PunchPaper
New member
As many of you may know, Florida passed a law about a year ago allowing you to use a
firearm to defend yourself if your life was in danger.
OK. That is common sense and allegedly rooted in ancient British law.
The bad news is that there have been two legal tests of it with two separate results.
The first person was acquitted.
He lived in a bad neighborhood and was harassed by some gang members.
They eventually rounded up some of their buddies and drove onto his
property and at him with the intention of "roughing him up."
He shot at the car and killed two of them.
He might have been found guilty of firing additional shots after the car stopped but he saw movement in the car and thought he may be still in danger and fired until the gun was empty.
He was found not guilty.
(The gang repaid him by burning his home down and he has probably had to leave the area).
Next case...
In a more rural of part of our County, a new neighbor moved into
a fancy house earlier in the day.
In the middle of the night, the existing homeowner confronted the new
neighbor while walking his dog around 3am on an easement near his home.
The new neighbor went back to his home and told his parents what happened.
I completely blame the parents for not instructing their son to call the Sheriff but instead allowing him to allegedly return to the man's home with a BB gun.
The guy pulled onto the existing neighbor's property in the dead of night with
his headlights pointed at the front door. He proceeded to bang on the door.
When the neighbor opened the door and saw this and the BB gun, he shot the new neighbor twice with a shotgun.
The existing neighbor has been convicted of manslaughter and may spend 10 to 15 years in jail.
The issue, he should not have fired a second round after the first dropped him.
I think there are other issue at play, like the existing neighbor was considered a bit eccentric.
Another thing, you guys are certainly right when you mention that the
type of gun used will be picked apart. The newspaper mentioned
that he was using a pistol grip shotgun.
Lessons learned? Don't bother your neighbors, especially at 3am.
Two, the law is very fickle. It's hard, in the heat of the moment for
an average citizen to deliver a carefully measured response, but you
will be called to task for it later.
Also, the law is not "blind". You will be treated differently from
a wealthier or more conventional neighbor.
Tough to sort out at 3am when you feel threatened!
firearm to defend yourself if your life was in danger.
OK. That is common sense and allegedly rooted in ancient British law.
The bad news is that there have been two legal tests of it with two separate results.
The first person was acquitted.
He lived in a bad neighborhood and was harassed by some gang members.
They eventually rounded up some of their buddies and drove onto his
property and at him with the intention of "roughing him up."
He shot at the car and killed two of them.
He might have been found guilty of firing additional shots after the car stopped but he saw movement in the car and thought he may be still in danger and fired until the gun was empty.
He was found not guilty.
(The gang repaid him by burning his home down and he has probably had to leave the area).
Next case...
In a more rural of part of our County, a new neighbor moved into
a fancy house earlier in the day.
In the middle of the night, the existing homeowner confronted the new
neighbor while walking his dog around 3am on an easement near his home.
The new neighbor went back to his home and told his parents what happened.
I completely blame the parents for not instructing their son to call the Sheriff but instead allowing him to allegedly return to the man's home with a BB gun.
The guy pulled onto the existing neighbor's property in the dead of night with
his headlights pointed at the front door. He proceeded to bang on the door.
When the neighbor opened the door and saw this and the BB gun, he shot the new neighbor twice with a shotgun.
The existing neighbor has been convicted of manslaughter and may spend 10 to 15 years in jail.
The issue, he should not have fired a second round after the first dropped him.
I think there are other issue at play, like the existing neighbor was considered a bit eccentric.
Another thing, you guys are certainly right when you mention that the
type of gun used will be picked apart. The newspaper mentioned
that he was using a pistol grip shotgun.
Lessons learned? Don't bother your neighbors, especially at 3am.
Two, the law is very fickle. It's hard, in the heat of the moment for
an average citizen to deliver a carefully measured response, but you
will be called to task for it later.
Also, the law is not "blind". You will be treated differently from
a wealthier or more conventional neighbor.
Tough to sort out at 3am when you feel threatened!