Good.
Below is Tennessee law regarding self defense of property (yours, and in the next section it has the same statements regarding a third person’s property).
The tricky part of course is what is “reasonable” force. One can’t shoot someone in the back stealing your TV (at least not in Tennessee).
In Washington state some thief was stealing a TV, and the next door neighbor shot the thief in the back with a hunting arrow. It stopped him, but didn’t kill him. The neighbor with the bow and arrow was not arrested. Although some cop said if the thief had died he would have been arrested. (That didn’t make sense to me).
The thing to do is think of this stuff ahead of time. I’m not shooting a guy in the back that is stealing my TV as he is running in my yard back to the getaway car.
2021 Tennessee Code
Title 39 - Criminal Offenses
Chapter 11 - General Provisions
Part 6 - Justification Excluding Criminal Responsibility
§ 39-11-614. Protection of Property
Universal Citation: TN Code § 39-11-614 (2021)
A person in lawful possession of real or personal property is justified in threatening or using force against another, when and to the degree it is reasonably believed the force is immediately necessary to prevent or terminate the other’s trespass on the land or unlawful interference with the property.
A person who has been unlawfully dispossessed of real or personal property is justified in threatening or using force against the other, when and to the degree it is reasonably believed the force is immediately necessary to reenter the land or recover the property, if the person threatens or uses the force immediately or in fresh pursuit after the dispossession:
The person reasonably believes the other had no claim of right when the other dispossessed the person; and
The other accomplished the dispossession by threatening or using force against the person.
Unless a person is justified in using deadly force as otherwise provided by law, a person is not justified in using deadly force to prevent or terminate the other’s trespass on real estate or unlawful interference with personal property.
*ping*
Note the Naifeh name. Kinda rich a Naifeh complaining about crime.
of course it’s coming......cars, busses, did that for us.
Sounds like they ‘tried that in a small town’.
EC
Which state is it? Louisiana? It allows lethal force for protection against property theft? Kudos.