Is it right to kill someone over property?

[Count of Montesano]

I've gotten into a debate on another board with some hardcore Texans who are defending the case of a man who recently shot two burglars even when the 911 dispatcher told him to stand down.

Straight forward case of self-defense or castle doctrine, which says you have the right to defend your home with lethal force if necessary? Not really - in this case the burglars were breaking into an unoccupied neighbor's home in the middle of the day. When the neighbor calls in to 911, the dispatcher tells him police are on the way and not to do something stupid. Nevertheless, the neighbor declares "I'm going to shoot them" and proceeds to go over to the neighbor's house and kill the two burglars just moments before police arrive. Granted, the case is still under investigation, but currently it doesn't look like the burglars were armed or posed any imminent threat to the shooter's life.

Here's the story:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/...=mostpop_story

The best part - a new Texas law just expanded the rights of ordinary citizens to use deadly force to defend property, which means the shooter may have been in the right under new state law.

So one has to ask, is this guy a hero in a time when the government is seen more and more not to be able to help protect law-abiding citizens? Or is he a vigilante who would fit right in with the Taliban? Personally, I think this sets a dangerous precedent if this guy doesn't face at least manslaughter charges. Does it give shopowners liberty to kill shoplifters? I'm also a big believer in letting the police - who are trained for such situations - handle things if at all possible.

[Medicus]

He should have just pointed his gun at them and made a Citizen's Arrest.

[Segestan]

He should have waited for the police....period! How could he have known these men were treaspassing? They could have been on the property for many reasons .. who was he to assume they should die for crossing onto empty property? He should face man-slaughter. I agree this sort of conduct is socially dangerous.

[Gaidin]

He should have waited for the police....period! How could he have known these men were treaspassing? They could have been on the property for many reasons .. who was he to assume they should die for crossing onto empty property? He should face man-slaughter. I agree this sort of conduct is socially dangerous.

Most non trespasssers won't break a window. If they're locked out they'll usually call an emergency locksmith or something.

Guess you missed that paragraph.

[Sidmen]

Hes a murderer, if he went over there with the mission of killing them its premeditated murder.

If, however, he went over there with a gun and told them to sit down and wait for the cops - and they attacked him - he could shoot them. If they ran, he still can't shoot them.

[Cluny the Scourge]

If he shot two

a) unarmed men who'd broken into...
b) someone else's
c) empty house
d) after being ordered not to

then he's pretty bad-assed.

Unfortunately a stable and sane civil society cannot delegate the authority to carry out executions to random GI-Joe-fetishists - not even in Texas - and they don't even have the death penalty for burglary anyway.

[Hookah Smoking Caterpiller]

property is theft

[Thanatos]

property is theft

From...?

[Oldgamer]

property is theft

Who owns your computer?

[Lord Condormanius]

Who owns your computer?

I own his computer.

[Oldgamer]

I own his computer.

Ah! The public sector!

[Spurius]

Ah! The public sector!

Nah, just Condi's little botfarm. He owns most noobs here at TWC.

[Captain Blackadder]

I read the article and to me it seems he was itching to go out their and kill those two men if he listened to the dispatcher those two men would be alive and arreasted and that man would not be most likely up on murder charges.

[Gwendylyn]

...So tempted to argue that when the guy went into his neighbor's home he was trespassing as well...

I don't have a problem with defending yourself or your home with deadly force if there is an intruder. I have a problem when people make mistakes cause they are trigger-happy. I can't quite comprehend a law that allows a person to go to his neighbor's house and defend it with deadly force, since there's no evidence that the intruders would or could have killed anyone in an empty house.

He also sounds mentally unstable.

[Dunecat]

Vigilante. Goodness I hate them.

Same people who want sex offenders to put signs in their front lawns. EH DUHHH, waddya' thinks gonna happen to 'em, eh? Get a jello-cake from the neighbors, maybe?

[Thanatos]

If somebody broke through the window of my house, and nobody was right behind him trying to get him, you can be damn sure I'm going to shoot to kill.

[Lionel-Richie]

What this guy did is wrong...but you have to be careful with how precedents and legislature works in self-defense scenarios...we wouldn't want more of those cases where the burglar sues the person whose house he was breaking into...

[Kanaric]

If somebody broke through the window of my house, and nobody was right behind him trying to get him, you can be damn sure I'm going to shoot to kill.

thou shalt not kill! I thought you were a god fearing christian!

Let me guess, you are against abortion right? lol.

[Gaidin]

thou shalt not killmurder! I thought you were a god fearing christian!

Let me guess, you are against abortion right? lol.

FIXXXXXED.

Come now...our knowledge of ancient scriptures has expanded since James did his incompetent bit of translation. Get with the times.

[Last Roman]

FIXXXXXED.

Come now...our knowledge of ancient scriptures has expanded since James did his incompetent bit of translation. Get with the times.

he still technically went against the commandment. It was murder plain and simple.

Had I been him (and assuming they actually came into my property) I would've fired a few rounds in the air.

probably would've scared them off.