Shooting an Intruder

[Europe]

Gentlemen and Panda Bear, thank you for your replies. Interesting and appreciated.

I would like to present another view of this that all of you have read about I am sure, but maybe have not experienced .

We have friends and relatives that own and live on cattle ranches in Arizona along the Mexico border.

Cut fences, shot cattle, items stolen from barns, stolen poultry, shot dogs, home invasion, drug mules, abused and abandoned women and children, all create a situation that gives one ( me anyway ) pause on killing someone for stealing.

If someone in my family is threatened, I do not believe I would hesitate in shooting another human being to protect someone I love, and let the chips fall where they may in a court of law. If they are only stealing and do not have a weapon or threatening anyone in my family, I do not believe I would.

But to answer my own question and in the spirts of QUACKKILLR's post, which I enjoyed

My husband would have shot them
My son would shoot them
My daughter would shoot them ( twice )
My granddaughter, would try to find out if they were hungry and then fix them breakfast, possibly attempt to adopt them and help them live a good life LOL
The other grand children are a mixed bag---probably, maybe, maybe not

Thank you for your replies to the thread gentlemen

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Very few situations are made better by adding firearms.

I'm not surprised by, but often roll my eyes at the number of dirty harry's out there that seem to be almost wishing for an opportunity to kill an intruder.

Denver had 56 murders last year, in 25% of these the murderer was the victims spouse.

Nationwide the CDC found that from 2003-2014 55% of female murder victims were killed by an intimate partner.

The CDC also found that 86% of female victims of assault were assaulted by their intimate partner.

As far as being murdered or assaulted my wife is statistically far more likely to be assaulted or murdered by me, than by someone breaking into our home.

Statistically I'm probably going to die from cancer or in a car accident.

Therefore,

I'm going to strive to be a good spouse and work on healthy communication with my wife.

I'm going to focus my attention on driving safely and living a healthy lifestyle as much as possible.

I'm going to store my firearms safely, under lock and key.


No one is going to watch their family being attacked and not defend them.

 

[Randi]

I would

i am not married, but my parents and grandparents would also shoot them.

In Alaska most are aware that they are subject to being shot if they enter a home illegally and that almost every home owner has a firearm.

You legally can use deadly force to protect yourself when in your home and not in your home . My only experience with this one was two men once approached me and were saying things ( sexual/rape things ) and I pointed my gun at them and they ran off. i believe I would have shot them if they had continue to approach me in an aggressive manner.

Bambistew --curious as to your take on this

 

[WyoDoug]

Wyoming has the castle doctrine which allows you to shoot anyone entering your home without permission pretty much. Wife and I both would shoot without hesitation. As for the furkids, by time they are done the intruder would be begging to get shot instead.

 

[noharleyyet]

Very few situations are made better by adding firearms.

I'm not surprised by, but often roll my eyes at the number of dirty harry's out there that seem to be almost wishing for an opportunity to kill an intruder.

Denver had 56 murders last year, in 25% of these the murderer was the victims spouse.

Nationwide the CDC found that from 2003-2014 55% of female murder victims were killed by an intimate partner.

The CDC also found that 86% of female victims of assault were assaulted by their intimate partner.

As far as being murdered or assaulted my wife is statistically far more likely to be assaulted or murdered by me, than by someone breaking into our home.

Statistically I'm probably going to die from cancer or in a car accident.

Therefore,

I'm going to strive to be a good spouse and work on healthy communication with my wife.

I'm going to focus my attention on driving safely and living a healthy lifestyle as much as possible.

I'm going to store my firearms safely, under lock and key.


No one is going to watch their family being attacked and not defend them.

"No one is going to watch their family being attacked and not defend them."

Pray I never have to but I would hopefully discourage the potential, with judicious prejudice....

Castle Keep https://www.flickr.com/photos/152360342@N02/

 

[JShane]

I thought of that before I posted, but am comfortable with everything I wrote. I think any reasonable prosecutor or jury member, using the Reasonable Person Standard, would have zero issue with my response.

Agreed.

 

[tjones]

Wyoming has the castle doctrine which allows you to shoot anyone entering your home without permission pretty much. Wife and I both would shoot without hesitation. As for the furkids, by time they are done the intruder would be begging to get shot instead.

So does Montana, but sometimes it doesn't work like ya think.

Montana man sentenced in German exchange student's death

Case against Markus Kaarma hinged on whether he had the right to fatally shoot 17-year-old in his garage

www.cbsnews.com

 

[bushman13]

For theft or breaking in I would not. For pistol whipping people in my house, you got a big problem coming.

 

[MTGomer]

So does Montana, but sometimes it doesn't work like ya think.

Montana man sentenced in German exchange student's death

Case against Markus Kaarma hinged on whether he had the right to fatally shoot 17-year-old in his garage

www.cbsnews.com

Karma case was a good one in my opinion. Karma was a punk his whole life and thieves are scum.
If he would have been found not guilty it would have brought a lot of attacks to the law that lets people defend themselves inside their homes. It just so turns out that baiting people into your garage doesn’t qualify. Whodaguessed

 

[gouch]

My wife might get pissed off and shoot some holes in the wall but not likely to hit the intruder. If he or she seemed to be a threat to me or my family I would have to shoot them, even though I would hate to do that. If they were just stealing stuff probably not but I would try to chase them away with a gun. Can't see shooting someone over a VCR. Just kidding I don't still have a VCR. Well... I guess that isn't entirely true, I have four of them in the garage. If anyone wants to take them I'll leave the door unlocked and I promise I won't shoot.

 

[hank4elk]

Catron County,NM Ord. states every household to have a firearm for self defense. Response time by SO ASAP...............lotta land to get lost in.

 

[Irrelevant]

I have absolutely zero idea if I could pull the trigger. The mind loses a helluva lot of control under extreme stress.

I have a shotgun behind the door with the idea that if anyone threatened my family it would get used. But I certainly don't practice and generally hope the dogs do the job for me.

I'm friends with enough LEO that I've heard two things consistently. They'd better be in your house and not on the porch, and you'd damn sure better not shoot them in the back. Otherwise you're looking at a long stint in orange.

 

[2rocky]

A local kid killed a druggie stalking his sister, after the druggie shot the neighbor (an off duty cop). I believe the deceased was holding the girl at gunpoint. I wasn't in the inner circle but I sure would not want to be involved in all that emotion. I think everyone came out of that a little messed up.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Send another slug,it shows you care.
The law in Az.in my home is nighty night termite.
This is the real west.
Quick hand me some mare bullets there getting away!!

 

[tzone]

Interesting comments on the mother/wife defends family with an AR 15 thread.

If someone broke into your home and was stealing your possessions, and endangering your family

Could you/would you shoot them ?

Without one second thought. You endanger my family, in our home. You don't leave it.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Lots of big talk on here, but I personally would have a tough time pulling the trigger. They are breaking and entering, I get that but at the end of the day they are human too. If they were just stealing stuff I wouldn't shoot. If they were trying something more menacing I would with a heavy heart. I personally don't want to ever be in that situation because I think it would mess me up mentally for a long time.

Not to mention, that far too often that "intruder" is a family member/friend coming over unexpectedly or a drunk who showed up at the wrong house. From the sounds of most of you, you'd end up shooting the poor SOB for mistaking your house for his, or your friend for showing up without due notice. Try living with yourself after that one, I could not and that's why I would always give the benefit of the doubt before pulling that trigger.

 

[Gellar]

I like to think I would not hesitate to protect myself or family. But when sh!t hits the fan I can’t answer that with certainty.

When I took the ccw permit class one thing that has stuck with me was that no matter if you are justified or not to shoot someone he bad guy has a person who thinks they are not a bad person and will try to sue you. So be prepared to spend time and money, possibly lots of both, to clear your name.

 

[DouglasR]

I don’t have a traditional family to defend, but if anyone touches Kittles or my SG pack, they’re catching the smoke.

Speaking of Attorneys one day they will dig up this thread and use it against some one. Careful what you give them to use against you

Couldn’t agree more. Watch the Self knarking guys. Five oh’s always looking.

 

[Hunting Wife]

I’m not going to shoot someone without there being a threat of physical violence. If they’re stealing stuff from the garage or something, whatever. Not shooting someone over “stuff”.

However, having lived through one physical altercation with someone who had bad intentions, I can say I have zero qualms if I’m physically threatened. I’ll tell them once I’m there and armed. If that doesn’t prompt them to leave, I assume they mean to kill me first if they can.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

...but if anyone touches Kittles or my SG pack, they’re catching the smoke.

Yeah I mean a pistol whip is a pistol whip... I'm not as pretty as I used to be and wasn't that pretty to begin with...but if you even accidentally pepper my dog out hunting you're getting Cheney'ed.