Would you shoot a fleeing intruder in the back?
- Thread starter Bear2000
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HorseSoldier
Member
There's a lot of chest thumping in this thread.
If a bad guy poses enough of a threat to use deadly force in the first place, I can see the logic in trying to finish the fight and neutralize the threat -- but a self-defense shooting gets investigated like any other homicide when it is all said and done. The more squirrely and questionable the actions in the shooting, the greater the potential for a DA and/or a Grand Jury to consider it was a bad shoot -- and I'd guess that entry wounds in a bad guy's back at the edge of your property line would be a red flag for investigating officers, the DA, etc.
Does that mean shooting the fleeing bad guy is always the wrong answer? No -- as other people have noted, you can wargame and what if the question to death and get either a never shoot or never-not-shoot scenario. But people who think the law is going to just give them a pass for defending themselves with a five round rhythm drill into a would-be burglars back probably need to give this topic a lot more thought about the potential for criminal and civil actions arising from the shooting. There's a pretty high suck factor in the notion of saving your stereo from a strung-out meth head only to shoot and kill him and then have his equally worthless family win a multi-million dollar wrongful death suit against you and spend the rest of your life sending them a check every month.
If a bad guy poses enough of a threat to use deadly force in the first place, I can see the logic in trying to finish the fight and neutralize the threat -- but a self-defense shooting gets investigated like any other homicide when it is all said and done. The more squirrely and questionable the actions in the shooting, the greater the potential for a DA and/or a Grand Jury to consider it was a bad shoot -- and I'd guess that entry wounds in a bad guy's back at the edge of your property line would be a red flag for investigating officers, the DA, etc.
Does that mean shooting the fleeing bad guy is always the wrong answer? No -- as other people have noted, you can wargame and what if the question to death and get either a never shoot or never-not-shoot scenario. But people who think the law is going to just give them a pass for defending themselves with a five round rhythm drill into a would-be burglars back probably need to give this topic a lot more thought about the potential for criminal and civil actions arising from the shooting. There's a pretty high suck factor in the notion of saving your stereo from a strung-out meth head only to shoot and kill him and then have his equally worthless family win a multi-million dollar wrongful death suit against you and spend the rest of your life sending them a check every month.
GlowinPontiac
Member
If they were in my house and running for the door then most likely no. If they were running deeper into the house then yes. They may just be looking for a back way out but i dont need them running into my wife in their search and deciding to take a hostage or worse.
If they are outside then hell no. that is a one way ticket to jail around here. The police have even told me that its iffy to shoot anyone trespassing on your property unless they are pointing a gun at somebody.
If they are outside then hell no. that is a one way ticket to jail around here. The police have even told me that its iffy to shoot anyone trespassing on your property unless they are pointing a gun at somebody.
homebase.ning.com
Member
If
1.) They are armed
2.) They are kidnapping someone
1.) They are armed
or
2.) They are kidnapping someone
CoRoMo
Member
In those split-seconds, gripped with fear of my family being harmed, tension rising and adrenaline soaring, how in the heck do I define his actions?
If he's running this way or that way, what in the world do I use to determine his intentions?
If he's running this way or that way, what in the world do I use to determine his intentions?
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