good neighbor vs. 2 burglers

[bivenator]

The castle law will be challenged by this. I think the man is a hero. If I am on the juhttp://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5303222.htmlry he goes free.

[RickM]

Getting "No such article".....

[onewhippedpuppy]

Repaste the link, it doesn't seem to work after I pulled it from the text.

[stomachmonkey]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5303222.html

[Jays72T]

Hero.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Jays72T

Hero.

+1. Absolutely justified, especially considering he warned the men to stop. Houston just got a tiny bit safer.

[legion]

Thankfully my next-door neighbor is a cop.

I ask him to watch my place, he asks me to watch his...

[legion]

Thinking about this more...

If a neighborhood developes a reputation as being vigorously defended by neighbors, who is going to rob it?

[legion]

And another thought...

Is there a legal defense fund set up for this guy?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Hero. They should be giving this guy a medal, not an indictment.

Just shows how the "system" cares only about making us dependent on it. The only people who should be threatened by this guy's actions are L.E. "fat cats", judges and trial lawyers. And criminals, if there's any difference.

[Dan in Pasadena]

"...But the person using deadly force must believe there is no other way to protect their belongings and must suspect that taking less drastic measures could expose themselves or others to serious danger."

Here's what it looks like it will hinge on. Of course you'd have to know if the men that were killed threatenend the neighbor or brandished weapons? Maybe they responded to his stop order with, "Eff off old man or we'll shoot your azz..." etc. I suppose then he could say he was "exposed to serious danger".

I don't feel even a bit sorry for the dead men though. Their actions called the play. They caused their own deaths. I don't know if anyone is "safer" now, but more "stuff" is safe from future burglaries. Too bad if the old man is put on trial but it'll be interesting to see how it comes out.

[Rearden]

"...But the person using deadly force must believe there is no other way to protect their belongings and must suspect that taking less drastic measures could expose themselves or others to serious danger."

It is clear that he first should have invited the thieves over for coffee and scones to talk it out. Diplomacy usually works and nobody gets hurt.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

I don't know if anyone is "safer" now, but more "stuff" is safe from future burglaries. Too bad if the old man is put on trial but it'll be interesting to see how it comes out.

Had the neighbors been home, they would have certainly been at risk. If you will break into and enter someone else's home in the middle of the night, there's not much you won't do. Anyone willing to do so gets no sympathy from me.

[kach22i]

"He was well composed and knew what he was doing," Mitchell said. "He was protecting the neighbor's property."

He has the right to do this.

Corbett said the neighbor asked the men, one of which was carrying a white bag, to stop, but they did not.

Shoot them..............oh he did.

Texas law allows people to use deadly force to protect their own property to stop an arson, burglary, robbery, theft or criminal mischief at night, or to prevent someone committing such a crime at night from escaping with the property.

Why is this even in court?

But the person using deadly force must believe there is no other way to protect their belongings and must suspect that taking less drastic measures could expose themselves or others to serious danger.

The guy is 70, there are two of them..................no other safe choice.

The names of the two burglary suspects were not released Wednesday evening. The two men had documentation on them from Puerto Rico, Colombia and the Dominican Republic, police said.

Was there a language barrier? Good reason for them to learn English. Perhaps they will learn in prison, but at the tax payer's expense.

He should of killed them and not just shot them in my opinion.

[onewhippedpuppy]

He killed both of them. Saving the taxpayers a large amount of money.

[David]

This happened in a co-worker's neighborhood. His adult son called right after it happened and said, "dad there's two dead guys on the lawn."

The shooter was in his 70's, so if he's charged, which I doubt, I imagine they'll delay the trial long enough that he gets to live out his life before it goes to trial. On the other hand, Pasadena is known as a very conservative, blue collar part of town and I bet he gets elected mayor.

[Racerbvd]

"...But the person using deadly force must believe there is no other way to protect their belongings and must suspect that taking less drastic measures could expose themselves or others to serious danger."

Why do you want to protect thieves??? They got what they deserved and when I'm sitting on the river this afternoon for my happy hour cocktail, I'll toast the guy who who took these two criminals out of the gene pool. If you don't want to get shot, don't break into some ones home or business, because if you die, tough smit, I hope your family is sued for damages.

[Rick Lee]

He should run for office and fire anyone who even thought about charging him.

[Hugh R]

I was on a jury trial for a home invasion robber and double (nd almost triple) execution. had all the evidence in the world, DNA, stolen property, footprints, fingerprints, the works. We finally got a guilty, but not death penalty verdict. There are a lot of effing stupid people who sit on juries. Arguments, like, "Well, he was the Captain of the Compton High School basketball team", and "They seem so young". Folks, all were here to do is make a finding of whether they did it or not.

If your ever charged with a crime, go for the jury trial, with a good lawyer.

Oh, and I'm liking Texas more every day.

[mikester]

I bet this guy's going to get screwed - what he did was not wrong but the law may not protect it. Nor does it really protect those thieves. He's definietely in a gray area since it was not his house but if there was a neighborhood watch in place and he was a part of that he may have something there.

The bottom line is, and some of you may not like this - but he used deadly force to protect "stuff." He knew the folks weren't home so he knew nobody was home. Granted had he not done what he did they probably would have gotten away.

Of course, he is 70 so his safest option was to use the gun. Hopefully that gets him off, it would be an injustice for this guy to do any time.