Good news, marine acquitted

[RichP]

Maybe self defense isn't dead yet...
http://www.courttv.com/trials/cotnoir/062906_verdict_ctv.html

[5-90]

Gawd. Why did that even go to trial in the first place?

This is yet another example of the contamination of American thinking - "Oh, the (insert jurisdictional body here) will protect us!" Sorry - not so. They've got no duty to, and I am not typically in a hurry to go protect someone I don't know from Adam's cat.

Considering it was in defense of his wife and kids, I'd say it was perfectly justified. I'd probably have just shot the person in front as an example, but my first warning shot usually hits. Why waste ammo?

Self-defence may not be dead, but it will be if things like this keep going to court. The idea that these people may now file a civil suit is ludicrious - and they should lose that as well, if there is any justice in the world.

5-90

[8Mud]

My Dad always told me to fire at my attacker, fire one into the air and then yell halt. If it ever goes to court, nobody will be able to say with certanity it wasn't the other way around.

[Bradlybob]

Of course he's gonna sue. He was forced to miss a whole days worth of breaking and entering and 2 of his ho's escaped while he was in the hospital. Why was a 15 year old out at that time of morning with a bunch of drunks?

[5-90]

Funny - I was just taught that your warning shot is calling "Halt!" before firing. If I tell someone I've got a bead on them, and they still do whatever I'd planned on shooting them for, they're too stupid to be allowed to live and bloody deserve to be shot.

Then again, I'm cranky. Your "warning shot" should part the hair of the lead guy in the group. You're not "warning" them - you're issuing an article of faith. Keep dicking around with me, and more of you are going to die. Get used to it.

Quoth Heinlein, "An armed society is a polite society." I tend to agree - if you know that something you do is probably going to get you killed, you're a LOT less likely to do it, aren't you?

5-90

[Bent]

My Dad always told me to fire at my attacker, fire one into the air and then yell halt. If it ever goes to court, nobody will be able to say with certanity it wasn't the other way around.

When my brother and I were growing up our dad made it pretty simple to understand. We were taught that only one decision had to be made before we were to pull a weapon; kill or not kill. If it was to not kill, don't pull the weapon, warnings are often the last act of the deceased.

[5-90]

When my brother and I were growing up our dad made it pretty simple to understand. We were taught that only one decision had to be made before we were to pull a weapon; kill or not kill. If it was to not kill, don't pull the weapon, warnings are often the last act of the deceased.

Precisely. Once you have pulled a firearm of some sort, the decision on "whether or not to kill" should already have been made. Once I pull out a firearm in a situation like that, someone is going to die, uness they should choose to "de-escalate" the situation by no longer doing whatever it was they were doing to make me reach for a firearm in the first place. If they don't, then my warning shot is going to be centre mass, steel on target. Once it comes to involving firearms, I Get Serious!

Granted, I rarely have to deal with firearms in such situations. 'Bangers around here seem to be more likley to use knives and sharp sticks, and you'd think these kids would learn, woudn't you? Don't pick on a man with a "salt-and-pepper" beard and a limp, he's not always going to be an easy target...

5-90