don't get me wrong... this stuff is good to know and i enjoyed reading it and learning... but the cynical side of my says:
we have reached a place where we have enabled a "smart criminal" to stand right in front of you and take your property knowing full well that you most likely can't, therefore won't, do anything about it. he gets your property... you have to go through the aggravation of filing a police report and later, PAY to retrieve a copy of that report so you can turn it in to your insurance for replacement... your vehicle gets towed to the place where it has to be put back together so you're without a vehicle for a period of time... you, the responsible party, now have to find temporary transportation back and forth to work... meanwhile, your insurance rates go up... and all the while you're left standing there holding a $2,000 pistol that you cannot use.
Here's the next scenario in our "Legal Quandaries" series, which has generated a positive response so far:
You park your beloved '69 GTO "Judge" convertible at a local shopping mall, just before closing, in order to run in and shop for a last-minute birthday gift for your wife.
When you return to your car, you notice three men around your car, and you realize they've just removed two of your rims and are in the process of loading them into the back of a nearby SUV. When you yell out, two of the men run away, but the third continues to carry your expensive refurbished wheels toward the back of the waiting truck.
Having an Indiana LTCH, you are armed. You draw your .45 cal. handgun from your IWB holster and clearly warn the thief: "Drop my property or I will shoot you."
He ignores you. He is about to load your wheels into the back of the truck.
He has his hands full with your wheels, and you can't see any weapons on his person. Being concerned about using "deadly force" under the circumstances, you decide to shoot him in the calf in order to prevent him from stealing your property.
You deliver a perfectly-placed shot to the back of his lower leg. He screams out in pain, and drops your wheels. The SUV takes off.
IMPD arrives almost immediately, and you tell the responding officers the entire story, exactly as it transpired. They arrest him.
Do you have any legal problems?
There seems to be a growing "shoot (at) the tire on a fleeing vehicle" group. Does anyone NOT think tire shooting is a good idea?
Maybe this merits its own thread?
You could always shoot him and find out how "inconvenient" your life gets. The prospect of jail and civil suit are enough to make me only want to shoot people who NEED to be shot.
A gun is for one thing only. Killing people. Every bullet that comes out is a possible lawsuit. The wheels and engine are the few things on the car that are cover. Slinging lead at steel is not a good idea. Where that bullet goes after it ricochets could land you in trouble.
I agree. We are enabling the smart criminal. I think we should be able to defend personal property with deadly force. Especially when it comes to vehicles. A lot of peoples livelihood depends on having transportation.don't get me wrong... this stuff is good to know and i enjoyed reading it and learning... but the cynical side of my says:
we have reached a place where we have enabled a "smart criminal" to stand right in front of you and take your property knowing full well that you most likely can't, therefore won't, do anything about it. he gets your property... you have to go through the aggravation of filing a police report and later, PAY to retrieve a copy of that report so you can turn it in to your insurance for replacement... your vehicle gets towed to the place where it has to be put back together so you're without a vehicle for a period of time... you, the responsible party, now have to find temporary transportation back and forth to work... meanwhile, your insurance rates go up... and all the while you're left standing there holding a $2,000 pistol that you cannot use.
That first sentence sounds like something straight from the Brady CampaignA gun is for one thing only. Killing people. Every bullet that comes out is a possible lawsuit. The wheels and engine are the few things on the car that are cover. Slinging lead at steel is not a good idea. Where that bullet goes after it ricochets could land you in trouble.
Would it be legal to simply walk up on the guy with your hand on your holstered weapon and demand that he put your property down, or could this be called brandishing a weapon?
As an "arm chair" calmly analyzing computer viewer, I offer the following, with questions.
Anyway, I did suspect that the OP is in trouble here.
I hope that I'm not taking this thread too far, if so then please disregard. I'm just looking for a solution. Here goes...
What I could offer up as a solution is to "pistol whip" the snot out of the BG and act accordingly after such action(s).
GL, if a person did this would he be inviting more trouble? I gather from your explanation that we were to simply watch the crime in progress and then most likely get a plate number and description of the vehicle and call the police, right?
Like someone else said, shoot out a tire. I would offer up to shoot out at least two tires and ready for the BG's response(s). Am I inviting more legal trouble?
wouldnt "deadly force" be considered a deadly placed shot (i.e. in the middle of the back,chest, or head)? Since the shot was placed in the calf i would think you could possibly win this trial. Unless they could prove you to just be a terrible shot from 10 Feet away! Hehe
There seems to be a growing "shoot (at) the tire on a fleeing vehicle" group. Does anyone NOT think tire shooting is a good idea?
You could always shoot him and find out how "inconvenient" your life gets. The prospect of jail and civil suit are enough to make me only want to shoot people who NEED to be shot.