[G Larry]

Do you know anyone in Law Enforcement or who teaches self defense, who recommends firing a warning shot?

[JRandomFreeper]

Theory vs. practice. In practice, it worked and he's not in trouble.

/johnny

[Tenacious 1]

Do you know anyone in Law Enforcement or who teaches self defense, who recommends firing a warning shot?

This is a very specific situational issue. If the suspect is approaching you and you can, with high confidence, see he has no weapon (bare hands), I'd argue until the suspect is within 10 yards, he's not yet a threat to your life. Normally I would side with a generalization that "warning shots" are a bad idea. But as with most issues, there must be exceptions.

Consider if you will, had he shot and killed the suspect from 15 yards out, and the suspect was unarmed. Would he have more or less explaining to do than he did with his warning shot?

Personally, I'd have called the police and set up an ambush to protect the structure with my family in it. If the suspects got away with a few things, I'd be pissed but non confrontational. If they approached my house with apparent malintent, there would be no warning shots and I would defend with aggressive violence.

[KrisKrinkle]

“Do you know anyone in Law Enforcement or who teaches self defense, who recommends firing a warning shot?”

In Law Enforcement? How about the Coast Guard who will fire a shot across the bow, which is a type of warning shot.