US father shoots 'peeping Tom' outside daughter's window

The parents did not initially believe their daughter. Photo / Getty Images (posed by model)

A US father shot a man outside his home, telling police he was peeping into his young daughter's room.

The violent confrontation came after the girl reportedly tried to tell her parents that a man had been watching her at night, but they never believed her.

The incident occurred in Harris County, Texas, on Sunday night and was reported by the local ABC13 news station.

Harris County sheriff's deputies said that the girl's parents, alerted by their daughter's screams, confronted the intoxicated man when they found him touching himself outside of their daughter's bedroom.

Police said the man attempted to apologise and walk away, but was chased by the girl's parents.

The parents, both armed with handguns, then pursued him to a nearby petrol station where a struggle ensued.

Police said that both parents are licensed handgun carriers.

While the man went inside to ask staff to call police, his wife held the man at gunpoint outside.

The father told police that he was forced to shoot the man when he grabbed his wife's gun and pointed it at her.

He told ABC13 that he shot the alleged peeping Tom four times, including two shots in the chest and one in the stomach.

He survived the shooting and was transported to hospital in a critical but stable condition.

Tragically, the desperate dad said that his daughter had previously complained that someone was watching her through her window - but they had not believed her claims.

The case has now been turned over to the Harris County District Attorney's Office, which will decide whether to file any charges.