BOGART, Ga. -A local war veteran in a wheelchair tells FOX 5 he sent a burglar from his home. Army veteran Mark Sikes of Bogart says he pulled out his pistol as soon as he heard his front door coming down.

Sikes, who is wheelchair-bound, says he was watching TV when he heard a noise, and saw a man standing in the hallway of his home. He says he didn’t hesitate to grab his handgun when he heard the noise.

“I reached and got the gun out of my drawer and kind of raised it up,” Sikes said. “He took off and ran out the front door.”

Athens-Clarke County police are now searching for the suspect. Sikes told FOX 5 the man was dressed in black, and he thinks he had a car waiting for him.

Sikes says following the incident, he's keeping his pistol even closer. He served as a military police officer in Korea, and he has a message for the man who broke into his home.

"Find something else to do besides try to rob people," Sikes said. "Because you came real close to losing your life yesterday."