Good Morning America + SD

[MAKOwner]

We don't know anything about who shot the dog. Maybe the guy did, maybe he didn't. I would think it could easily have been a local teenager or something. The homeowner may indeed have known nothing about this, all of a sudden some totally enraged guy starts breaking down your glass door with a bigass club instantly gaining immediate access (I will never have a mostly glass door for this kind of reason), and people are surprised he got shot? If the guy really shot the dog, and they can somehow prove it then I have no trouble with him being charged with whatever misdemeanor that likely is. But even if he shot the dog that does not give anyone the right to break down his door and beat him to death.

I would have waited for him to get fully inside the house one step, however I would have blasted the crazy SOB too. Some one enraged with a bigass "stick", ie deadly weapon isn't going to be welcome in my home, especially not after just knocking my front door down with the intent of getting in and beating the hell outta me...

I would think this guy was really in fear for his life, and he was being attacked, I don't care for what reason. I would be really curious to know if he even really shot the dog, I wouldn't be surprised at all if he did not... And likewise I wouldn't be surprised if he really did, but he still has a right to defend his home.

All the fault here lies with the guy who tried to attack his neighbor after breaking down his front door, obviously enraged. Very unfortunate but he is the person who escalated this situation into a life or death matter, not the shooter...

 

[motorep]

The "stick" being wielded by the deceased has been reported by law enforcement variously as being a stick, a pole, a 2X4, and a club. The shooter warned the deceased that he had called the police and showed him, through the glass, that he was armed. He told the deceased that he was not coming out of the house. The deceased threatened to burn down the house and smashed the glass, trying to gain entry. In the same circumstances I would hope, as the homeowner, that I would retreat, but the way the story is reported sure has a bearing on how you feel about the shooting, no?

 

[Moparmike]

I dont know about yall, but I love my dog like she is my own child. If someone shoots my dog, they WILL be answering to ME unless my head clears up PDQ. I consider my dog a member of my family, and will act accordingly if someone trys to injure her or any other member of my family.

That said, a clearer head would have been a better weapon than what he chose to arm himself with. The shooter should be charged with the dog-shooting, and punished with the maximum.

 

[motorep]

ps- local DA says there's no evidence, no witnesses, to link the shooter with the dog/pellet gun incident so no charges will be filed on that issue.

 

[capt_happypants]

We've talked about this incident at Blast-O-Rama, and most people still consider this shooting to be marginal.

The defender shot the attacker while he was outside the home. If the bad guy had taken one more step into the residence, the majority of my customers would not have a problem with the shot.

In my mind, the attacker displayed ability and intent, but the question of whether the deceased had a legitimate opportunity to injure or kill the homeowner remains unanswered.

 

[Jeff OTMG]

I saw it as well. IF the guy shot the dog then the owners should have called the police. I think that we could use the term 'vigilante' to accurately describe the dog owner and when you bring a club to the gunfight you lose.

 

[Pebcac]

I'm not shooting anybody through a door unless they're clearly armed with a firearm and actively engaged in either an attempt to get in or firing through the door. A guy wailing on my front door with a stick and breaking glass gets warned that the PD is on the way and he best not step inside.

If he then steps through the door, all deals are off. And so's the safety.

Honestly, this looks to me like a couple of hotheads who one-upped each other until someone died. What a tragically stupid thing.

 

[moa]

Incidentally, the shooter and deceased, who were neighbors, knew each other to some degree. Apparently the deceased had installed a new furnace in the shooter's house.