79-year-old former bull rider knocks out intruder (VIDEO)

GlobalPost

Don't mess with Texas.

A 79-year-old former bull rider knocked out a home intruder apparently high on bath salts with his bare hands, League City police Sgt. Tamara Spencer told ABC News.

More from GlobalPost: OMG! First use of abbreviation discovered (VIDEO)

A member of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, Ervin Brittnacher woke up early Monday to noises outside his home and found a man with a rifle standing in his front door, asking for his girlfriend.

“I figured there’s a whole lot of ways I can do this. And I don’t want to shoot him,” Brittnacher told KHOU of the night Brian Smith, 38, is accused of storming into his home.

More from GlobalPost: Socialism, capitalism top this year's list of most-looked up words

Rather than panic, Brittnacher throat punched Smith and gave him a karate chop to the side of the neck, knocking Smith out cold.

“He was so calm,” Spencer told the New York Daily News. “He said to me, ‘You know, I used to own a nightclub, and I know it’s not a good idea to talk to a man with a gun, so I just took it from him.”

Smith is charged with attempted burglary and remains in jail on a $40,000 bond, according to The Associated Press.

Help keep The World going strong!

The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.

Make a gift today to help us reach our $25,000 goal and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer.