My car has just been stolen Can I shoot IT?

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Someone stealing and driving off with your vehicle does not present a clear and present threat of bodily injury.

Now, if you or someone defenseless were standing in front of the car and the perp decided to try to run you/them over, then I would say you are legally able to shoot in self defense.
 
This is so stupid it is funny. Seriously, are you here trolling for HCI and Sarah Brady?

Let's say the trunk is full of High powered rifles and shotguns and body armor. Now granted in this situation i wouldn't have been iresponsible enough to leave the car running and accesable. Or even if it's just one gun.

You forgot the suitcase nuke.

If you are such an idiot that you would leave all that in a car running with the keys in it and the doors unlocked the whole of society would be better served by you simply shooting yourself before you go on to arm more criminals.

In SOME states you MAY be coverred by law for shooting at your car in such a case. The safest legal and moral justification in all 50 states for the use of lethal force has and always will be to stop the immediate assualt with deadly force upon an innocent party (safest if this is yourself or immediate family). I know you want to run out into the street firing away like Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon but that is almost universally NOT the intelligent thing to do.
 
ISC stated:
776.08 Forcible felony.--"Forcible felony" means treason; murder; manslaughter; sexual battery; carjacking; home-invasion robbery; robbery; burglary; arson; kidnapping; aggravated assault; aggravated battery; aggravated stalking; aircraft piracy; unlawful throwing, placing, or discharging of a destructive device or bomb; and any other felony which involves the use or threat of physical force or violence against any individual.

I will admit that the situation as presented by the original post is not a cut and dried case of an imminent threat, but this:

Stephen is right.

Sorry "involves the use or threat of physical force or violence against any individual." does not in any way cover some person driving away from you with your car which you left the keys in and doors unlocked. You come back and see your car driving away. No confrontation took place. No threat of lethal force was made. You could have left a fully auto M60 and 2,000 rounds of ammo in the trunk but NO THREAT was ever made by the theif.

I have faced a REAL carjacking in FL and it is very different than the stupid scenario posted. Real carjackings are what the law was made to address, not morons who leave their keys in running, unlocked cars!
 
Hello - 911. My car has been stolen so I shot it full of holes. Please tell the officers to look for a car full of bullet holes!

What, officers are coming to my house and I should lie down on the lawn?

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Hello, AllFarm Insurance. My car was stolen. I shot it full of holes so that it can be easily identified. The police found it down the street.

Now can you send an adjuster to tell me how much it will cost to replace all those major panels on the body and new seats? What about the blood?

What? You won't pay? What you are cancelling my policy? What do you mean that if you just let the car go and not shoot it, you would have paid off its fair value?

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Listen, wife - How many times do I have to tell you why I shot up our truck!! You think I'm stupid - what about your momma?
 
The question's been asked and answered, almost unanimously. Don't shoot your car, unless you've donated it to Knob Creek ;).

On to more productive things.

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