ID: Homeowner runs out of Ammo using "Warning Shots"

Gun Watch ^ | 30 December, 2014 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Bart Bryson, a homeowner in Idaho, discovered a burglar in his unoccupied home.   The burglar "bumped" into him and he fired two shots into the floor.  From ktvb.com:

"A voice yelled at me 'please don't shoot me' and came running at me, and I grabbed my pistol," Bryson said.

The man bumped into him, knocking him back, he said. That's when Bryson fired two shots into the floor.

"I thought, I'll kill him if I have to, because I'm not going to get killed, and I'm not going to get knocked out either," he said. "But the gunshot scared him enough, apparently it scared him enough that he fell down thinking maybe I shot him. I thought I had hit him, the way he hit the ground, but he was just playing possum."

 
Unfortunately, Bart had left his cell phone at home.  Bryson works as a security officer. He had handcuffs in is his car.  He decided to cuff the suspect and take him to police headquarters.  The suspect asked him: would you shoot someone over a burglary? 

But as he was searching for the cuffs under the seat, however, the man bolted, Bryson said. Bryson began shooting again, firing several shots into the ground. He says he did not want to kill anyone over a burglary.

Bart was right in not shooting at the suspect, clearly, as he ran off, the suspect was not a threat.   Sometimes, "warning shots" stop a fleeing suspect, but sometimes, they just run faster.  The gun shots alerted the neighbors to call the police, so they had some positive effect.

The interesting thing is that with all the "warning shots", Bart ran out of ammo!   While everything worked out without anyone getting killed or injured, this reinforces the axiom that you can never have too much ammunition; and that warning shots use a potentially precious resource.  In addition to spare ammunition, Bart will likely be more careful to bring his cell phone with him in the future.  The military has a saying: you have to be able to move, shoot, and communicate.  By the end of this encounter, Bart only had one of those necessities.

©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

[marktwain]

Warning shots remain controversial. In this case, they had mixed results. It is the first time I have heard of warning shots resulting in running out of ammunition.

[Nervous Tick]

I’m glad it ended well.

May not look good on Bart the Security Professional’s resume, though.

[Hot Tabasco]

but sometimes, they just run faster.

Feet don't fail me now!

[driftdiver]

The “would you shoot someone over a” property crime seems a common theme these days.

[Hot Tabasco]

Warning shots in a house? I don’t know, I think I’d rather clean blood out of the carpet than patch walls and ceilings....

[Seruzawa]

Heh heh. The last thing politicians would want would be citizens shooting people over property crimes.

[W.]

I would say “The instant you moved towards me was the moment my no-shoot policy flew out the window!”

[rlmorel]

Holy smokes. If I ever find myself in a similar situation, I hope I have the guts to fire to kill.

I am sympathetic to the concept that the guy sounded like he wanted to surrender, but...who is to take someone like that at their word? I am glad he didn’t have to kill the guy, but having the guy run at you like that...

Firing warning shots to spare the life of a useless no-load, only to lose yours because you ran out of ammo doesn’t sound like a successful defense.

[Jack Hydrazine]

No mercy for the merciless - no warning shots - only two to the head and one to heart. End of story. Do not collect $200 dollars, do not hire an attorney, do not cost taxpayers more money, lay in your grave six feet under.

[rlmorel]

"...The suspect asked him: would you shoot someone over a burglary?"

How the hell would you know with someone running at you like that? I don't think I would shoot someone in the back running away, but if I walked into my house and someone came running at me unexpectedly, even if they were yelling "don't shoot" I think I would probably have shot regardless of what they were yelling. That sounds crazy.

[Gasshog]

Not even a very good rent-a-cop.

You draw your weapon, you draw to eliminate the threat.

Knot put holes in the floor. ; )

[RC one]

If he’s in your house and he’s not supposed to be, you can be reasonably sure that you are in danger of losing your life or suffering grave bodily injuries. I don’t think you could assemble a jury that would see it any other way.

[rlmorel]

"...The “would you shoot someone over a” property crime seems a common theme these days..."

That is so true. It is part of the slide away from respecting property rights of any kind, which liberals, socialists and communists all deride.

The right to own property of any kind, and the focus on that is one of the things has made the USA what it is, the respect for that. There was a time that shooting a stranger you found looting your house would not have raised an objection anywhere. Now, you are likely to be the one prosecuted.

[Cry if I Wanna]

Maybe he didn’t fear for his life? But most reasonable people would have including me. Not too smart Bart! When my husband was a young police officer he saw a case where someone shot bullets into a horse lying in a street. One round ricocheted off the concrete and hit him in the head killing him. True Story.

[moovova]

“...and came running at me...”

Yep, that worked so well for Michael Brown.

[Yo-Yo]

The guy left himself wide open for unlawful discharge charges with all of the “warning shots” outside of the home.

And security guard or not, trying to cuff a suspect is not recommended practice. Hold him at gunpoint and phone the police, or let him run away, but don’t attempt to cuff them.

[G Larry]

NEVER call it a “warning shot”!!

It needs to be close enough so EVERYBODY knows you’re serious.

The perp, at the moment,
and
the Cops checking afterward.

[alexander_busek]

I’m glad it ended well.

With the perp behind bars for a long time? That's the only "good ending" I would be hoping for.

Was that particular outcome even achieved here?

Regards

[MHGinTN]

I wonder how many thieves are reading the story and making plans to visit Bart’s gibmedats store?

[deoetdoctrinae]

If I ever absolutely had to cuff someone I would have to rely on my stockpile of hardware store restraints. ;)