What if the bad guy bolts?

[ExactlyMyPoint]

Here is a YouTube video of a guy catching a thief making off with his TV



Nothing really special here. However, in this scenario, when the homeowner confronts the BG with a shotgun, had the BG just put down the TV and bolted, what was the homeowner going to do? Shoot him in the back? Probably not. And the BG would have gotten away.

I am not sure why BGs just don't run away when confronted, knowing that the GG is probably NOT going to shoot him as he runs away.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[boricua]

If I were the BG, I wouldn't take that chance, regardless of the likelihood of being shot in the back. If I'm unarmed and having the barrel of a gun pointing at me, you bet that I'll do exactly what the thief did in the video; obey.

[SmokinFool]

Hmm. His shotgun has a pistol grip, which would be illegal if some people get their way. Anyway, good video. The BG did the smart thing and will now be learning all about our judicial system from the inside.

[kelcarry]

IMHO you shoot someone who is already outside your home, even if he has his hands full of your "stuff" you have committed murder of some form thereof per legal definition. If he had been found in the house, castle doctrine would have allowed you to reasonable assume imminent danger and you can shoot him. Personally, over stuff, I doubt I would shoot someone unless my presumption of imminent danger really rose to a level where I was truly frightened for my life.
In SC, at night, and I stress at night, Section 17-13-20 of the SC Code of Laws allows for you to affect a citizen's arrest and use any means to stop the probability of escape, "even if the life of the person should be taken" when the person has committed a felony, forcibly entered without permission, has stolen property in his possession or you have just suspicion of his design to steal or commit some felony and flees when he is hailed. In other words--at night if you are a BG in SC, you are taking your life in your hands, literally, if you want to be a bad boy.

[KBSR]

I personally don't care what the law says.

I'm not taking another persons life, over stuff, period. Nothing I own is uninsured. If I'm not concerned for my life, or the life of a loved one, or an innocent, the BG gets a walk. Taking a life, whether legally justified or not, isn't something anyone should want to do.

There will be some residual damage (psychologically), no matter how tough you think you are. I have many friends and former coworkers who still struggle with the after affects of this, and it it just isn't worth it to protect your damn TV, IMHO.

Having said all of that, the game changes when I fear for my life, or the life of a loved one, or innocents. Then you do what you have to do, and deal with the aftermath the best way you can.

[whoppo]

No threat to life or wellbeing, no shot.
If the BG runs away, he absolutely might get away, but after a change of underwear and some reflection on the incident that caused the need for a fresh pair of panties, he might be less likely to return. If he does return, then it might be assumed that harmful revenge is on his mind... in which case: double-tap.

[Exacto]

As citizens, our objective is to stop the threat. We are not the police. It is not our job to pursue. If they flee when confronted,and no one is hurt, so much the better. Threat is over. In my opinion he should not have went on the offensive and confronted the guy, that's a job for the police. He should have called them. If it had turned bad and he shot him, he would be accused of being a vigilanty and going on the offensive and causing the confrontation to escalate, and maybe lost the privledge of self defense.

[oneshot]

H.E. Double Hockey Sticks, its Texas for cripes sake.
The homeowner could have shot the idiot and the police would have shown up and pushed him(the perp) into the bushes and put a vase with some flowers in his folded hands and made a planter out of him.

On a more serious note, it was kinda funny watching the scumbag get real intimate with the lawn.

[1911_Kimber]

My understanding is that you can only shoot at someone who is threatening your life or someone else's... In any other situation you would be committing a crime. I am not going to go to jail for some other idiot... I can see the headlines... Would be thief gets 6 months for stealing TV, homeowner who shots would be thief in the back gets 10 years!

[Frado]

Hey,

Don't give the bad guys any good advice about running away. Hopefully all victims of crimes like this can get the bad guys off the street..

[68blackbird]

My understanding is that you can only shoot at someone who is threatening your life or someone else's... In any other situation you would be committing a crime. I am not going to go to jail for some other idiot... I can see the headlines... Would be thief gets 6 months for stealing TV, homeowner who shots would be thief in the back gets 10 years!

Depends on your state... Texas Penal Code -

§ 9.42. DEADLY FORCE TO PROTECT PROPERTY. A person is
justified in using deadly force against another to protect land or
tangible, movable property:
(1) if he would be justified in using force against the
other under Section 9.41; and
(2) when and to the degree he reasonably believes the
deadly force is immediately necessary:
(A) to prevent the other's imminent commission of
arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, theft during the
nighttime, or criminal mischief during the nighttime; or
(B) to prevent the other who is fleeing
immediately after committing burglary, robbery, aggravated
robbery, or theft during the nighttime from escaping with the
property; and
(3) he reasonably believes that:
(A) the land or property cannot be protected or
recovered by any other means; or
(B) the use of force other than deadly force to
protect or recover the land or property would expose the actor or
another to a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury.

[farronwolf]

Depends on where one lives. Like has been pointed out already, where the homeowner lives, he would have been ok under our current statutes.

It did turn out well without having to shoot the BG however.

Maybe a shotgun blast to the knee would have slowed this guy down just enough to make the chase a bit more interesting though if he had attempted to flee. Yea, yea, I know you're not supposed to shoot to wound, but the idea of the guy hobbling off holding a blown out knee at about 1/4 mph seems reasonable. It certainly would give the BG something to remember you by.

[trayzor]

IDAHO
TITLE 18
CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS
CHAPTER 40
HOMICIDE
18-4009. JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE BY ANY PERSON. Homicide is also justifiable when committed by any person in either of the following cases:
1. When resisting any attempt to murder any person, or to commit a felony, or to do some great bodily injury upon any person; or,
2. When committed in defense of habitation, property or person, against one who manifestly intends or endeavors, by violence or surprise, to commit a felony, or against one who manifestly intends and endeavors, in a violent, riotous or tumultuous manner, to enter the habitation of another for the purpose of offering violence to any person therein; or,
3. When committed in the lawful defense of such person, or of a wife or husband, parent, child, master, mistress or servant of such person, when there is reasonable ground to apprehend a design to commit a felony or to do some great bodily injury, and imminent danger of such design being accomplished; but such person, or the person in whose behalf the defense was made, if he was the assailant or engaged in mortal combat, must really and in good faith have endeavored to decline any further struggle before the homicide was committed; or,
4. When necessarily committed in attempting, by lawful ways and means, to apprehend any person for any felony committed, or in lawfully suppressing any riot, or in lawfully keeping and preserving the peace.

If I were not in fear of my life I would let the guy have the TV, call the cops and file an insurance claim (Need a new TV anyhow).

[gallardo.g23]

if some one was breaking into a neighbors i would confront him with a gun to scare him away from this whole neighborhood. if some one breaks into my house at daytime or night time then they have bad intentions in the first place, their for need to be shot. i'm minding my own business and not harming others so if someones coming to bother me or my family in our home and invading our space then its necessary for him to be shot or stabbed, if you don't have a gun.

[BugDude]

If its me and the BG bolts, I'd likely put a round in the dirt a good ways behind him so that whenever he gets where he's going he had to change his drawers. Other than that, I'd let him bolt.