If someone was stealing your car could you hurt or kill them?

Question

Say if I saw someone trying to break into my car, if I pulled out my gat and busted a 9 in their ***, would I get in trouble?

Answer 1

Yes but I would do it anyhow. If your in the car at the time then I think you would get away with more.

I'm not taking about killing. I mean hurting the person. You might get in big trouble if you kill them. But all cases are diffident it will depend on how old you are past record. What the bad guy was using or wielding. Plus was your life or did you think your life was in danger. If you were in the car and he was smashing the windows with a bat you might of think he was trying to kill you not steal anything. So it all depends.

---edited---

To the post above mine the police will not even think about computers during this case. So you should be 100% fine. Police just don't take PCs at will.

Answer 2

Even though in many states, the law regards your car an extension of your home, you have to be INSIDE the vehicle at the exact time of the forced break in for the law to view your rights of self-defense. In this instance, you're a victim of a carjacking--an often deadly violent criminal offense. Here: you can gat them and probably get a medal for putting him away.

However, if you are OUTSIDE your vehicle and discover a thug breaking in your car, it's best to get a good look at the creep, cellphone call the police and give them your car's descriptive info.

Another good idea well worth the investment are lo-jacks or other whiz-bang GPS units like On-Star, which can by satellite, track your stolen car to the thugs chop shop or hide out.

Answer 3

Yes, you would get into trouble. Why ? Trying to protect your car from being stolen is not the same as trying to protect yourself i.e. if your home was being broken into.
If there is not a threat on your life then by law you can't just hurt or kill someone. I recall taking a class (can't remember the name of the course) where this guy had an empty farmhouse that was being broken into and vandalized. He set-up a booby-trap that shot the intruder when he open the door. The injured person won his case and the owner of the farmhouse went to jail.

Answer 4

Yes. The only time you can use lethal force, regardless of the intent, is when you or someone with you, are inimenent danger of being killed yourselves. A person stealing your car does not qualify. If, however, you were getting car jacked and your baby was in the car, THEN you could be justified in maiming or killing an individual from taking off with your child.

Answer 5

No it is just a car. They are not harming me. I would call the police and let the police deal with them.. In the usa stealing a car can send a person to prison. Why should I go to jail when they are the ones who commited the crime? I would let the police deal with it after I called them. I would get a good description and stay out of it.
Yeah you would get in trouble and their mom would probably tell they jury what a good boy he was and the crimials have the rights here. The mamma would tell the jury the boy was an honor sudent and wanted to be a doctor and all this bs and you would be off to death row. It would not be worth it. Just call the police and get the boy to prison.

Answer 6

Depends on the state you live in. Generally speaking, if they are breaking in your property (Your car) on your property, you have the right to defend your property. That would be in most states other then California and the other Liberal infested states.

In Texas, Yes you can, and Yes I would.
Reason you should is they do fear death. They don't want to die for the little bit of money they will make on the theft, therefore they will not want to take that chance. (most car break-in's happen long after midnight when they are less likely to get caught, or in a store parking lot when they usually will not get shot. They are not idiots)

Answer 7

You would probably have to say that you came upon this person breaking into your car, had the weapon in your hand (for some legit reason) and say that the person tried to attack you and you felt threatened for your life. It would only be legal if you were acting in self defense (if not, you'd better make sure there are no witnesses and make sure that you hit him square in the face, not on the back of the head (might show that you came from behind him or that he was running away).

Answer 8

Yes, most likely you would end up going to jail. Defending your property has alot of gray areas. Simply shooting someone doesn't justify the cause. Your actions would be looked at as unjustified.

Best thing: call the police, let them handle the situation, this relieves you of any responsibility if this person is hurt or killed.

Answer 9

Unfortunately, yes. Although, from what I understand, there's now a law on the books in Louisiana that allows for a person to use a gun on a would-be car-jacker although I don't know if the thinking is you can kill the jerk or just would him.

I don't support the NRA or anything...I really REALLY hate guns...but it's beyond ridiculous that we're not supposed to fight back with a gun too often.

Answer 10

I have seen people in the news who have been arrested and charged with murder because they killed someone who was trying to steal from them. It depends entirely on the lawyer. If you get a good lawyer, you can get off, but you would be arrested and spend time in jail.

Most states laws say killing someone is only justified if they are trying to kill you. Protecting your belongings is not included.