Homeowner Pulls Shotgun and says "Not today bro" stops criminal carrying a TV, prones

[Jeanlouise]

More of a general across the country comment as opposed to Texas law in particular. My wife shot a guy right between the legs with a 357 mag. He was in the house, armed, and convicted sex offender. Unfortunately this was in California. She spent more time with the cops than he did. Never saw the gun again. They said it was a illegal weapon. Plus side all is well that ends well and he will never have children that grow up to be just like him.

Another reason to not live in Kalifornia. Good for your wife...perfect shot for that particular criminal. Guess he'll never be the "baby daddy".

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[OldVet]

Making blanket statements about other states based on your state's laws is fruitless.

[OperatorJ]

A few well placed kicks to the ribs and a promise to blow his head off next time might be in order.

Officer: How did his ribs get broken?
Home Owner: I don't know for sure, but I'ts likely from either climbing through my window, ripping my 50" HDTV off the wall and trying to carry it outside, or he may have had an unfortunate run-in with my size 11. Your choice. Just let me know which one you put in the report so I can testify appropriately.

(I am NOT advocating lying to the police in an official statement or in court... just in case any of you wisenheimers started getting any ideas of saying I was condoning such behavior... it was just for a good, perhaps even cheap, laugh!)

OpJ

[mbguy29577]

Too bad he was already outside....

[Brad426]

Good guy is lucky he's not in jail. The guy is outside of the house, he's carrying a TV that he can't yet prove he stole (the reporter said it was "somebody's" TV, not necessarily belonging to the guy with the shotgun) he wasn't armed, he wasn't offering a physical threat.

In other words, given the information I have in this video, this is a good example of how not use a gun defensively. If that confrontation had gone bad it would have cost the homeowner a heck of a lot of money, enough to buy dozens of TV's.

Here's how I would have handled it. Racked the shotgun, handed it to the wife to cover me as she calls the police. Then I would have walked out, kept a safe distance (like on the other side of the yard) and yelled "Hey, nice TV. Why don't you put it back where you found it, now?" He can't run with a TV, so 99% he's going to put it down and flee, and you let the cops deal with rounding him up and detaining him. Especially being you have him on video! Odds are they know exactly who he is and where he lives, and they have him carrying the goods on the video, you don't need to do anything else.

Texas law allows the use of deadly force in defense of property. In Connecticut he certainly would have been jailed for being so rude to that nice young man, I agree.

[BeefyG]

I read somewhere else that the homeowner recognized the guy from camera footage of when his own home had been burglarized. If you have questions about how Texas feels about shooting people who stole from your neighbors then look up Joe Horn. Two illegals shot in the back as they carted off his neighbors stuff across his yard and he didn't get charged.

[dangerranger]

There's nothing in CA law that prevents you from holding him at gun point till the cops come and haul him off. Had he dropped the TV and run away you couldn't shoot him. But holding him at gun point was legal. DR

[BelaOkmyx]

Texas law allows the use of deadly force in defense of property. In Connecticut he certainly would have been jailed for being so rude to that nice young man, I agree.

Out of curiosity I just looked up the Texas force law. No way, not as long as there are other means to recover the property. It also has to be your own property or property you are in charge of. As I'm reading the law the suspect could have just put the TV down and walked away.

In CT we can use deadly force to prevent arson, but not burglary. We also are required to retreat outside of our own homes.

Texas Gun Laws - Use of Force and Deadly Force - Self Defense