I live alone. I wakeup in the middle of the night because I hear sound of broken glass… I get my revolver and loaded it. If I see a burglar even if he is not armed do I have the right to shoot him? What would you do?
2007-02-16 23:07:29 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Safety
I have a CCW and have been trained in personal protection. Under the new Castle Law you are legally within your rights to shoot and kill anyone that invades your home. Personally i would hold him at gunpoint and call the police to make an arrest unless he is armed too. Killing a person is something you have to live with for the rest of your life, if you just wound him chances are he will bring a lawsuit against you for personal injury. If someone is threatening your life you should shoot to kill and in the training class they tell you to aim for body mass and empty your firearm into the intruder. If he were to survive you would not be open to any lawsuits under the new laws.
2007-02-16 23:21:21 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
State laws in the US vary. The general rule of thumb is if you can articulate the threat, then use your gun.
But beware. If you live in NJ, and you shoot a burglar without first determining if he's a "threat", you may end up defending yourself in court for your actions, and possibly getting sued! There is a case from a few years ago where a homeowner went after a burglar and shot the man in the back when he attempted to flee. Well, you can guess that the scumbag attorneys had a field day with suing him because he shot the guy in the back and he wasn't 'armed'. Just be careful.
We have an old saying in the police: Better to be judged by 12, than carried by 6. When in doubt, bottom line, make sure YOU and your families are the ones left standing after the burglary.
2007-02-16 23:37:04 · answer #2 · answered by Tough Love 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your revolver should be loaded to begin with. Waking up to the sound of broken glass in the middle of the night is no time to fumble with a speedloader.
That said, not enough information to answer your question. As to whether you'd be legally justified, a lot of it depends on your state law and more importantly on the specific circumstances involved. Just because an assailant is unarmed doesn't mean deadly force isn't justified. The general rule is that deadly force would be justified if a reasonable person would have cause to fear imminent death or grievous bodily harm (including sexual assault) to oneself or an innocent third party. Many states are less restrictive in the use of deadly force when in your own home (see "castle doctrine" or "make my day" laws).
2007-02-17 01:44:20 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
you have the right to shoot of course (i would). just be careful of the consequences. we had people here in MI shoot and injure people just to be sued later by the person who broke into their houses. then it was you could only shoot if the burglar was in the kitchen or bedroom. now we passed a law where the home owners cannot be sued by the burglar and we are able to defend our property anywhere. look into the laws of your area. don't become a victim twice.
we just had a homeowner shoot a robber, it only injured him in the stomach. when the robbers friends (who were helping) took him to the hospital, the police were called. come to find out the 3 were wanted in numerous break-ins where men were beat up and a woman was assaulted.
2007-02-16 23:25:41 · answer #4 · answered by g g 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depending on the laws of your country or state, I would say that;
due to the nature of the crime the burglar has already commited, it would suggest that he was intending on either robbing you or killing you or your family.
It would be a judgement call, if I were to feel threatened by an un-armed burglar, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to kill him, with complete disregard for any law in place.
Your own safety is paramount.
If you live in the US, my suggestion would be to shoot first, because dead people can't sue you afterwards.
2007-02-16 23:18:26 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
In most places, a person with no weapon is not considered a threat to your life, so killing them would get you into serious trouble. He could always say he was just trying to find some food and had no intention of harming anyone.
If he attacked you, or tried to, it's a different story. Just make sure he isn't wounded in the back, which would indicate he was trying to escape.
2007-02-17 14:45:50 · answer #6 · answered by Trump 2020 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, This is a position that everyone can say what they would do, BUT NO one can say what they would actually do as you have to be in this position. But I myself wouldn't have that problem. Yes I own several guns, But this person would have to worry more about my dogs than me. And I DO KNOW what they would do. He would need an ambulance to say the least. My Rotti is waiting for a treat.
2007-02-16 23:17:40 · answer #7 · answered by GRUMPY 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
how many people break into a house a dont have a gun but if that did happen i would blow a hole in hisfoot
2007-02-17 06:32:20 · answer #8 · answered by ford man 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i would beat the shite out of him if he was unarmed, much more satisfying.
2007-02-17 02:31:49 · answer #9 · answered by glass. 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
call the cops and hold the robber until cops arrive.
2007-02-17 13:49:57 · answer #10 · answered by simpson3303 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋