Police say: "Cannot use gun in self defense"

self

[SJackson]

BTW, "If they come back, can I show the gun as a detterent?",

NO. Clearly you'd never be visibly armed in a situation like this unless you feared for your life or your sons. I'm glad everything worked out, but you shouldn't have talked to her. Had they broken in your window, and you were forced to act in self defence of yourself and your son, your words would have come back to haunt you. Hope there's never a next time, but if there is give her the necessary info and be quiet.

[StACase]

mamelukesabre in #29 wrote:

You cannot shoot a fleeing criminal!...that is true. Not even cops can shoot a fleeing criminal, even if that criminal has a fiream.

Yeah, but cops routinely chase fleeing criminals in cars. And in those cases innocent people sometimes become victims. I guess it's another case of the criminals have more rights than innocent bystanders.

[toddst]

What you should do is talk to some of the cops privately without the tape recorders or cameras running. They will tell you as my local cop friends here in the People's Republic of New Jersey that they will be perfectly happy to put an unlicensed gun in the hands of the bastard who attacked you so that there would be no problem.

This does happen, but not just in situations where a "civilian" has been in a self-defense shooting. Think about it.

[Whilom]

Remember that once you place trash at the curb it is no longer your property.

[zip]

Excellent post. It's easier to get forgiveness that to get permission. etc etc

My religion doesn't allow me to fight, I'm a DEVOUT COWARD. LOL

[toddst]

Yeah, but cops routinely chase fleeing criminals in cars. And in those cases innocent people sometimes become victims. I guess it's another case of the criminals have more rights than innocent bystanders.

Be alert. Be aware. Always be in condition-yellow. Don't allow yourself to become an "innocent bystander." You are responsible for your own well-being.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Leave Kalifornia. In Florida one has the right to use appropriate (up to deadly force) to remove someone who is illegally on your property...

[AmericaUnited]

Get a 12 gauge automatic shotgun and pop a few rounds off into the sky. The perp(s) will run like hell upon hearing the deafening blasts.

[wrench]

Had you shot the dirtbags, you would probably have been cited by the game warden. Shooting dirtbags over a junk pile counts as hunting over a baited field.

On a more serious note, you are not allowed to use deadly force to protect property in most locals. Your use of deadly force is justified when YOU perceive your or your loved ones lives are in danger . The 911 operator is not in a position to make this decision. Should some dirtbag get "injured" on your property, it is your responsibility to call for medical attention, and when that same 911 operator answers, make sure you request medical help for "persons unknown appearantly badly injured on my property needing medical assistance". Do not say anything more, nothing about a gun, knife, spear, or amything else. After you hang up, call your lawyer, you will need him.

[scripter]

Do yourself a favor - turn in your guns. You might accidentally shoot the wrong person as you tremble with it in your hands, voice quavering.

Um, no. You couldn't have it more wrong. And I will never sell or turn in my guns.

I was exhausted, irritated, and did not want to do anything that might ruin the adoption process or our two boys. Perhaps if you had to jump through all the hoops of the San Joaquin County adoption process you might understand that. It's been nearly 3 years and the process is almost complete.

If there is a next time, I'll call 911 first as a backup, tell the family this isn't a drill open the safe and ... well, one thing I won't do is talk very much.

[section9]

Yes, you could listen to the dispatcher and let them beat you to within an inch of your life, or you could defend your home and family with something like this:

When it comes to your wife and children, remember the hard and fast rule:

"I'd rather be judged by twelve than carried by six..."

Screw the dispatcher; you don't get a second chance at life.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Planting something is extremely stupid. If you are caught you automatically look guilty regardless of whether you are or not.

If you trully feel that your life is in danger you shouldn't worry about what the law is, you should save your life. (or the life of someone else) Don't shoot someone in the back and you should be okay...unless you live in the Northeast, or the Left Coast.

[scripter]

Hope there's never a next time, but if there is give her the necessary info and be quiet.

Got it and will do.

[scripter]

Solution?

Take your junk to the dump yourself. ( nothing is free )

Sell your guns.

Normally I take my junk to the dump. This was a first and last time using this service. Just too frustrating. I'll never sell or give away my guns.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

I can't help but agreeing with your sentiments...

[Proud_texan]

You cannot shoot a fleeing criminal!...

Maybe in some places but not all.

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/pe/pe000900.html#pe013.9.41

Perfectly okay in Texas. The advice I've most heard off the record is that if you shoot 'em in the back make sure they have a TV in their arms.

There was a case in Austin, a liberal bastion, of a guy who caught somebody sort of breaking into his girlfriends car (my memory is fuzzy on details, sorry), he followed him for blocks exchanging words and then shot him in the back.

No prosecution.

Might be he needed killin'

[grammymoon]

I am a 5'1" 54 yr old lady living in NJ.
Before moving here, I lived on Staten Island, NY. I am part owner of a construction firm that also was on S.I., NY.
About 6 yrs ago, we had a supervisor who put some men on the payroll who's SS numbers were fraudulant.
Our payroll service was unable and unwilling to issue them a paycheck based on their phony SS numbers.
They wanted to get paid.
I must mention that we do asbestos removal and that requires a hundred more times documents than does normal construction.
We were trying to get this worked out when I received a call from my office. My employees there said that a large group of these guys were trying to kick the doors in and get into the office.They were threatening the women working there with all kinds of physical harm.
I told them to call the police and that I would be right there.
As I was changing clothes, my doorbell rang. I lived on a tiny dead end street, the last house on the block. As I looked out the front window to see who it was, I saw a small car filled with disgruntled workers looking very violent and nasty.
I opened the window and smiling said "Oh, yes, I have something for you, one minute".
Well, they thought I was going to let them in, give them money or whatever. They were wrong.

I went to my husbands closet, pulled out a huge shotgun and went to open the door.
I threw the door open, put the barrell to the guy's chest who was standing at my door and told him I was going to blow his balls off.
His buddies who were climbing out of the car, now instantly reversed themselves and looked like the keystone cops trying to get back into the car to leave.
The guy at my door peed his pants right there.Then he started running away.

After hiding the gun in the woods nearby, I proceeded to my office. I arrived to find about a dozen cops, my office staff and the culprits all carrying on.
One cop asked me if I had a gun. I said no I did not. He also asked me if my husband hunts. I said yes. He hunts for his remote control every night,Well, he wasn't too happy with my reply. I told him to go search my house and bye the way fella, can you protect these people from the guys who were threatening them? Well, he replied, they had no proof, except my employees statements! What crap!

Anyway, one cop pulled me over and said the following" I know you did it, my mother is Sicilian and she would have done the same thing. I understand Spanish and these guys thought you had a load of cash in the house, they were going to rob you and probably slit your throat. You did the right thing"..

[lowbridge]

bump