"Make my day" Law

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: rgwalt

Originally posted by: NSFW

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

I really don't have a problem with shooting someone who is breaking into your house. None at all. I'm from Alaska for crying out loud.

It just seems to me that this guy was in the process of breaking in (while still outside the house) long enough for someone to dial 911, get an operator (that takes a while) and then spend 30 seconds talking to the operator and not once did the home owner make any kind of verbal warning or threat?

The guy was right to do what he did but yelling "I have a gun!" is usually enough to scare someone away. The idiot is still alive and the homeowner doesn't have to live with having taken a life.

Now, if you shout out and the guy keeps coming, by all means fire away. As for netwarehead's contention that you're giving away your posistion... whatever. Real life criminals aren't SOBER crack shots like in the movies. They're looking for a cheap score at a place they think is empty. (Or they think they are breaking into their own house) Your shout is 99:1 going to run the guy off. Yeah yeah, what about the :1? :roll: It's easy, you're already established in your position, aimed and ready... who is going to win that fight? Nobody is that quick on the draw. And if you see a firearm (which this guy did not in the [guessing] minute or so he was observing the drunk trying to break into his home) then obviously you skip the warning and just fire.

My opinion? The home owner was justified but was presented with a situation where he could leagally shoot someone and took advantage of that. In the back of his mind he had probably been waiting for something like this to happen.

The dead guy was terminated due to his own idiocy but I've not met many people who sit quitely while someone is breaking into their house, while they are still in it, for the length of time this guy was apparently working on the back door.

Like I said, he was justified but I definitely question his character.

Not to disagree, but I disagree. If someone is breaking in, I am going to assume they are armed and know how to use the gun. This isn't a Lethal Weapon movie where the bad guys fire 100 shots and miss every time but the good guy fires one shot and kills the bad guy from 100 yards out. Criminals have just as much experience with guns as everyone else. Thinking that you are somehow superior because you are in the right could get you killed.

Darwin won this one.

I'm with NSFW. I'm not going to risk my life to try and spare someone else's.

R

Replace the word 'character' with 'judgement', that's what I meant. Then read my previous post.

I only pose this... If I had a guy in my sights and had time to think, like this guy did... while I've got the guy dead to rights... with a gun pointed at him center mass while he's fumbling around... me about to make a life altering decision... I would give him a verbal warning. I'd yell something to let him know he's about to be ended...

He hasn't entered my house... although it's obvious that's his intent, he's still outside. One warning... it literally takes half a second. If it doesn't give him pause, he's gone. If that arm keeps looking for the lock, goodbye. If there's some kind of flinch from the other arm... good bye. If he does anything but pull his arm out of my window... good bye.

This home owner, while it was not his legal obligation (nor should it be), never gave him a warning.

I just... have a problem with that.

I absolutely believe in the right of a person to defend their property and life without the spectre of legal prosecution. And that absolutely applies in this case. So I'll say it one more time, the home owner was completely within his rights to kill the intruder. I believe that philosphically, legally and otherwise. I just think, given the situation, he had other options than to kill the guy.

I believe that if you have the time to consider that decision between life and death as this person did, you opt for life.

The sad thing is, this is the kind of thing that gun control nuts use to kill laws that allow home owners to defend themselves and take guns away from law abiding citizens. With great freedom comes great responsibility. This home owner failed in my opinion.

 

[Eeezee]

YEAH HE DRINKS ALCOHOL SO HE DESERVES TO DIE

Holy shit, when did ATOT completely lose its soul?

Seriously, he got confused after having a few too many and was shot dead without even a warning. How is that right at all?

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: Eeezee

YEAH HE DRINKS AND DRIVES SO HE DESERVES TO DIE

Fixed and agree.

 

[gigahertz20]

I live in Colorado Springs and heard all about this story, I think the home owner should have yelled at the guy several times and told him he had a gun, kind of sad to see some young guy get blown away because he was drunk and trying to get into the wrong house.

If it was me, I would have called the police right away, yelled at the guy and warned him I had a gun, then if he still persisted to try and break in, I would shoot through the door at the lower part to hit the guy in his legs.

To me it seems like this home owner wanted to take advantage of the situation, I agree that he shouldn't be prosecuted, but he still was quick in his actions to kill the guy. I'm surprised they couldn't tell the guy was drunk, he pulled up to their house with his truck, starts banging on doors and breaking windows, that should be obvious enough that the guy is not in his right state of mind.


Also, if you go to google maps, you can see the house

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=...,,0,10.228037586529948

I only live about 10 minutes away, maybe I should go knock on the door and ask the couple why they didn't warn him they had a gun......as long as I don't do it at night

 

[daniel1113]

Originally posted by: Eeezee
Seriously, he got confused after having a few too many and was shot dead without even a warning. How is that right at all?

No, he was shot dead for breaking into someone's house while ignoring verbal warnings. Being drunk is no excuse.

Sure, he may not have deserved to die, but given the situation, the homeowner's had every right to defend themselves using lethal force. We have the luxury of judging the situation with knowledge that wasn't available to the homeowner's at the time. They had no idea that he was just a drunk college student. So, if you are going to judge them, or compare your actions in a similar situation, you need to remove all those factors and only consider the information that would have been available at the time.

 

[oddyager]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

Originally posted by: Leros

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
The only thing that bothers me about that tape is the lack of the homeowner yelling "Go away! I have a gun!" or something to that effect.

I want to agree with that. But if you give a warning, you give the intruder the chance to make the first shot.

Shooting the intruder without warning doesn't give him a chance to shoot at you. Seems safer for the homeowner to not give the warning.

Some of you need to read the whole post. If the guy is standing OUTSIDE your house and you're aimed, cocked and ready to go, what chance does he have if he tries to do something? Zero. The moment he flinches like he's going to try something you squeeze.

If the guy is INSIDE the house then you just drop him no questions asked (or warnings given).

I just think, in this instance, while the guy was outside the house sticking his arm through the door (no gun in his hand) the shooter should have said something.

Completely agree with this post.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
An unarmed man was killed by a warmongering, red neck.

Originally posted by: gigahertz20
Also, if you go to google maps, you can see the house

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=...,,0,10.228037586529948

wow almost everyone there has some kind of pickup truck... just sayin'.

 

[Geocentricity]

Right, you'll tell the intruder that you're armed so he can get ready himself to potentially hurt/kill you first.

For those who'd rather warn the intruder: you're already dead.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: Geocentricity

For those who'd rather warn the intruder: you're already dead.

rofl

 

[NetWareHead]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

Now, if you shout out and the guy keeps coming, by all means fire away. As for netwarehead's contention that you're giving away your posistion... whatever. Real life criminals aren't SOBER crack shots like in the movies. They're looking for a cheap score at a place they think is empty. (Or they think they are breaking into their own house) Your shout is 99:1 going to run the guy off. Yeah yeah, what about the :1? :roll: It's easy, you're already established in your position, aimed and ready... who is going to win that fight? Nobody is that quick on the draw. And if you see a firearm (which this guy did not in the [guessing] minute or so he was observing the drunk trying to break into his home) then obviously you skip the warning and just fire.

OK I will give you those odds. 99 to 1. What is at stake here is your life...are you willing to make the gamble? And for what prize if you win? You save a criminal's life? Sorry not worth it IMO. For that 1% chance

How sure are you that "you're already established in your position, aimed and ready... who is going to win that fight?" How do you know all the factors of the situation? Are you sure, for instance, that the guy does not have a partner trying another window at the same time? Or lets just say that opening the door doesn't work and he tries to shoot out the lock. Yah I know now we are getting into what-if territory here, but say that bullet richochets somewhere and kills someone in the house...or hits you? All because you decided to wait... You can make this gamble anytime pal...its your life and your loved ones. I know what I would do if I were in the same situation. End the situation as soon as possible.

And just for the record, I am not a bloodthirsty animal like some people I'm sure will try to portray here. I simply have ZERO compasion and respect for a life that belongs to someone trying to hurt me and I will go to ZERO lenghts to render any kind of assistance or favor (such as shouting a warning etc...) to shit people like this.

 

[NetWareHead]

Originally posted by: gigahertz20
I live in Colorado Springs and heard all about this story, I think the home owner should have yelled at the guy several times and told him he had a gun, kind of sad to see some young guy get blown away because he was drunk and trying to get into the wrong house.

If it was me, I would have called the police right away, yelled at the guy and warned him I had a gun, then if he still persisted to try and break in, I would shoot through the door at the lower part to hit the guy in his legs.

To me it seems like this home owner wanted to take advantage of the situation, I agree that he shouldn't be prosecuted, but he still was quick in his actions to kill the guy. I'm surprised they couldn't tell the guy was drunk, he pulled up to their house with his truck, starts banging on doors and breaking windows, that should be obvious enough that the guy is not in his right state of mind.


Also, if you go to google maps, you can see the house

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=...,,0,10.228037586529948

I only live about 10 minutes away, maybe I should go knock on the door and ask the couple why they didn't warn him they had a gun......as long as I don't do it at night

Wrong...if you use a gun you use it the right way. Aim to kill and nothng less. Do a half assed job and now you maybe cripple, paralyze someone. Now you are faced with a lawsuit, civil suit etc... Do the correct job and now cops only have your side of the story and whatever other facts/evidence they can gather. Who knows what kind of problems you wil get into? What if the guy claims that he was just knocking a your door to ask for directions...obvious bullshit...but do you want to get dragged through the courts to prove your innocence?

And what a retarded example of knocking on the door. Knocking on the door and shooting someone vesus banging on a door, then breaking a window pane and then reaching in to turn a lock are two totally different things. One is criminally punishable and the other is self defense.

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
This is complete bullshit. The guy and his girlfriend were in no danger whatsoever. When the lost guy was knocking on the back door, the couple could have went out the front door and to a neighbors house to wait for the cops to get there. Let the professionals handle it.
This is a perfect example of why people shouldn't own guns. An unarmed man was killed by a warmongering, red neck.

I know if this would have happened at my house, I would have left a glass of warm milk and my slippers by the back door as I left via the front door.

/old atot response

lol dude i was really getting pissed at you until i read your disclaimer...

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
The only thing that bothers me about that tape is the lack of the homeowner yelling "Go away! I have a gun!" or something to that effect.

the law says you dont have to give warning.

 

[Xstatic1]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
The only thing that bothers me about that tape is the lack of the homeowner yelling "Go away! I have a gun!" or something to that effect.

yup. i concur on all ur posts.

a simple "WTF, dude?!" could've sufficed too before the homeowner discharged a couple of rounds.

 

[BehindEnemyLines]

We also need to remember this happened at night around 9:45pm. The outcome may have been different if it were in daytime. However, my heart would be pounding and instantly put into one of those "fight or flight" mode with adrenaline rushing when someone banging on my door and trying to break in minutes later. This response becomes more pronounced at night time.

Someone suggested that they should run out the front door while the unknown person was at the back door, but they couldn't be sure if the unknown person has accomplishes or not.

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: Geocentricity
Right, you'll tell the intruder that you're armed so he can get ready himself to potentially hurt/kill you first.

For those who'd rather warn the intruder: you're already dead.

Depends on the situation really. If there is violent door breaking action then yes, warning them is a bad move. If it is drunk knocking and banging then you will have a very rough series of judgment calls to make and very little time in which to make them.

 

[alkemyst]

Item #933928393:MAKE MY DAY LAW, come break into my house NR NIB!!!!
COMMENTS: Did not make my day, would not buy again.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Train

Originally posted by: amdhunter
Was the murder victim Black? If so, good. If he was White, it's messed up the shooter didn't give some kind of notice.

Unless the shooter was Black, then he should be jailed, regardless of what race the victim was.

sheesh, RTFA, he was drunk, not high on crack. Obviously white, not black.

oh ok now i get it. whites are drunks and blacks are high on crack. glad that was cleared up!

F you racist. Why do you hate white people? Everybody knows its Mexicans that are drunks and blacks are crack heads. White people are perfect, that is why the Republican Party is great and Dem party is full of darky drunk crack heads that hate freedom and America.