Another Bad Situation, Whats your take?

[calaverasslim]

I also encountered a bad situation 2 weeks ago. My neighbor called me at 10PM and told me someone was driving around my property. I live in the middle of 20 acres.

I grabbed by 45acp and walked out the back door into the driveway as he pulled around the corner of the shed. I fired one round and he yelled he was leaving and did so.

I have been told by several people I should have shot to kill or wound. I didn't want to shoot anyone, just warn them off. By shooting the individual or the car would have escalated the situation. At least that is my take on the matter.

What is your take?

 

[lpsharp88]

This is just me, but unless someone is threatening my family, myself, or attempting to break in, I don't plan to shoot at anyone

 

[beatledog7]

What was your justification for firing?

 

[calaverasslim]

I should have explained more. I'm 70 years young, physically disabled, disabled veteran, live in the country, nearest neighbor is 2/3 miles away, crime is rampant here in the county. Assaults happen to isolated homes like mine.

beatledog7, that's my justification

 

[Deltaboy1984]

You did right in your situation cause the police could be 15-30 minutes away.

 

[joe-bue]

You let them know the situation that they were in, and you felt that you were in. The advantage that you had was the gun had more to go around.

Also a car can be just as if not more dangerous than any gun.

 

[Torian]

Warning shots are always legally dicey. You know your area and your condition better than any of us. It's a judgement call, and you made it.

Was he actually driving on your property? Were there any other indicators present that made you feel threatened enough to fire a warning shot?

 

[gamestalker]

I would have had to have been in your shoes to voice my opinion of how I would have reacted. Generally speaking, I'm not one to discharge my weapon unless I feel I'm in imminent life threatening danger, which I assume you must have felt as such to have fired that warning shot.

I'm glad to hear you are OK and that no one was hurt though.

GS

 

[Sentryau2]

It sounds to me that your warning shot was justified. Another way to look at it is if you dont scare them off and they come back later that night and then leave with lots of bullet holes in the morning.

 

[beatledog7]

Thank you for your service. I'm glad you're ok.

As others have said, without being there and not being you, I can't know how you perceived the situation, how you were feeling, when you chose your course of action.

I should have explained more. I'm 70 years young, physically disabled, disabled veteran, live in the country, nearest neighbor is 2/3 miles away, crime is rampant here in the county. Assaults happen to isolated homes like mine.

Still, without even addressing the legal issues, being a veteran, being 70 years old, being disabled, and choosing to live in a relatively isolated place where "crime is rampant" doesn't give someone a pass on firing a gun at a trespasser without a specific threat of harm. "Assaults happen" in all kinds of homes, but that fact doesn't make it a good idea or give dwellers blanket license to shoot whenever there's a trespasser. Does simply being in Texas change that?

My neighbor called me at 10PM and told me someone was driving around my property. I live in the middle of 20 acres.

So, this guy posed an imminent threat to you even though you didn't even know he was on your property until a neighbor called?

I grabbed [m]y 45acp and walked out the back door into the driveway as he pulled around the corner of the shed. I fired one round...

In other words, you became the aggressor.

The trespasser could easily press charges, say that he was just lost and meant no harm, that you fired right at him, etc. Or he could simply return with friends.

Joe Biden's recommendation re: warning shots is almost universally criticized on THR and similar sites as unsafe and unwise, and with good reason. Among them--can you answer with certainty: "Where did that bullet go?"

I realize I'll get flamed for expressing this side of it. But there you go.

 

[Kleanbore]

Best that posting about a recent incident on a public forum stop before someone gets into trouble.