Well, the OP's scenario has the BG putting his weapon down before all you tough guys get a chance to shoot him; or he gets down on his knees and surrenders, again, before you have a chance to shoot him.
TO the OP's POINT....and MINE.
"You point your gun at him, he puts down his weapon if he is carrying one"
In MY book....
AS I was pointing at the sob WITH a gun..
I'm firing. There's no "tough guy" involved there, Quicksabre, there is simply SEEING a GUN in my home....and reacting instantly. YOU "wait" for him to put it down. Not me....I see it,
he's armed, I'm reacting. Why on God's green earth anyone here would hesistate any upon seeing someone with a weapon in your home, is beyond me. I personally don't see how upon seeing it, he is going to put it down faster than me pulling the trigger many times. I'm simply not "waiting" to see what he's going to do, was my point. :smile:
If you shoot him in the OP's scenario, after he's surrendered and no longer a threat, you're committing unjustified homicide, i.e., murder. He's no longer a threat to you, therefore you're murdering him if you kill him. Your castle doctrine, and your concealed weapons permit, only gives you the option of ending a threat to your life. You don't get to be an executioner, no matter what your fantasies may entail.
I don't think too many here have stated execution.....I certainly haven't. Again, for me, if he has a weapon, there never really was much of a chance for him to "surrender". If he's unarmed, and surrenders, that's another ball game. Likewise, if it's dark as night, and I know my son is not this target, and I have the slightest inclination this idiot MAY be armed, HE'S IN MY HOUSE!!!!! Do I hope he's "not" armed and not shoot? NO!
We can play "what if's" all day long with this, but quite frankly, I don't care what others "feeeeeeel".
Slower....if need be.....for clarification. ;-)
1) If he's armed, he's Dead. Stopped, threat gone, whatever you or anyone else wants to call it.
2) If I even remotely "think" that a person, who is IN my house, and is not my 11 yr old son, is armed.....he's Dead. Stopped, threat gone, whatever you or anyone else wants to call it.
3) If I come upon him and
KNOW that he is not armed, and he surrenders, he's staying there until the police arrive, and they take him to jail. There is no turning around slowly, and apologizing, and tiptoeing away as I watch him leave and "phew, thank God he's gone and didn't hurt us". He's STAYING, one way or the other, and the LAW will hand him judgement for breaking into my home. Free pass, still alive, but jail. :smile:
IF....IF..he makes a move,
it all changes again. BIG difference in
my personal statements...:bier:
Also you don't get to kill someone based on what they might do when they leave your "invaded" home; or for that matter, what they've done while they're there. Revenge is not part of your right to self-defense.
Uh....."might" do? "Might" have ALREADY broken into my home, and "might" not be holding a gun? This isn't "revenge", this is something called REALITY.
He made the decision.
If he's armed, in my home, he's as good as dead. Period. I quite frankly, don't have the trust nor the time to wait and "hope" he puts down his weapon. Again, this is ARMED.
If he's
not armed, he will STAY in my home until the police arrive to haul his ass to jail. He will NOT LEAVE.