Home breakin scenario I have trouble with

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mattro

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I have worked through alot of situations where there is imminent threat of serious injury or death to me or soemone else, and I am comfortable how I THINK I would respond. But this scenerio gives me trouble?

Scenerio:
Bump in the night, grab surefire and pistol. In garage you find a punk carrying toolboxes or other expensive stuff out the back door. You shine light and point gun telling him to stop. He drops the stuff then...
What if he runs or walks away? What is he runs with your stuff? I know you don't shoot but I don't want him to get away. If he has your stuff, do you pursue, tackle, risk physical confrontation (he probably at least has a knife). Grappling in the dark has to be bad - knives, HIV, etc. Pursue until he wears out? Indiana law provides for using deadly force for protecting property, but I haven't read up on the particulars.

Thoughts? :confused:
 
We need more info to answer your question. First of all, are you willing to kill someone over your used tools?
 
My personal litmus test is: Does this person pose a threat to my life? Does he have a weapon? Can I see both his hands?

Pursuit? Hmm, well, does he have a getaway driver outside waiting? An accomplice outside the door? What weapons do they have at their disposal?

It seems to me that if they run, you can still keep them covered with your weapon (preferably as you take cover, it is possible for a person to draw their gun as they run from you and take a shot as they half turnaround) until they have escaped. You can still provide a good description of the individual to police when they arrive to take your report.

Whether or not a state allows for the use of deadly force to protect Property, is immaterial to the individuals decision to only use deadly force when their life is endangered, or that of someone elses.
 
First mistake, IMO, is going hunting through your house for the intruder. That's movie stuff. BARRICADE. Call the police. Shout that you're armed and for them to leave. If they come in and come into the room you're in, shoot them.

Otherwise, unless you're twenty miles from the nearest authorities, let the cops look around in the dark for them. If you go hunting around, they might have a partner that'll come up behind you as you confront them.

That's it.
 
If he's running away, I can't shoot him but I can give him just 1 more tool in a very unfriendly manner. I don't know Judo or any such, but I do have a black belt in lug wrench.

Maybe I'd just let the dogs do some chewing until he asks me to call the cops and paramedics. I sure hope I could hear his request over the noise the puppies make when they are having a good time.
 
The redneck answer (and I can say that cause Ima redneck) is shoot him then drag him inside. But it might be a little hard explaining how a pool of the criminal’s blood got on your garage floor. Sorry to say this, but let him go. I know that's probably not what you want to hear, but it’s kind of your only option. If you do not fatally injure the person stealing your tools then he is going to sue and probably going to win (don't ask me why or how but it happens all the time). Even if he takes off with a few tools, let him go. He will remember you and chances are he will not be revisiting your home, at least if your car or truck is parked in the drive way.
 
I Love Texas....

In Texas, the law authorizes the use of deadly force to protect property to prevent the imminent commission of arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, theft during the nighttime, or criminal mischief during the nighttime. Texas Penal Code §9.42.

Whether it's worth it is something else entirely. But it's an option in this state.
 
since criminals steal and destory and since used tools create and build, I would say the tools are more valuable than that sorry sack of garbage stealing them.

You can chase him and make a citizens arrest. Of course if he does have tools, he also has weapons (screw drivers, hammer, monkeywrech)
 
In Texas, the law authorizes the use of deadly force to protect property to prevent the imminent commission of arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, theft during the nighttime, or criminal mischief during the nighttime
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Yeah, but if he's running away, is it still legal to shoot him?

Personally, I wouldn't. I'll shoot when I'm in danger, and shoot to kill. But not when someone is stealing my ratchet set. I'd rather buy new stuff than take a life I didn't have to.
 
If he is carrying somthing I could catch him. If he drops it and runs he gets away. If he turns to fight and has a weapon (knife, bat, etc) he has pretty much forfeited his life. If he is unarmed and attacks... it could get interesting but If I thought he was going to kill me (vs a distracting wrench thrown my way to cover getaway) he would be toast.
 
Call the police on his silly rear. The best response would be to let him go. Still, I like to throw stuff. ;) I might just decide to let him have one more tool. A nice one inch wrench to the back of the head would do wonders. Being pretty good with throwing knives, it wouldn't be too hard to ping his hard-drive one good time. LOL, I can see the swelling already :D
 
Yeah, but if he's running away, is it still legal to shoot him?
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I'm pretty sure it is if he has your property. I can't swear to it but the law here is stacked very heavily in favor of the law abiding citizen.

I personally wouldn't shoot at someone retreating with or without my stuff. There's a couple of things I am thinking about that I might do to scare the crap out of him and "suggest" he surrender, but if that didn't work, the stuff is gone.

+1 to barricade and call cops IF you know theres an intruder or highly suspect it. My thought would be the scenario would get to the encounter stage if I thought there was an animal in there or some such and didn't know it was an intruder. Interesting to ponder though.
 
After my father died, mom lost some tools in her garage to night time thefts. I installed a peep hole in the door to the house & wired a new garage light switch inside the house. Of course, mom being in her 60's forgot all about the peephole one night, flipped on the light and opened the door. The thief was mightily surprised that an angry doberman was suddenly in the garage with him. :eek: Cops came and ordered him off the roof of the car. :D

My view on this is that if the thief flees, you have very little justification for shooting him. Though I will say that any thief who sees you with a gun who then calmly starts walking away is more dangerous than a runner. I'd keep him in my sights until he was gone and then stay alert while calling the PD.

Still, a friend once had this happen and yelled to the guy "Do you want to die?" as he fled. He stopped and the cops carted him off.

Well you shoot him then insert a knife in his hand,simply self defence.
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No! No! NO! This is called evidence tampering and can get you some serious time in jail. Even if your shooting was marginal you have a chance to beat it in court, but that falls to zero if you altered or planted evidence.
 
First mistake, IMO, is going hunting through your house for the intruder. That's movie stuff. BARRICADE. Call the police. Shout that you're armed and for them to leave. If they come in and come into the room you're in, shoot them.
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I am sorry, but that is BS. Talk about the feminization of men in america! I will not cower in my room every time I hear a bump in the night and wait for LEO, while the perp goes thru my house to get me and my family of 6 that are spread out through the house.

Your suggested cowardice is much closer to movie stuff. Call the cope so they can come search my house? I hope you are kidding... If I did that, I would hope my wife would tell me I am a joke.

Not in my castle, with my family. Not trying to be a hard ass, but that is rediculous. :barf: :mad:
 
I am sorry, but that is BS. Talk about the feminization of men in america! I will not cower in my room every time I hear a bump in the night and wait for LEO, while the perp goes thru my house to get me and my family of 6 that are spread out through the house.

Your suggested cowardice is much closer to movie stuff. Call the cope so they can come search my house? I hope you are kidding... If I did that, I would hope my wife would tell me I am a joke.

Not in my castle, with my family. Not trying to be a hard ass, but that is rediculous.
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Bad response. You don't know how many there are, how armed they are, where they are all at within your house, etc.
Yes, if you need to move to gather family to one area that's one thing but if you go looking for the perp without needing to do so you, you better make sure you update your last will and testament first.

Macho = Stupid
 
Add "stupid ~ dead." But if someone broke in and you see them leave it would be a good idea to secure the entry and rinforce in event of another attempted invasion.
 
I am sorry, but that is BS. Talk about the feminization of men in america! I will not cower in my room every time I hear a bump in the night and wait for LEO, while the perp goes thru my house to get me and my family of 6 that are spread out through the house.
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Uh...Reality check, barricading means getting your ENTIRE family in that one room with you, behind you, with one or better yet, multiple weapons facing the door.

And good job, then. You go hunting through the house like a tactical ninja, think you have one perp held at gunpoint like your favorite movie star, and their partner you didn't see comes up behind you with a shotgun and takes you out. Or stumbles upon the undefended rest of your family while you're busy humming your own hero themesong.

Man, I feel sorry for your family. That's just DUMB. I hope your life insurance is paid up. That's a stupid way to end up dead.
 
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