Texan Kills Two Burglars

[MrJDGaF]

news.bbc.co.uk/player

He hasn't been arrested let alone charged with anything yet, but if you listen to his call he says that he'll kill them and that they came in his garden, but this would suggest otherwise.

[etccarmageddon]

it wasn't even his house they were walking up to. and they weren't evening in a house?

I'm all for shooting genuine burglars if they wake you up at 3am and they're in your house but this one is all wrong.

[superbiatch]

Originally Posted by etccarmageddon

I'm all for shooting genuine burglars if they wake you up at 3am and they're in your house but this one is all wrong.

I was on training a few days back regarding conflict and an ex-police officer was our trainer. She spoke of what rights we have in our own homes and what we could do to protect them.

Unfortunately you can't actually do that much to protect your home, but to protect yourself you can use something called 'reasonable force'. So if someone comes at you with a baseball bat, you can do the same to them - but if you pull out a knife and stab them, then you've used more than reasonable force as its not equal to what was facing you. At least thats my understanding anyway

The one good thing to come out of it was if i place a sign outside my home to say i've got a dog inside, and they choose to enter - they do so at their own risk, and its completely lawful. I'm sure my staffie wouldn't mind chewing on their leg!

[MrJDGaF]

Not his house, nor did he see them enter/exit the house itself, merely leaving the garden with a bag. Could of arranged to pick something up from there for all he new! With over 50,000 Americans' living over here I'm glad they haven't got guns, not that I'm a burglar.

---------- Post added at 10:23 ---------- Previous post was at 10:18 ----------

Guess I should get a couple of "Beware Of The Dog" signs before I let my Rottweiler or German Shepard loose on any intruders then!

[punky]

I wish I could live there with that Neighborhood Watch scheme.

[MrJDGaF]

Originally Posted by Gavin

I wish I could live there with that Neighborhood Watch scheme.

Might want to make sure you keep on the neighbours good side though, and don't forget to inform the whole street of any plans to visit a neighbours' house.

[etccarmageddon]

the correct sign is DOGS ROAMING FREELY rather than BEWARE OF THE DOG as the latter contains an implication which can be used against you if someone tries for compensation should your dog maul them within your house.

Originally Posted by superbiatch

I was on training a few days back regarding conflict and an ex-police officer was our trainer. She spoke of what rights we have in our own homes and what we could do to protect them.

Unfortunately you can't actually do that much to protect your home, but to protect yourself you can use something called 'reasonable force'. So if someone comes at you with a baseball bat, you can do the same to them - but if you pull out a knife and stab them, then you've used more than reasonable force as its not equal to what was facing you. At least thats my understanding anyway

The one good thing to come out of it was if i place a sign outside my home to say i've got a dog inside, and they choose to enter - they do so at their own risk, and its completely lawful. I'm sure my staffie wouldn't mind chewing on their leg!

It's very woolly, which is the problem.

In the example you gave for instance:

Let's say you were in the kitchen where the asailant cornered you and came at you with a baseball bat and the first thing you could get your hands on to protect yourself was a knife.

But he still came at you so you stabbed him, in self defence, just once and you killed him.

In this instance it is 50/50 whether you would be charged, you would certainly initially be arrested.

As you only stabbed him once you did not use excessive force i.e repeatedly stabbed him to ensure he died. You grabbed what you had near and protected yourself.

If you were to be charged it would be manslaughter - but I would doubt it would get that far.

I think the is about right in this country, you should have the right to protect yourself and your family, but not to kill out of vengence or to teach a lesson. Which is why each case should be investigated on it's own merits.

My advice has always been to buy one of those massive Maglight Torches, as they can be used as a cosh. If you batter someone round the head with it your defence is you defended yourself with what you had in your hand when you went to investigate a noise.

Because if you went down stairs with a baseball bat, the prosecution could argue you went with intent to harm.

[joglynne]

My 4' 10" late mother, bless her cotton socks, had been a Special Constable when she was younger and as far back as I can remember always kept her handbag at her side where ever she was. She always maintained that if she was attacked she would hit her attacker with the bag. That handbag weighed a ton, she would have probably crushed their sculls but she reckoned she would have got away with it.

Luckily her claim was never put to the test.

[superbiatch]

Originally Posted by Pierre

Because if you went down stairs with a baseball bat, the prosecution could argue you went with intent to harm.

I see where you're coming from totally, but i'm always the one asking the 'hyperthetical' questions lol

Anyway, i did tell her i do have a baseball bat by my bed purely cos i'm a single female living in an apartment block and she said that if i didn't want to run the risk of being sued, then buy a glove and ball to go with it

Just more scum off the streets to be honest.

Sure, he shouldnt have shot them, but they shouldnt be commiting a crime, should they?

If you think about it, even if they got caught and went to prison, they'd come out and do the same again, people like that dont deserve the right to life with the misery they cause.

[Sirius]

I have a very heavy Aluminium Baseball bat in my bedroom next to my bed, Just in case i need to break a window to escape in the event of a fire

Honest your honour

[tweetypie/8]

Originally Posted by superbiatch

I was on training a few days back regarding conflict and an ex-police officer was our trainer. She spoke of what rights we have in our own homes and what we could do to protect them.

Unfortunately you can't actually do that much to protect your home, but to protect yourself you can use something called 'reasonable force'. So if someone comes at you with a baseball bat, you can do the same to them - but if you pull out a knife and stab them, then you've used more than reasonable force as its not equal to what was facing you. At least thats my understanding anyway

The one good thing to come out of it was if i place a sign outside my home to say i've got a dog inside, and they choose to enter - they do so at their own risk, and its completely lawful. I'm sure my staffie wouldn't mind chewing on their leg!

if i havent invited them into my home they are not welcome, rest assured if this did happen i would beat the living crap out of them dump them outside of my home and i wouldnt worry to much about police,any half decent peeler would shake my hand

[Woolly One]

Originally Posted by tweetypie/8

if i havent invited them into my home they are not welcome, rest assured if this did happen i would beat the living crap out of them dump them outside of my home and i wouldnt worry to much about police,any half decent peeler would shake my hand

Unfortunately it becoming ever more apparent, that in this country at least. That the law works against the victims, whilst ensuring that the offenders have their Human Rights backed to the hilt

[papa smurf]

wish he was my neighbour,i cant see he's done anything wrong,he had a gun for home defence and he used it correctly,well done sir you are a true American hero