Wrestling legend thanks law enforcement after man breaks into his Midlands home

Noah Feit
·2 min read
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When a man on the run from someone he thought was going to kill him broke into the Midlands home of a legendary professional wrestler, it sounded like a recipe for disaster.

Especially since during the height of his popularity, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan was known for taking on “tough guys” with his 2x4.

But it turned out that nobody was hurt and the night ended peacefully for everyone, the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.

Duggan, 68, was so pleased with how the incident was handled that he and his wife, Debra Haynes Duggan, paid a visit to the sheriff’s headquarters to meet with the dispatcher and deputies the couple interacted with after calling 911 on Dec. 8, 2022.

Pro wrestling great “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, third from right, and his wife Debra Duggan, second from left, are pictured with members of the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office. That includes, from left, Master Deputy Harrison Wells, Cpl. John Patton, Brenda Johnson, Lt. Ben Royalty, and Deputy Joshua Chavis.
Pro wrestling great “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, third from right, and his wife Debra Duggan, second from left, are pictured with members of the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office. That includes, from left, Master Deputy Harrison Wells, Cpl. John Patton, Brenda Johnson, Lt. Ben Royalty, and Deputy Joshua Chavis.

“Debra and I (met) with the dispatcher and sheriff’s deputies that helped us with the home intruder last month!!” Duggan said in a Facebook post, where he signed off with his signature exclamation. “Thank You to the great people at the Kershaw County, SC Law Enforcement Center!! HOOOOOOOO!”

The man broke into the Duggans home, and it was ultimately determined he was running from someone he thought was trying to kill him, the sheriff’s office said.

“He entered ‘Hacksaw’s’ residence to evade the person chasing him,” the sheriff’s office said. “Yes, he jumped out the frying pan into the fire.”

The man climbed the Duggans fence, ran through their yard and was pounding on the couple’s glass front door, according to “Hacksaw.”

The iconic pro wrestler safely detained the man as Debra called 911, according to the sheriff’s office. In an interview with Wrestling Inc., “Hacksaw” said he took down the “hysterically frightened” man and held him at gunpoint with a .44 caliber pistol while the sheriff’s office was called.

Deputies quickly responded to the Duggans’ home and the incident was resolved, the sheriff’s office said.

Despite his intimidating reputation, “Hacksaw” told Fox News the incident was “terrifying.”

He said the couple are safe and suffered no property damage.

“Jim and Debra are great people and always supportive of law enforcement,” Sheriff Lee Boan said after the visit. “We were more than happy to give them some support during this unforgettable incident. We are proud to call them our fellow Kershaw County citizens.”

“Hacksaw” was inducted into the WWE’s Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2011.