Posted on 03/24/2008 9:14:08 AM PDT by neverdem
If someone breaks into your home, and you have a justifiable fear that he might kill or harm you or someone else, you have a right to defend yourself with lethal force.
It was the sort of incident that never makes it into the official crime statistics – that is, an incident in which a crime may have been prevented by a firearm.
It happened earlier this month in Irvine. Police were looking for a man suspected of raping an 18-year-old woman in her home. As the cops searched, the fleeing suspect, a 27-year-old L.A. gang member, tried to hide by breaking into another home. Inside, the homeowner, a man who had recently undergone defensive firearms training, heard the commotion, grabbed a handgun and confronted the suspect.
The homeowner didn't shoot the alleged rapist, although legally he almost certainly could have. If someone breaks into your home, and you have a justifiable fear that he might kill or harm you or someone else, you have a right to defend yourself with lethal force.
But as I said, the homeowner – for security reasons, he declined to be interviewed or identified by name – didn't shoot. Instead, he shouted at the suspect to stop, at which point the guy ran out of the house. Shortly thereafter he was caught and arrested by the police.
"The homeowner took the appropriate safety steps," Irvine Police Lt. Rick Handfield told me. "And he had had some firearms training, which is an important part of gun ownership."
But did the homeowner's use of a gun prevent another crime from occurring – perhaps an assault on the homeowner or his family? Or would the suspect, who turned out to be unarmed, have fled when confronted by the homeowner, gun or no gun? The police can't definitively...
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
Fixed.
I would choose to shoot first (read: protect my family), consult my attorney later.
Too bad. He'll be processed through the system and out victimizing innocent people once again.
Yep...you can tell where the hippies live b/c all the military bases have been closed or turned into ‘sanctuaries’....but East of the coast there are plenty of god fearing, gun loving, conservatives.....and military bases....
I was accosted in a Publix parking lot at night a few months ago. 3 bangers emerged from their car (which they left running) and approached me while I was loading groceries into my truck. 2 of them had their hands hidden from view.
Homey #1: "Yo, you got da time?" (probably expecting me to take my eyes off them and look at my wrist)
Me: (Drawing my Glock 20 and keeping it at low ready) "Time to buy a f***ing watch, a**hole!" (never removing my eyes from the 2 whose hands were hidden).
Homey #2: (possibly crapping his pants) "Hey man, we don't want no trouble!"
They ran back to there car and fled at top speed as I took cover behind my truck just in case...
Called the cops and gave a description. The police arrived and told me that there had been a string of robberies the past few weeks from suspects matching the description I gave them. Don't know if they were ever caught, but I am in "Condition Yellow" all the time now.
Ya gotta love that 10mm! I just got a Fusion Firearms Longslide 6-inch bbl in 10mm!
I also had a n incident where I did not have to draw, but close. On one sunny Sunday afternoon in Palm Bay, FL, I pulled up to an ATM at Sun Bank. The spot right in front was a handicapped spot. I was at the ATM and a car load of 5 ‘bangers pulled out from the gas station next to the bank and pulled into the handicapped spot right behind me and were arguing about who was going to get me. I had a 380ACP in front pocket, but a Glock 30 45ACP in the car. While they argued I grabbed ATM card and money and sprinted back to my car. They tore out of there as soon as I got into my car and locked the doors. I remember thinking to myself “darn, wish I had something bigger and more shots than this 380 with 5 of them”.
Wasted Years, I also have a Para Ord 12.45 LDA. I traded the Glock 30 in on it because I wanted a traditional 1911 safety. I carry it in a Milt Sparks Versa Max II IWB holster. A great gun! I just can’t shoot it quite as accurately as a good single action like my Fusion Firearms 10mm or my Colt Series 70 Gold Cup Natl Match 45ACP.
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