Did anyone else see this story? Reading some of the comments after the story left me shaking my head. It truly is a tragedy, however in my book the homeowner had every right to shoot the kid. Moral of the story is, if you don't want to get shot then stay out of other people's homes at 3 in morning.
Burglar Shot Dead
- Thread starter Surely
- Start date
chemdude1232
Active Member
I actually get to use a Naked Gun line:
Frank Drebin:
Mayor:
Kidding aside, the homeowner had every right. The outcome is obviously horrible, but in protection of the owner's home/property/family, he is legally fine.
Frank Drebin:
Mayor:
Kidding aside, the homeowner had every right. The outcome is obviously horrible, but in protection of the owner's home/property/family, he is legally fine.
Archie Moses
Well-Known Member
Is he? (I think that's just Texas) In the article, it said he had two kids in the home. What if he sees time? That would suck. All because some dumbass tried to break in his house.
chemdude1232
Active Member
Good point, Archie. I suppose I just meant in the ideal sense. It depends on how the DA interprets his actions, and whether or not the intruder had weaponry on him or not. But isn't (shouldn't?) he be allowed to assume the intruder has the means/motivation/ability to inflict harm on him/his kids?
Anyone got a link? If this was in Utah the homeowner should be okay. Forced entry into a home gives the homeowner a lot of leeway when it comes to the use of deadly force.
To the OP: I haven't seen the comments you did, but I can imagine. I'm all for gun rights and the right to protect your home, family, property and your own life, but many people make comments of these types of stories that make it sound as if they are just waiting for someone to break into their house so that they can have the opporunity to shoot someone. It makes me shake my head, too. For the most part I'm assuming it's internet tough-guy talk. The people making those comments would probably all need counseling if they actually killed someone who broke into their home. It's not a desirable outcome no matter what.
Archie Moses
Well-Known Member
If anyone is trying to break into my house, I'm going to assume the worst. I'm not waiting. I don't think it's going to look good for this home owner though because the burglar never made it in and the home owner shot him through the screen door.
Stickler
Well-Known Member
Regardless of what the law says on this issue, my gut reaction is this: Did the homeowner warn the burglar before shooting him? Did he call the police when all this was going on? Or did he just basically murder the burglar?
In my opinion, if you see someone trying your door, and instead of making yourself known and informing him that you will protect your property, you simply shoot him, that's pretty ****ed up.
Maybe there's more to the story.
In my opinion, if you see someone trying your door, and instead of making yourself known and informing him that you will protect your property, you simply shoot him, that's pretty ****ed up.
Maybe there's more to the story.
Archie Moses
Well-Known Member
I couldn't disagree more. If you don't want to get shot, don't break into someone's home. What happens if you warn the intruder of your presences and he shoots you? If I was checking out noises in my house at night and saw someone breaking into my house, I don't think I would put my gun down and turn around and call the police. What if the dude has a gun that's breaking in? What if he shoots you or a member of your family because you waited for the cops?
Stay the beep out of other peoples houses, burglars.
Thanks dudes.
Here's my take:
I am a registered gun owner and have been for close to 12 years now. In that time, I have gone over this same scenario 100 times in my head. And I've done this not because Im paranoid but because I want to prepared as well as I can. I find that when you play over a situation in your head over and over and over again, you have a tendency to go into auto mode when the scenario arises.
Here in California, we have the castle doctrine. Wiki it. Anyway, even with that law on the books, there are stipulations of things that you can or can't do. I know if I ever shoot a person entering my place illegally, I'm not going to say a word to the cops once they arrive. Lawyer first. Cops **** things up and I don't trust them. If there is one thing I do say to them, it'll be, "Before I shot him, I yelled out this is my home and I have a right to protect it. I am armed." What this statement does is set the tone of the situation and that I was of right mind and that I was in control.
That said, I never, ever, want to be in this situation. I never want to have to take another person's life.
Here's my take:
I am a registered gun owner and have been for close to 12 years now. In that time, I have gone over this same scenario 100 times in my head. And I've done this not because Im paranoid but because I want to prepared as well as I can. I find that when you play over a situation in your head over and over and over again, you have a tendency to go into auto mode when the scenario arises.
Here in California, we have the castle doctrine. Wiki it. Anyway, even with that law on the books, there are stipulations of things that you can or can't do. I know if I ever shoot a person entering my place illegally, I'm not going to say a word to the cops once they arrive. Lawyer first. Cops **** things up and I don't trust them. If there is one thing I do say to them, it'll be, "Before I shot him, I yelled out this is my home and I have a right to protect it. I am armed." What this statement does is set the tone of the situation and that I was of right mind and that I was in control.
That said, I never, ever, want to be in this situation. I never want to have to take another person's life.
Archie Moses
Well-Known Member
Good post, vinylone.
unluckyseventeen
Well-Known Member
#1 - If you have a stranger forcefully entering your house, you never know what the hell their intentions are and you shouldn't sit around while they walk around killing your family. Your and their safety is the number one priority, so you should do whatever you can to assure you're safe. Sometimes that involves killing somebody if it's necessary.
However...
#2 - Everyone should consider a way to disable a burglar or whoever, because you never want to kill somebody when they are just being an idiot. Killing anybody can't ever be cool, especially if you run through scenarios in which you could have handled the situation without killing them. This is why if you have a gun at home for protection, you buy rubber bullets for it. But things like tasers and pepper spray are safer alternatives that will do a fine job disabling a suspect as opposed to stabbing or shooting them in front of your family.
However...
#2 - Everyone should consider a way to disable a burglar or whoever, because you never want to kill somebody when they are just being an idiot. Killing anybody can't ever be cool, especially if you run through scenarios in which you could have handled the situation without killing them. This is why if you have a gun at home for protection, you buy rubber bullets for it. But things like tasers and pepper spray are safer alternatives that will do a fine job disabling a suspect as opposed to stabbing or shooting them in front of your family.
Worst advice ever. This isn't the movies. No one here can, in the middle of the night, "disable" a burglar. You keep it simple. Shouting out that you are armed is enough of a warning. Killing someone is never "cool." Furthermore, if you have family and/ or children home, the idea that you are going to take a chance on rubber bullets or pepper spray is incredibly myopic.
Archie Moses
Well-Known Member
Terrible advice.
If you are ever in a home invasion situation where you actually have to fire your gun for fear of your well being or the well being of your family, shoot to kill.
Beantown
Well-Known Member
This is one of the reasons I recently got a security system for my home. There also was the story about a year ago when that lady's teen neighbor was on drugs looking for money and thought she was at work (I believe she worked nights as a nurse). She recognized him so he killed her. Also having a young family it makes my wife feel better. I eventually want to get my liscence for a gun as well. This way if someone tries to get in my alarm will go off. Then if they keep trying to get in I will have already been alerted with my gun and feel justified in shooting an intruder.
I also feel like that man was justifed in shooting the intruder. It was probably dark and the intruder could have a gun as well. In my opinion you should never give a home intruder the "benefit of the doubt".
I also feel like that man was justifed in shooting the intruder. It was probably dark and the intruder could have a gun as well. In my opinion you should never give a home intruder the "benefit of the doubt".
Stickler
Well-Known Member
The average burglar has no intention to harm anyone. All he's trying to do is slip into your house unnoticed and make off with your stereo. 9 times out of 10, if you make yourself known, he'll run. 1 time out of 10 you might get a real maniac, who either A) is there to harm you, or B) will decide he has to silence you.
9.99 times out of ten, if you're inside, and there's a guy trying your door, and you turn on your porch light while pointing your firearm at him and tell him that you are armed and you intend to protect your family, he'll run like hell.
Thus, he does not have to die, and you do not have to live with the guilt having unjustly killed some poor *******.
The remaining .001 times, he's confused -- either on drugs or crazy. Both of which are very sad cases. And you might have to kill him. In which case you will know you did everything you could. You gave him fair warning.
I totally agree that one has the right to defend one's family, self, and property (in that order). But there's a point where the crime doesn't fit the punishment. In this instance, I don't know if it does or if it doesn't. If the homeowner did not make himself known, and if the burglar appeared to be unarmed and there was no reason -- other than the fact that he was jiggling the door at three a.m. -- to think he meant bodily harm to anybody, then killing him might not fit the crime.
Certainly I don't think committing a common burglary would warrant a penalty of death.
I don't think your right to defend your property (with gunplay) is absolute.
9.99 times out of ten, if you're inside, and there's a guy trying your door, and you turn on your porch light while pointing your firearm at him and tell him that you are armed and you intend to protect your family, he'll run like hell.
Thus, he does not have to die, and you do not have to live with the guilt having unjustly killed some poor *******.
The remaining .001 times, he's confused -- either on drugs or crazy. Both of which are very sad cases. And you might have to kill him. In which case you will know you did everything you could. You gave him fair warning.
I totally agree that one has the right to defend one's family, self, and property (in that order). But there's a point where the crime doesn't fit the punishment. In this instance, I don't know if it does or if it doesn't. If the homeowner did not make himself known, and if the burglar appeared to be unarmed and there was no reason -- other than the fact that he was jiggling the door at three a.m. -- to think he meant bodily harm to anybody, then killing him might not fit the crime.
Certainly I don't think committing a common burglary would warrant a penalty of death.
I don't think your right to defend your property (with gunplay) is absolute.
Archie Moses
Well-Known Member
This is probably the dumbest, most idiotic thing anyone has ever posted in the history of the world.