am
I find it UTTERLY ridiculous that anyone could blame the officer. A LUNTATIC came into HIS home in the middle of the night. He had EVERY right to protect his family. Anyone who thinks otherwise is INSANE!
Wendy E.
December 19, 2012 at 3:25 pm
people on this makes me sick. did any of you know them personally to say what he was or how their relationship is. NO. when did people loose respect. There is a mother with out a son, a son without a father and a woman without her love. Have come compassion, keep your nasty comments to yourself and leave this family alone. when u have nothing nice to say dont say it at all. She went to the news so idiots will stop the the ignorant comments about Matthew and people continue. No one deserves to die!!!! So why not just keep your nasty comments to yourself and leave this family be!!!!
melissa m.
December 19, 2012 at 1:16 pm
Most abused woman will protect their abusers and that seems to be the case in this situation also.
It is very sad that this gentleman lost his life, but he chose the outcome by not heeding the warning from the homeowner. This woman ran to her neighbor for protection and he provided it.
When you are in someone else%u2019s home %u2013 you respect their rules. It just so happens that this man was a police officer %u2013 he is first a father and a husband and he was protecting his children and family from harm.
Deena C.
December 19, 2012 at 12:24 pm
I live in the neighborhood where this happened and I must say that as neighbors to the officer we are proud of the actions that he took. She ran to his house (I am guessing) because he has an official car parked outside that would indicate that he is some type of police officer and asked for help, which he gave to her. He put his family at risk by doing this. Then Hollgarth knocked in his door and came at him in an aggressive manner and warned him that he had a gun and that he would shoot. Hollgarth then came within feet of him and the children in the home. The officer also told him that children were in the home and he responded that he did not care. I am so sick of the media making law breakers into the sympathic figures! This officer was protecting this woman and his own family. If Hollgarth was not a harm to her then why did she run to the officers house in the middle of the night? The media needs to re-evaluate their stories and quite making victims out of the law breakers!
Marsha K.
December 19, 2012 at 11:24 am
The "victim" ran to a neighbors house to get away because he was so violent....... He kicked down a door to gain entry into the house........ He was warned to stop and didn't........ The officer should be commended for stopping his rampage and not allowing anyone else to be hurt.
Matt M.
December 19, 2012 at 7:40 am
