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Think twice before using deadly force
KHOU Houston ^ | Thursday, November 29, 2007 | Dave Fehling / 11 News

Posted on 12/03/2007 1:52:49 PM PST by YCTHouston

You may have one at home right now: a gun.

Would you use it to stop someone who’s stealing from you or from your neighbor?

It’s what happened earlier this month in Pasadena, but using deadly force can have repercussions that could cost you far more than whatever it was the thieves were after.

(Excerpt) Read more at khou.com ...


TOPICS: US: Texas
KEYWORDS: banglist; ccl; houston; selfdefense; texas
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To: Lancey Howard

NEVER LIE TO COPS OR JUDGES.

They’re professional lie detectors, finely calibrated and backed up by a team of professionals with unlimited budgets.


61 posted on 12/03/2007 3:06:51 PM PST by ctdonath2 (The color blue tastes like the square root of 0?)
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To: joebuck
Question! If an intruder knew ahead of time that you had fire power equal or more than he do you think he would pass you up? The libs want to disarm the law abiding public and allow the criminals to run wild. These are the people we voted for to protect us through sane policies and harsh sentences. Yeah right!
62 posted on 12/03/2007 3:07:18 PM PST by ronnie raygun (Id rather be hunting with dick than driving with ted)
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To: YCTHouston

In Florida before the passage of the Florida “Castle Doctrine” the rule was you had to retreat if opssible before using deadly forsce, today thankfully that is no longer the case.

http://www.gunlaws.com/FloridaCastleDoctrine.htm


63 posted on 12/03/2007 3:08:16 PM PST by DoingTheFrenchMistake
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To: JillValentine
A young woman is walking to her car at night, in a dark parking lot. She sees someone breaking into her car. She is carrying a gun with her and draws it, ordering the criminal to put his hands up. Instead of surrendering, the criminal pulls out a knife and charges her. She shoots him.

Should she have retreated and called the police, knowing that the criminal might steal her car before the cops got there? Should she really be accused of escalating the situation when it was really the criminal who not only started the whole thing by breaking into the car, but escalated it when he pulled a knife and attacked?

Under the new Texas law, she has no duty to retreat from her home, business, or vehicle.

64 posted on 12/03/2007 3:10:20 PM PST by Paleo Conservative
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To: spunkets; JillValentine
Just have your hand on the gun, but don't expose it. If the clown fails to back down and walk away, and instead moves towards you, expose it and smile. If he continues to move forward, don't break the smile, just the silence.

Why give the criminal a fair chance to harm you? Shoot first!

65 posted on 12/03/2007 3:13:16 PM PST by Paleo Conservative
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To: rednesss
"Under the Garner "fleeing felon standard,"

Those three standards/conditions are beyond what the Arlington, Texas PD comprehends.

About six weeks ago a guy killed several people in Fort Worth and kidnapped a young child. He dropped the child off in SE Arlington and told that person that he had more people to take care off.

The Arlington PD cornered him in his vehicle on a residential street. SWAT was called out and he was confined in their perimeter as a confirmed armed, Capital Murder suspect.

After a six hour stand off, the actor drove around the SWAT vehicle and escaped. A vehicle chase ensued and he crashed into Lake Arlington and then shot himself. No LEO fired a shot at the fleeing felon. The APD said that they didn't have a plan to stop such a person.

66 posted on 12/03/2007 3:13:46 PM PST by Deguello
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To: YCTHouston

Interesting how certain black thugs consider the “hood” their sanctuary. Looks like Quantrel X found out what a white “hood” is. I bet he never expected it. Bwahahahahahahahahaha.


67 posted on 12/03/2007 3:15:36 PM PST by Parley Baer
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To: Paleo Conservative
"Why give the criminal a fair chance to harm you?"

I'm a sport.

68 posted on 12/03/2007 3:19:29 PM PST by spunkets ("Freedom is about authority", Rudy Giuliani, gun grabber)
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To: YCTHouston
Anybody who owns a weapon for self defense has to have shoot and don't shoot rules preplanned for every situation he might encounter. When the time comes, he might be killed while he is trying to figure it out.

Is it better to err on the side of staying alive or is it safer to be dead?

69 posted on 12/03/2007 3:21:22 PM PST by OldEagle
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To: YCTHouston
If you decide you are going to confront a crook remember: B.A.L.K.S.

Background; what's behind your intended target? A schoolyard?

Age; Is the target going to turn out to be a juvenile?

Last resort; Will a jury find that you didn't use any other means to apprehend or stop the attack?

Knowledge; Is the crime being committed by the crook a FELONY or likely to result in great bodily injury?

70 posted on 12/03/2007 3:22:29 PM PST by oneolcop (Take off the gloves!)
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To: YCTHouston
He recommends hiding or running if the intruder is in your house.

I’ve got two kids and a wife to protect. If someone is already in my house I will automatically assume they mean harm as I pull the trigger.

71 posted on 12/03/2007 3:26:47 PM PST by 2111USMC
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To: 2111USMC

Overall, I thought it was a pretty balanced article, but the author did forget to make that point. Whether you’re alone in the house or have a family in there with you makes a big difference. Someone who wanted to write an article about self-defense should have taken that into account.

I live alone right now, so if someone broke into my place I could retreat to the back room with a gun in my hand and call 911, only shooting the intruder if he came into that room. But if I had a husband and children to worry about, the intruder might kill them if I retreated, so I’d have to go after the intruder. That’s why “must retreat” laws are so dangerous.


72 posted on 12/03/2007 3:39:39 PM PST by JillValentine (Being a feminist is all about being a victim. Being an armed woman is all about not being a victim.)
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To: YCTHouston

http://www.blogsofwar.com/

Wow! I *heart* Texans!


73 posted on 12/03/2007 3:40:38 PM PST by Ladysmith ((NRA, SAS) I’m paranoid. The only question is, am I paranoid enough?)
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To: YCTHouston
"...using deadly force can have repercussions that could cost you far more than whatever it was the thieves were after.

If I wake up and find someone in my home, I don't plan to assume that they are just there for my ratty old VCR nor do I plan to take the time to ask. I think I can safely assume that anyone brazen enough to break into my home is there to do grievous injury to my family and will act accordingly.

Anyone who decides to own a gun for home protection needs to first sit down with themselves and decide if they could ever use it against another person and under which conditions they would do so.

Criminals who break into homes would do well to understand that most people who own guns have had that talk with themselves and won't hesitate to use their weapons and defend their homes and families.

74 posted on 12/03/2007 3:45:15 PM PST by mountainbunny
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To: andy58-in-nh
Number of rounds in US=X

Number of lawyers in US=Y

X>Y

75 posted on 12/03/2007 3:48:26 PM PST by magslinger (cranky right-winger)
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To: LoneRangerMassachusetts

Good luck with that, tell it to the judge, I’m sure he’ll believe you.


76 posted on 12/03/2007 3:53:02 PM PST by rednesss (Fred Thompson - 2008)
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To: YCTHouston

“Defend yourself if necessary, but hide or run.”


How about “cower and whimper”? How about, “crawl around on the ground and beg for mercy”?
Maybe I’m too stupid to learn these survival skills!
If you ain’t in my yard, at 3AM, trying to steal my motorscooter, it won’t matter.
If you really want to succeed in life just stay in the “hood”, and prey on the other “homies”. I really don’t care if you mug Rudy, and steal his sneakers, your crap ain’t going to fly around here!
If you decide to go out, invade someone else’s home, or business, and steal one damned stick of gum, and someone wastes your butt, tough sheeat!


77 posted on 12/03/2007 3:53:23 PM PST by SWAMPSNIPER (THE SECOND AMENDMENT, A MATTER OF FACT, NOT A MATTER OF OPINION)
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To: Malone LaVeigh
Even if you are involved in a righteous shoot and you escape any criminal prosecution, you can still find yourself dragged into court in a civil wrongful death suit. You're now facing legal fees that could easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars, even if you win. If the judgement goes against you, you could lose everything you own.

This isn't true everywhere. In some places, if you have defended yourself or your home legally, you cannot be held liable for anything. The criminal's family cannot sue you in Colorado, for example.

I completely agree that nothing I own is worth another person's life, but if they break into my home while I'm there, I'm not going to assume they are there to steal things, but to hurt someone.

78 posted on 12/03/2007 3:53:38 PM PST by mountainbunny
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To: rednesss
http://cbs11tv.com/watercooler/Arlington.Police.Department.2.592240.html

*Snip..."Authorities say that on Oct. 12, Arthur Jackson, 32, shot his 36-year-old estranged wife and her two children, ages 13 and 7. Jackson then drove to an Arlington church and handed over his 3-year-old daughter, who was covered in blood but uninjured."

...Despite being blocked in by heavy equipment and armed officers for more than six hours, Jackson somehow managed to slip out and drive away.

..."I'm confident it won't happen again," (APD Chief)Bowman said. After reviewing the report the Arlington City Council agreed that while mistakes were made, good police work prevented others from being hurt.

79 posted on 12/03/2007 4:03:29 PM PST by Deguello
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To: ctdonath2

sounds to me like being a robber is a risky profession, especially here in Texas.


80 posted on 12/03/2007 4:11:00 PM PST by cowtowney
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