An off-duty Milwaukee firefighter who was shot by a would-be car thief is sharing his story for the first time.
Steven Budnowski, 35, was shot in the leg Nov. 11. "I hear one gunshot, and that's when I felt the pain and I fell to the ground," he said.
The shooting happened in the driveway of Budnowski's home after he confronted the shooter as the shooter was going through his car.
"As I'm making my way out of the driveway, I see there's a man standing, going through all the things in my car," Budnowski said.
He thought the culprit was a teenager, and he went to teach him a lesson.
"The guy didn't see me coming," he said. "And I hear someone yell, 'Watch out, watch out!' That's the moment I realize there's another car there."
Budnowski said the thief swung at him, so he punched him back. "I remember watching him fall backward to the ground," Budnowski said. "I hear a single gunfire shot, and that's when I felt my leg."