So you pull your gun..

[Indiana Camper]

Let's say you hear a noise tonight and look out to see somebody breaking in to your car. Your wife calls 911 while you approach the guy with gun drawn. You order him to lay on the ground until police arrive. Your wife relays what is going on to the dispatchers and gives the description of both you and the bad guy.
There's a reasonable scenario of drawing and not shooting for all of you "if I draw I'll shoot" Rambo-types.

 

[MCgrease08]

Let's say you hear a noise tonight and look out to see somebody breaking in to your car. Your wife calls 911 while you approach the guy with gun drawn. You order him to lay on the ground until police arrive. Your wife relays what is going on to the dispatchers and gives the description of both you and the bad guy.
There's a reasonable scenario of drawing and not shooting for all of you "if I draw I'll shoot" Rambo-types.

That's not necessarily reasonable. Why would you leave the secured area of your home just to initiate a confrontation? Call the police and wait inside. Your life's not in danger, so there's no need to introduce a firearm into the mix at all in this scenario. Yelling out the window would likely be enough to scare him off.

I'm not a cop. I don't make arrests and I don't hold people at gunpoint.

 

[bwframe]

Let's say you hear a noise tonight and look out to see somebody breaking in to your car. Your wife calls 911 while you approach the guy with gun drawn. You order him to lay on the ground until police arrive. Your wife relays what is going on to the dispatchers and gives the description of both you and the bad guy.
There's a reasonable scenario of drawing and not shooting for all of you "if I draw I'll shoot" Rambo-types.

No, it's not reasonable AT ALL. Your gun is for self defense. That is offense, Rambo.

 

[Indiana Camper]

What if you live in the country and it takes 15 minutes or so for police to get there. Theft is a felony. You have every right to try to stop him. Its too bad so many people have that sit and call the police mentality. I hope to never shoot anybody. However I wil not sit and watch somebody walk away with my valuables either.
Confronting the guy is to get him to stop. The firearm is in case he attacks.

 

[Glocksmith]

Always always always make sure you call if at all possible...however if i have enough reason to draw i have enough reason to shoot. its not a deterrent its a weapon

If I can deter rather than kill, deter it is. Best weapon is one's brain.

 

[MCgrease08]

What if you live in the country and it takes 15 minutes or so for police to get there. Theft is a felony. You have every right to try to stop him. Its too bad so many people have that sit and call the police mentality. I hope to never shoot anybody. However I wil not sit and watch somebody walk away with my valuables either.
Confronting the guy is to get him to stop. The firearm is in case he attacks.

Good luck with that strategy, but you're asking for trouble by initiating the confrontation.

What happens when you run out to hold the thief for police, but fail to notice his armed partner out of site acting as look out? He could easily open fire or get the jump on you without you even realizing he's there. You have insurance on your car for a reason. There's no need to put yourself in unnecessary danger or escalate the situation over something like property theft.

Say you do go out to hold the guy for police, he pulls a weapon and you shoot. How will that look to a prosecutor or jury when you're yelling, "I had to stop him, I'm tired of these punks stealing from good people and getting away with it."

Can you say vigilante justice?

 

[Indiana Camper]

First off I was just giving an example where a gun could be drawn but not fired. 2nd, to each their own but I will most certainly act if I saw a felony taking place. In doing so I will be as safe as I can and will be sure to relay everything to dispatch on the phone. And if heaven forbid I do have to shoot it will not be for revenge or justice. It will be because my life or somebody else's was in danger due to the other person's actions.
I know it's (legally) scary and we are all brain washed to hide and call the police but I see no problem with a person attempting to stop somebody from stealing from them whether it be from their car, house or person. What happens after the initial confrontation is really up to the bad guy.

 

[bwframe]

First off I was just giving an example where a gun could be drawn but not fired. 2nd, to each their own but I will most certainly act if I saw a felony taking place. In doing so I will be as safe as I can and will be sure to relay everything to dispatch on the phone. And if heaven forbid I do have to shoot it will not be for revenge or justice. It will be because my life or somebody else's was in danger due to the other person's actions.
I know it's (legally) scary and we are all brain washed to hide and call the police but I see no problem with a person attempting to stop somebody from stealing from them whether it be from their car, house or person. What happens after the initial confrontation is really up to the bad guy.

You should really study up on this issue. You are mistaken and compounding future legal problems you may have by posting your ill intentions in a public forum. Like any public forum, easily accessed by any attorneys lowest level researcher.

 

[Glock19]

That attitude will get you sent to prison, especially if you are "in fear of your life" over your property being stolen. I could have shot the ****stick that tried to steal my truck and come up with some bull**** story about how I thought he was going to kill me as he was running away, but I wasn't about to test the waters.

How will that attitude get me sent to prison? Who said I was in fear for my life over property being stolen? Steal my stuff...Ill stop you best I can without killing you. Its call escalation of force...I wouldnt draw if someone was "stealing my stuff" Unless I was in fear for my life..You could have shot someone then made up a story...good for you...Im not one to lie...If I am in fear for my life and its you or me, ill be the one walking away...thanks!

 

[Snapdragon]

Nice place you got there.

But somebody needs to call the fashion police....

 

[Indiana Camper]

You should really study up on this issue. You are mistaken and compounding future legal problems you may have by posting your ill intentions in a public forum. Like any public forum, easily accessed by any attorneys lowest level researcher.

Please tell me where my "ill intentions" are. Are you saying trying to stop somebody from stealing my stuff is "ill intentions"? If so I think you need to move to England. You attitude will fit in much better there. If I see somebody committing a felony (stealing my stuff) I will do my best to stop them. I will not shoot unless things take a turn for the worse and I have to defend myself. And even then it will not be unless my life is in danger. Where is the problem here?

 

[LockStocksAndBarrel]

Frank and bee dubya, what do you guys know anyway?

 

[Rick60]

Re-holster and call the cops.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

Frank and bee dubya, what do you guys know anyway?

I don't know nothing.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Nice place you got there.

Where'd you get this pic? Judging from the photo, that could be right down the road from where I grew up (assuming it's Newton, AL)

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

Where'd you get this pic? Judging from the photo, that could be right down the road from where I grew up (assuming it's Newton, AL)

You don't have to go to Alabama to find him, he probably lives in Mars Hill or Fountain Square.

 

[IN_Sheepdog]

Defense of PROPERTY is a VERY touchy subject and will be looked at similarly by a jury. Yes, it does apply to the commission of a felony, but you have to consider what and how you would be escalating the confrontation.

I think of the analogy of a swimming pool and you DON"T know how to swim... If someone throws your phone, your car, or television set or whatever other PROPERTY you have into the pool, are you going to risk your life diving in to get it? Now consider if it is one of your kids, a spouse, or another person you care about being thrown in with a weight on them, are you going to hesitate in jumping in yourself? Insurance exists for a reason, and it is not to allow an escalation of force...




IAAAL, IAMYL, YMMV...

 

[David D]

Defense of PROPERTY is a VERY touchy subject and will be looked at similarly by a jury. Yes, it does apply to the commission of a felony, but you have to consider what and how you would be escalating the confrontation.

I think of the analogy of a swimming pool and you DON"T know how to swim... If someone throws your phone, your car, or television set or whatever other PROPERTY you have into the pool, are you going to risk your life diving in to get it? Now consider if it is one of your kids, a spouse, or another person you care about being thrown in with a weight on them, are you going to hesitate in jumping in yourself? Insurance exists for a reason, and it is not to allow an escalation of force...




IAAAL, IAMYL, YMMV...

very good analogy. I can't argue with this logic.

 

[Fixer]

Defense of PROPERTY is a VERY touchy subject and will be looked at similarly by a jury. Yes, it does apply to the commission of a felony, but you have to consider what and how you would be escalating the confrontation.

I think of the analogy of a swimming pool and you DON"T know how to swim... If someone throws your phone, your car, or television set or whatever other PROPERTY you have into the pool, are you going to risk your life diving in to get it? Now consider if it is one of your kids, a spouse, or another person you care about being thrown in with a weight on them, are you going to hesitate in jumping in yourself? Insurance exists for a reason, and it is not to allow an escalation of force...

That is why I carry insurance on the wife and kids. Purple intended!

So if someone breaks into my house, by your logic, I should exit out the back and call the police once I am safe. Confronting the BG with a gun would only be escalating the situation, because we all have insurance on our house.

I believe they have an issue when you try to stop the BG from stealing your Car or truck and he continues to get in your vehicle and drive off and you open fire to stop him. There is no justification in your use of deadly force. If he stops and draws a weapon and advances toward you and you are forced to shoot him in defense of your life, then that is justified use of deadly force.

The lawyers tried to use that BS logic on Zimmerman. He escalated it because he got out of his truck. Like him or not he was justified in shooting his attacker. What happened before has little to do with the events that led to him shooting in self defense.

If you are not sure the diference between escalating a situation and self defense then might I suggest you leave you gun in the safe and start carrying pepper spray or a stun gun.

 

[IN_Sheepdog]

That is why I carry insurance on the wife and kids. Purple intended!

So if someone breaks into my house, by your logic, I should exit out the back and call the police once I am safe. Confronting the BG with a gun would only be escalating the situation, because we all have insurance on our house.

I believe they have an issue when you try to stop the BG from stealing your Car or truck and he continues to get in your vehicle and drive off and you open fire to stop him. There is no justification in your use of deadly force. If he stops and draws a weapon and advances toward you and you are forced to shoot him in defense of your life, then that is justified use of deadly force.

The lawyers tried to use that BS logic on Zimmerman. He escalated it because he got out of his truck. Like him or not he was justified in shooting his attacker. What happened before has little to do with the events that led to him shooting in self defense.

If you are not sure the diference between escalating a situation and self defense then might I suggest you leave you gun in the safe and start carrying pepper spray or a stun gun.

I think you are missing my point Fixer. Yes the home is protected under the "Castle Doctrine" and yes you CAN confront the bad guy within the home, because there is a presumption under the law that a person invading your home is doing so with the expectation of, or the possibility of causing death or serious bodily harm. In answer to the hypothetical, if it is POSSIBLE to exit the house along with every other living thing of value to you, (no you dont have a duty to do so in Indiana) then why wouldnt you?. Is it the appearance of retreating? Frankly, even tho i do carry everyday, it is your grave responsibility in carrying that you strive to avoid the situation which might escalate into an armed confrontation.

If I am upstairs and the BG (s, they usually dont go it alone for a good reason) are downstairs, I have no means to safely remove my family from the situation, then yes, a confrontation is necessary... If I come home late at night, and I KNOW only the BG's are in the house and not my family, I am not going to go doing a Rambo "room search" just because they are in MY house... I will gladly retreat to a safe area, 911 and cell phone in hand, and wait for Law enforcement.

Insurance on THINGS, is NOT the same as the Insurance on family or children... that is not a valid comparison...

AIAAL, IANYL, YMMV