I'll have to give that some thought but presently many of us could come upon thieves headed down our driveway and would break the law if we did anymore than take their license plate number and call 911.
Theft is a personal violation and it's not always so cut and dried as simply calling the insurance company. There are plenty of irreplaceable heirlooms and other possessions that no insurance can replace.
Does that equal someones life? I can't say but there is some truth in questioning a thief if his life is worth the items he is stealing rather than the other way around.
Consider a few things.
Should one attempt to do much more than photograph the offender and send the pic to the police who have already been called, one would put oneself in potential danger of death or serious injury, How many of them are out there? It is far more prudent to remain inside and unnoticed. A gun in hand is not a talisman that can ward off evil.
In my state, one may lawfully use
non-deadly physical force to prevent theft,
if there is reason to believe that it is necessary. Not for me, thank you!
There are those who have suggested taking a gun along "in case". The gun cannot prevent one from getting shot or otherwise harmed. And many a defense of justification has been negated by the fact that the resident chose to go out armed rather than avoid a confrontation in the first place.
Some years ago, an airline mechanic in Texas heard someone fiddling with his trailer at night, While a guest called 911, the mechanic headed out with a shotgun. He was stabbed and his arm was shot off with the shotgun.
When Sir William Blackstone was origin his
Commentaries on the Laws of England, a thief who had made it past the end of the street was as good as gone. Today we have telephones, police cars and helicopters, radios, and the likelihood that a thief whose handiwork is detected as it is done will be apprehended is far greater than that of his escape. And the recovery of stolen property is far more advanced today.
