[Cold Warrior]

4 recent self-defense shootings raise questions about law, safety

 

[SpringerXD]

I just read it. The underlying theme, as usual, is "Should we ALLOW people to carry guns? By ALLOWING people to carry guns, it can create an unsafe society, so we're not so sure that we should ALLOW people to own or carry guns."

Never mind that it's a right.

 

[WHEC724]

Interesting article - a lot of innuendo suggesting that people don't need to use lethal force in response to a criminal that is threatening/attacking them with lethal force.

ex. "At home, do you have a reasonable avenue of retreat?"

I'm very grateful to live in a state that has at least adopted the Castle Doctrine. I just don't understand the intense effort to empower and victimize criminals...

 

[orangevol]

Oh no...someone is breaking into my house, perhaps if I just cower in fear and do not move...the bad guy will go away!!!

I just want to PUKE!!!

 

[SpringerXD]

If a stranger forcibly enters your home at 3:00 A.M. by kicking the door down and charging inside, you can be sure that he's not there to sell you a magazine subscription.

These idiots would have us be a total police state like the UK, where you can actually go to prison if you physically harm a jerk who breaks into your home.

EDIT: Oops. Mods, sorry about the workaround.....

 

[Anubis]

amusing detail

"User comments are not being accepted on this article."

 

[StevePVB]

It's happening everywhere

This is from an email from our community association. "It has been reported to the PVCC by Shari Duval that in the past week there have been 6-7 Home invasions on Roscoe.

"Chuck Foster believes they are entering via water and land both. They seem to be hitting homes when the occupants are gone, therefore watching the home activity."

Boat equipment, guns, etc. have been stolen.

Please lock your homes, have them checked in your absence, and report any suspicious activity to the Sheriff."

They are invading our homes. Lt. Welsh says we should avoid being placed in that situation. What situation is he talking about??? I guess I'm supposed to avoid being in my home legally while some useless thugs break in?

This is new in our area. Before so many folks "discovered" living on the water, this was really a ******* area where you could count on everyone owning guns. Not surprisingly, the newer, expensive homes have been the target so far. It will spread. Everyone here owns a boat that has electronics.

 

[ImChad]

I found this interesting and a view of a certain political party.


"

IOne incident left a would-be robber dead after a homeowner shot and killed him inside his home.

It’s a recent trend that leaves police torn between public safety concerns and law enforcement objectives.

“If your life is genuinely in danger ... I would expect people to fight for their lives or their family’s lives,” said Dayton police Lt. Patrick Welsh, a former prosecuting attorney. “But we also encourage people to think, ‘What can I do to avoid being placed in that situation in the first place?’ ”

Good question. What can I do to avoid a robber from entering my home in the middle of the night when my wife and kids are sleeping? It's obviously my problem. :icon_neutral:

 

[ImChad]

The funny thing is the entire situation.


All 4 of these....


Aug. 28: Alphonso Hughes shot Ramon Austin in the leg on Fountain Ave. after Austin allegedly pointed an assault rifle at Hughes’ family outside their home. Hughes also grazed a man in a house across the street.

• Aug. 31: Facing two armed burglars inside his Huffman Avenue home, Bradley Fugate shot and killed one of the men, Danny L. Baker.

• Sept. 19: Bert Watts Sr., 72, shot Phillip Anderson from his car on Brooklyn Ave. after Anderson approached Watts, pointing an AK-47 assault rifle at him. Anderson was charged with aggravated robbery.

• Sept. 23: People in a house on Huffman Avenue returned fire and hit Richard Forbus Jr. after he fired into the home. Forbus has been charged with felonious assault.


And the brilliant police Lt. Patrick Welsh asks "What can I do to avoid being placed in that situation in the first place?"


hmmm. stay out of my home, stay off the porch, stay out of my car and ask people politely not to fire shots at me.


Articles like this scare me that more than a few people think we, law abiding citizens should host the burden of the criminal. We shouldn't shoot back and if you're a woman, and a rapist gets ahold of you, don't fight back just take it like a champ, then report it. sigh.

 

[TX-JB]

"User comments are not being accepted on this article."

Is that a surprise??? They don't want comments...Obviously the LT. has political aspirations, to make comments like that...

 

[titleist]

I actually found it a pretty objective article and a good read. They presented both sides, and all the cautionary topics discussed are the things we talk about here anyways (last resort, training, etc). Not bad for something in a public newspaper. Baby steps....

 

[puncho]

Each situation will be different, I will never question someone who defends their property or safety...

 

[RETSUPT99]

Not a bad article, and it ends with this...

...“I don’t know how I would react, but I do know that I’ve had a lot of training,” he said. “Just because you have (a gun) doesn’t mean you have to use it. But I would much rather have the gun and not need it than the other way around.”
Said Welsh, “If you’ve gone through CCW and you’re obeying the law, nobody is going to fault you for defending yourself (in a life-threatening situation). But look how many police are killed in the line of duty, and they’re well-armed and well-trained. It’s hard to say citizens should make that choice. People think it’s a simple decision, but it’s not.”

 

[JohnKelly]

Good question. What can I do to avoid a robber from entering my home in the middle of the night when my wife and kids are sleeping? It's obviously my problem. :icon_neutral:

Shoot through the door? Problem solved...

 

[SIXTO]

I really dont see anything wrong with it. I went in thinking it was going to be horrible (as Dayton usually is), but I cant really disagree with it.

 

[tiwee]

But look how many police are killed in the line of duty, and they’re well-armed and well-trained. It’s hard to say citizens should make that choice.

The police can neither pick the place nor time. Duty thrusts them into dangerous situations where they control few of the variables.

The citizen in his/her home can think ahead. Identify the know dangers. Plan for self defense. Know that the intruder is unfamiliar with the interior of the house. Use a shotgun. Preselect positions of good cover. Be aware of concealment locations. Have a few layers in the defensive scheme including a yappy dog. Think about lighting that will silhouette intruders in otherwise dark spaces. In home defense, you can manage all of the variables except the intruder.

The citizen in his/her car can drive aware of ambush situations. Stay out of questionable areas. Keep the car locked, escape routes open, and aware of the other traffic. Have a pistol ready to use in self defense.

In short, there is almost no comparison between a homeowner defending his space and a police officer called to the location of trouble and exposed to unknown dangers.

 

[JDE101]

Thanks for posting the link to the article. I read the Dayton paper most days, but missed this article. Considering that the Dayton Daily News is about as left-wing liberal in its editorial policy as it can get, I think the article was suprisingly "balanced". That really amazes me! There was an article in yesterdays edition that talked about four more killings in recent days. Not quite as "balanced", as one of the four was aparantely a self-defense shooting by a CHL holder. The BG is dead and the CHL holder was also shot. The police are looking into it because it occured outside a restaurant and the dead guy supposedly tried to rob the CHL holder. (In OH, we can't carry in a restaurant if they serve alcohol, even if you don't drink). IMHO, should not have been lumped into the same article with three obvious homicides. Big point of the article was the police don't think any of the shootings were gang related. Whoop-de-do!

 

[Deanimator]

Interesting article - a lot of innuendo suggesting that people don't need to use lethal force in response to a criminal that is threatening/attacking them with lethal force.

ex. "At home, do you have a reasonable avenue of retreat?"

I'm very grateful to live in a state that has at least adopted the Castle Doctrine. I just don't understand the intense effort to empower and victimize criminals...

Ohio has castle doctrine. There's no duty to retreat within ones home or automobile.

 

[Backnblack]

Emailed the reporter....

Don't know why our Web site staff didn't allow commenting on that story, but it's a month old now, so they certainly won't be adding it now.
You're always welcome to send any comments to me.

Jeremy Kelley
Reporter
Dayton Daily News
937-304-5731 (cell)
937-225-2278 (office)
[email protected]