Man shot by police & imprisoned for shooting at metal thief

The law is one sided sometimes but we don't know the entire story. We all know the media will take things out of context most of the time and show only one side of the story, and that side is which ever side is more entertaining and will sell papers.

This may not be morally correct but I was taking with the police chief this past summer and the subject came up about trespassers and invaders on personal property and if it was legal to shoot them if I felt it threatened. The chief told me if you do make sure you kill them because if they survive and talk you will go to jail, but if they are dead you will get off by self defense.

Not I am not condoning shooting anybody, and only doing it as a last resort, but I am not going to let anybody threaten my family or property. I have no trespassing signs on my property and anybody on there without my permission is a threat and will find themselves staring down the wrong end of a double barrel 12ga.

"Make my Day" law here in Colorado may have helped a homeowner with something like this, but may have to show that homeowner felt life was in danger. Benefit of the doubt has gone to the homeowner in most cases.

Here in Florida we have the "Stand your Ground law" . If you feel your life is in danger or bodily harm may come to you, you have the right to stand your ground with deadly force!

I feel leaving the thief alive only makes for a longer time in the courts!

Indiana has a no retreat law..........which is awesome.

Texas law, you dont shoot to kill you shoot to gain compliance. Gaining compliance could mean that they are unable to resist your command.

So if you are shot and being told do not move and you keep moving you are resisting, they may keep shooting to gain compliance.

That is Texas state law in the short (no I did not say word for word) from the time I took a Level 3 commission and soon to be CHL....I have a small background in firearms and weapons.

I think every man and woman should have the right to use reasonable or deadly force (when necessary) to protect themselves, their friends/family, and their property in any situation.

In my opinion, if someone is smart enough to steal or threaten one's self or property, they are well aware of any person's 'human instinct' to react with force and are willingly taking that risk by doing so.

I have a hard time figuring out what side to be on....

Shoot someone that is stealing a lawnmower. He repairs them so it probably looked like scrap. No, I don't agree with that. Even if someone was stealing my car I wouldn't shoot them... what's a life worth, even a thief? Why is he stealing? Lost a job? hungry kids at home? to lazy to work? Shoot him and you can find out latter... we have all been down on our luck and what if this guy really didn't think he was stealing anything... I read a lot of stories that borderline on this just here on this forum.

This is a forum of scrappers... what would you do if some naked guy comes out and calls you a thief and shoots at you? Try to explain yourself, he shoots again. Try to pay him, he shoots again... run... drive away... he keeps shooting.... Scary stuff.

Now, I hear lots of people saying he was justified. OK, even if he was a thief I wouldn't kill over it. I just wouldn't. Even if I could get away with it by planting a pipe next to the corpse.

Do whatever you need to do to protect yourself and family... yeah. Self defense. I could live with myself for self defense. Scary stuff.

The police... yeah. what a joke. he should have tossed the gun down the moment a squad car pulled up. They should have given him more then a second to react. But, then again, a couple cops here in town approached a guy sitting in his car after getting into a fight with his girlfriend. They asked him to get out... he shot and killed one of them instead. You just don't really know, so I would hate to be in the Cops position also.

"what ever force necessary" is the key, killing is the last resort, and is an unforgetable event for every one involved. includin you. The "thwack" sound a bullet makes when hitting a tree near your head is also unforgettable and without getting too graphic, many times causes bodily functions that are also unforgettable. I personaly am much more afraid of reaction from a stop by todays cop on street then I am a thief. Yes I do agree desperate people do desperate things.

I don't think any members here were saying they would come out guns a blazing.

Originally Posted by wdaddy

I have a hard time figuring out what side to be on....

Shoot someone that is stealing a lawnmower. He repairs them so it probably looked like scrap. No, I don't agree with that. Even if someone was stealing my car I wouldn't shoot them... what's a life worth, even a thief? Why is he stealing? Lost a job? hungry kids at home? to lazy to work? Shoot him and you can find out latter... we have all been down on our luck and what if this guy really didn't think he was stealing anything... I read a lot of stories that borderline on this just here on this forum.

This is a forum of scrappers... what would you do if some naked guy comes out and calls you a thief and shoots at you? Try to explain yourself, he shoots again. Try to pay him, he shoots again... run... drive away... he keeps shooting.... Scary stuff.

Now, I hear lots of people saying he was justified. OK, even if he was a thief I wouldn't kill over it. I just wouldn't. Even if I could get away with it by planting a pipe next to the corpse.

Do whatever you need to do to protect yourself and family... yeah. Self defense. I could live with myself for self defense. Scary stuff.

The police... yeah. what a joke. he should have tossed the gun down the moment a squad car pulled up. They should have given him more then a second to react. But, then again, a couple cops here in town approached a guy sitting in his car after getting into a fight with his girlfriend. They asked him to get out... he shot and killed one of them instead. You just don't really know, so I would hate to be in the Cops position also.

I think the only time people should be shooting at other people is in defense of their own lives or someone else's. Stealing, though reprehensible, is not a capital offense and we are not judge and jury in what could easily be a misunderstanding. Trigger happy people (or cops) scare the @#$% out of me!