Check this article out, Eric. This happened in the Live Free or Die state.
Jenny Erikson
http://www.cafemom.com
February 21th, 2012
A New Hampshire grandfather has been arrested and is facing a possible prison sentence for firing a shot into the ground and holding a burglar at gunpoint until the cops could arrive. Dennis Fleming, 61, came home on Saturday night to discover that his home had been robbed. He saw the burglar, Joseph Hebert, 27, climbing out of his neighbor’s window. Mr. Fleming yelled, “Freeze!” and fired a shot into the ground before holding the crook at gunpoint.
When the police arrived, they arrested Hebert, but instead of a big old “thank you” and a slap on the back for Fleming, he got arrested too, on a charge of reckless conduct.
Yes, you read that right: A grandfather of 14 was arrested for not letting a criminal escape. What was he supposed to do — hold him down? Then they probably would have arrested him for assault and battery. Besides, we are talking about a 61-year-old man versus a 27-year-old man. Fleming did the math on that one himself. He told FoxNews:
I didn’t think I could handle this guy physically, so I fired into the ground. He stopped. He knew I was serious. I was angry … and I was worried that this guy was going to come after me.
The police also seized Fleming’s collection of firearms including seven rifles and a .38-caliber handgun. Just in case any other bad guys out there get it in their minds to rob an unarmed house, keep in mind that Fleming still has his Louisville Slugger.
Vigilantes can be dangerous, and people should not take the law into their own hands. But that’s not what happened here. The police were called and were on their way. Unfortunately, teleportation hasn’t become a reliable source of transportation quite yet, so the cops were not able to spontaneously appear out of thin air to arrest Hebert. Fleming did what he had to do to keep the younger man from escaping and/or harming him. By breaking-and-entering at least two homes, Hebert had already proved that he doesn’t play by the rules. I doubt he would’ve waited around to be arrested just because Fleming said, “Pretty please.”
Americans should have the right to protect their personal property. It’s a keystone to an ordered society. What happens when crooks know that people are unable to defend themselves? Penny Dean of Gun Owners of New Hampshire says, “The fact that this man would be charged is an outrage. Burglars in New Hampshire must know it’s open season, since homeowners cannot defend themselves, as evidenced by this case. This is charging the victim.”
Here’s to hoping County Attorney Tom Veladi shows some common sense when he reviews this case. People should not have to worry about getting arrested or going to jail for self-defense or for protecting their personal property.
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This sounds like it happened in Australia. Here, when service stations are robbed, the police tell us to hand over the money because it’s safest. Honestly, we’re just asking to be robbed over and over again! If I ever had to run a service station and someone tried to rob me, they’d be missing an arm or leg real quick, teaching them to take a good hard look at their chosen profession.
It’s happened a few times already that a burglar crashed through the ceiling of a home and sued the homeowner for injuries!
When confronted with a completely inadequate legal system such as this, the best way is to make sure the bodies are never discovered.
We have a saying out here in the Woods:
Shoot, shovel – and shut up!
Perhaps machetes are the way to go?
It should work – take off an arm or a leg, leave it in the trash (or discard it in someone else’s trash), the would-be thief runs off, loses blood, likely dies before a short trip to the hospital or (preferrably) morgue…
Just keep bleach on hand to clean your property. (Destroys the DNA.)
I’ve learned a Machete is too unreliable. Chapar, Parang, Kukri, even.
Axes and hammers sound good, too, and tomahawks….
And remember targeting – arteries in the legs, achilles tendon, kneecaps, destroy the liver… Lots of possibilities.
And as the expression goes, Chest wounds SUCK… When properly done.
WTF? I mean really! Maybe we should just open our doors to criminals and have a free for all.
This is how it has been in some other countries for years.
It is also how things work in the government schools.
The reason is simple. To encourage crime which makes the government more powerful and to secure a government monopoly on protection which makes the government more powerful.
Of course the government’s additional powers will not be used to stop criminals and protection services won’t be rendered.
The jury system has become so broken the government can get away with stuff like this too.
You know what’s sad? Even last year I would have said that with these remarks you were bordering on paranoia.
Now I have no trouble believing it at all.
The interpretation of paranoia is something I have gotten in the past. I don’t understand why logic is considered paranoia. Actions are taken because the people taking them believe these actions to be beneficial in some manner. If they weren’t these people wouldn’t do what they are doing.
Americans in general have been conditioned not to look for whys, hows, motivations, etc. They just see things as random events. When someone looks for a why then it’s “paranoia”. Just a crazy person, just a bad cop, and so on is the degree of their thinking. Never why do cops do this? Never why does someone go on a suicide mission? Never is the question asked, who benefits?
Who benefits from arresting someone for endangering a burglar?