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Crime & Justice

Homeless intruder sues Oregon marble shop owner for $10 million after being shot

Kenneth Voyles, a homeless man who broke into a Portland marble business and was shot three times, has filed a $10 million lawsuit against the shop and its owner, James Grant.

In May, Kenneth Voyles, who was homeless at the time, filed a civil suit seeking $10 million from Touchstone Granite & Marble Inc. and its proprietor James Grant after being shot three times during a break-in at the Portland shop. Court filings show Voyles entered the closed facility early on March 6, 2023, intending to steal a drill bag, and later claimed the owner assaulted him by hurling objects and firing his weapon.

Grant contends he only discharged his firearm when Voyles seemed poised to attack, and he released him afterward. Voyles alleges the incident left him with a collapsed lung, chest wounds and multiple fractures, demanding $5 million in compensation and $5 million in punitive damages. The lawsuit also accuses the company of inadequate security and training. Public reaction on social media has been largely negative, with commenters calling the suit baseless and suggesting it should be addressed under theft-by-deception statutes.

Why it matters

The case highlights legal disputes over self-defense, liability for workplace security and the costs of civil litigation.

In this story

homelessbreak-incivil lawsuitself-defensepersonal injurysecurity protocolspunitive damagesonline criticism
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