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rockspider -> RE: Defended my home (12/6/2009 10:00:06 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: LadyEllen
"A dreadful and disproportionate use of force against a person who had not made so much as a threat of attack and who, being held at gunpoint, could not be held to have been in a position to put you in fear of life or limb. That you shot this unfortunate young man three times speaks not of self defence but of overt attack, noting the absence of threat to you, and for this reason, alongside the firearm offences in general, I have no hesitation in recommending the maximum sentence permissible of life imprisonment, with a further recommendation that you serve a minimum of 20 years. I further order that your assets be frozen, pending the award of compensation, to be paid from their realisation, to the young man whom you attacked for the dreadful injuries occasioned to him."
Alternatively, the little shit gambled you were bluffing and lost. I applaud your actions, and though the outcome is regrettable its absolutely clear it occurred only because of the failure to comply with instructions on the part of the little shit. The above is what one might expect to hear in a UK Court, shortly before you were taken down - that the US system has evolved to recognise (what I feel is) a better standard of process in such instances merely indicates the failure of the UK system, whereby you'd by now be in deep do-do, whether you'd shot, stabbed, clubbed or done whatever else to him.
I hope you and yours recover from it all soon; the psychological impact must be great, whether its realised now or in the future. Dont be afraid to admit it and work through it with whoever can help.
E
Sadly enough in my country the above would apply too Lady Ellen.
Let me say that I am 100 % in favor of the OP as he obviously handled in accordance with the law and the fact the perb was armed totally justifies his actions. So well done and one up for the pro gun lobby.
However I have tried to be in a similar situation and it gave another view on guns in private hands.
I was in my workshop on my property in Johannesburg, South Africa about 20 years ago. My domestic maid comes in and tells me she has seen that someone is breaking in to the house on the opposite side of the road. I unholstered my gun. A Colt 45 ACP Combat Commander and went next door to neighbor who was a traffic cop, but also ran a small car repair operation from his garage. He was there, so was his mate and helper, both armed. The wife was told to ring 911 and we went across the road and surrounded the house. One of us yelled out that they should remain calm as they were under gunpoint and the police was called. Suddenly a tiny bathroom window springs up and a person jumps out and run for the wall to the next door property. It was my field of fire so I yelled at him “Stop or I shoot”. Well he jumped the wall. I went after him but only managed to hang on arms on the 6 foot concrete wall with the gun pointing at him. Yelled again but he kept going. Let go of 4 – 5 shoots but missed and he jumped over the wall on the other side of the property. Gone and out of sight. As I let myself down I saw a police car had pulled up. They got out and the cop was more interested in about how many still in the house than the one getting away. First action was to just to close the gap between the tree of us and yelled that the police was on the scene, for the benefit of the ones in the house. Under a minute later 2 more cop cars pulled up. With all the going on the maid who obviously had gone AWOL for a natter with some friends came running. She had the keys for the house and the cops entered it and arrested four boys. They were handcuffed and loaded in a police van which drove off. The cops asked me if I would take a ride with them, looking for the runner. I did and we talked a little where he said I had acted completely within the law. Suddenly the radio said something in Afrikaans and they turned around as the other cops had found him covering in a ditch about 500 m away. When we got back they had made a report which they asked me to read, but funny enough not sign. Anyway that was probably shorter than my post here and factual. By now the owner had returned and I asked if I was needed, which I wasn’t and I went home and had some coffee and I think a shot off scotch.
The only thing I heard about it later, was on the grapevine. Those thieves was 16 – 19 year old unarmed kids who broke in of no other reason than pure poverty. Of course it should punished, but not with the death sentence as I was trying to mete out. Another thing was that those bullets I send down through my neighbors gardens could just as easily have hit somebody just happening to be in the way. Afterwards I felt utterly ashamed of my actions and promised myself never to fire a gun at a fleeing suspect. Stop or I shoot and a warning shot in to the lawn. If he still kept running, fuck it, leave it to cops.
Another story I read in the news down there countless times was: Gun owner hears something puzzle in his house at some ungodly hour. Grabs gun and go to investigate. In the dark he sees some shadowy figure moving towards him and fires at it. Gets the light on and finds his 18 year old son, who tried to sneak in, dead in front of him. Also every weeks brought a new story of someone who in play and stupidity killed or maimed someone. Or the countless guys, when they became unemployed or bankrupt, shot kids, wife and them self.
I am because of the above on the ban guns lobby’s side. Double the money for the cops. So they can get rid of the criminals. And if that don’t work treble them. Sleeping safe in your bed is a human right, but you are not safe, when your neighbor is shooting at shadows out of his window. It is a far cry from reality that all gun owners act as calm and collected as the OP. If they did, I switch side.
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