Homeowner to be charged with manslaughter

[11Charlie]

Gun owner play a stupid game and won the stupid prize......dammit!

I wanted to put myself in his position. Fieldon Township, just south of Medelia Min.
Google Maps

Living right in the heart of the "Big City"(?) (I actually prefer to call it something that rhymes with city but starts with shhhhh) I have a different perspective from someone out in the country. Looks to be pretty easy to know where your bullet may go out there yeah?. It's still wrong to shoot at fleeing scum-dog would-be thieves though! If I lived out in the boonies I would truly be in fear of my life if someone came clear the hell out there to break into my house! That intersection is dead center in the 38 sq mile "Township". Population 246 in 2000.

Shooting at fleeing thieves is going to get you in trouble, but, what if they were armed, and fleeing?

That's a tough one. To me fleeing is fleeing. If the threat is gone its gone. No matter the circumstance would you want to shoot someone in the back?

 

[etrain16]

Already fleeing, get license plate/description if possible and call the cops. Scary part is knowing they may come back, and that may have played a part in his decision to shoot - still a bad choice. Maybe he has seen too many movies where folks shot out the tires and thought he was just that good.

As I understand it, often presenting a gun will cause the bad guys to split, no shots fired, and knowing the homeowner is armed, may keep them from coming back later.

This just happened in PDX - 4 home intruders, guy grabbed a gun, they all ran, no shots fired - and I'm guessing it is unlikely they will come back:

SE Portland homeowner scares burglars away with gun

It is my hope if I ever am confronted with such a situation that I won't have to shoot. But if my life or the life of my family is in imminent danger, I will. If they're bugging out, then let the cops deal with them.

 

[etrain16]

Shooting at fleeing thieves is going to get you in trouble, but, what if they were armed, and fleeing?

Wouldn't matter, the law protects you in the event of an immediate threat on your life or those around you. Fleeing armed bad guys are the cops' problem. The law won't protect you at that point.

 

[rdb241]

Yeah, "while driving away" means the threat had passed...

The very same as running away. You do not shoot somebody in the back. Rules for use of deadly force.

 

[bolus]

When will people learn...

You need at least a Carl Gustav M3A1 recoilless rifle or preferably a TOW or Javelin shoulder fired missile for a fleeing car filled with criminals. sheesh.

 

[Mister Bisley]

Already fleeing, get license plate/description if possible and call the cops. Scary part is knowing they may come back, and that may have played a part in his decision to shoot - still a bad choice. Maybe he has seen too many movies where folks shot out the tires and thought he was just that good.

As I understand it, often presenting a gun will cause the bad guys to split, no shots fired, and knowing the homeowner is armed, may keep them from coming back later.

This just happened in PDX - 4 home intruders, guy grabbed a gun, they all ran, no shots fired - and I'm guessing it is unlikely they will come back:

SE Portland homeowner scares burglars away with gun

It is my hope if I ever am confronted with such a situation that I won't have to shoot. But if my life or the life of my family is in imminent danger, I will. If they're bugging out, then let the cops deal with them.

Exactly, most crooks are just looking for an easy gig while preying on the weak or unarmed. They themselves want to get out unscathed.

 

[Mister Bisley]

Also, what would would have happened after the tires were shot out? I'm sure it wouldn't have been good. The guy either murders the suspects or they could possibly return fire. Just let them go, let the cops deal with it and be grateful you and your family survived the encroachment.

 

[Mikej]

That's a tough one. To me fleeing is fleeing. If the threat is gone its gone. No matter the circumstance would you want to shoot someone in the back?

I agree fully with you and no, I'm not shooting anyone in the back. However, doesn't it state that we are allowed to defend others from imminent harm/death from an armed perp? Granted this is not that sort of case. Just more food for thought.

I was also surprised in the article that said a deputy found the car/perps a couple miles from the scene. Living in the city I don't think you can even get a hold of 911 in the middle of the night with out being on hold. I don't test that for obvious reasons, but when Wifey needs to call 911 from the store she's usually put on hold. And non emergency? Takes 15 minutes, if your lucky, to get a person.

 

[HuckleberryFun]

I was aiming for the tires, Your Honor...

 

[11Charlie]

I agree fully with you and no, I'm not shooting anyone in the back. However, doesn't it state that we are allowed to defend others from imminent harm/death from an armed perp? Granted this is not that sort of case. Just more food for thought.

I was also surprised in the article that said a deputy found the car/perps a couple miles from the scene. Living in the city I don't think you can even get a hold of 911 in the middle of the night with out being on hold. I don't test that for obvious reasons, but when Wifey needs to call 911 from the store she's usually put on hold. And non emergency? Takes 15 minutes, if your lucky, to get a person.

911 operators are under staffed for sure!!! Along with our boys and girls in blue. Its a sad state and hopefully they will get some new funding with our new POTUS.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Dawg! need

 

[Certaindeaf]

911 operators are under staffed for sure!!! Along with our boys and girls in blue. Its a sad state and hopefully they will get some new funding with our new POTUS.

It's a crazy game the cities play. I hear coppers have to work like 60+ hrs their whole life, pretty much.
tarded

 

[11Charlie]

It's a crazy game the cities play. I hear coppers have to work like 60+ hrs their whole life, pretty much.
tarded

It is tarded!! lol In this day and age who would want to be a cop? I take my hat off to all of them for putting on there uniform and going to work every day.

 

[Certaindeaf]

It is tarded!! lol In this day and age who would want to be a cop? I take my hat off to all of them for putting on there uniform and going to work every day.

I don't think a lot of them know what will be required of them. (I've heard).
The oddity transfers over to the medical profession.. nurses are overworked (giggity) to a remarkable extent, especially considering the demand for them for the last few lifetimes.
There is an entrenched bottleneck in the educational requirements for nurses though.. which is again odd, given the constant increasing demand.
tardation I say

 

[bbbass]

Still doesn't justify shooting at a fleeing suspect. The threat ended when the suspects retreated. I suspect that adrenalin took over and overrode logical thought. A very expensive reaction. I have to feel sorry for him. Not only will he probably end up in prison, he'll have to live with the knowledge that he took someones life.

Yes, I agree that there is no justification. You got that I was being sarcastic, right?

Proper training can eliminate these types of overrides. IMO a responsible gun owner gets proper training, whether it be shooting sports, hunting, firearms handing and safety, or ethics and practices of self-defense. No excuse for not learning since there are so many opportunities. It's a good thing that this forum talks about a lot of safety, ethics, and legal issues involved with self-defense because there is a lot of incorrect myths out there.

 

[DunRanull]

2016 Minnesota Statutes
609.205 MANSLAUGHTER IN THE SECOND DEGREE.
A person who causes the death of another by any of the following means is guilty of manslaughter in the second degree and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than ten years or to payment of a fine of not more than $20,000, or both:
(1) by the person's culpable negligence whereby the person creates an unreasonable risk, and consciously takes chances of causing death or great bodily harm to another;

**The rest of the statute deals with hunting accidents, vicious animals and death of a child and so forth not relating to the facts of this case.**

The prosecution wouldnt want me on this jury because the facts as we read them do not warrant a conviction as charged, as far as Im concerned. And I can be a stubborn man.
I might go for conviction on a lesser offense, if available under Minnesota laws. A high misdemeanor at most.
That's just me, YMMV.
Shooting a running punk is tragic for the punk, but does the world a favor, IMO. And yes, I understand the laws involving negligent homicide/manslaughter etc. I just don't think an old man should be charged with a felony and put away for this...

 

[Certaindeaf]

My eyeballs just got slaughtered, man.
sayin

 

[DunRanull]

Out of concern for the eyeballs of others I shall henceforth use a smaller less bodacious font.. I use the larger because it is easier for my old eyes to read.
I do apologise

 

[rdb241]

Haha....increase the size of the of the web page to 120% like I did.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Out of concern for the eyeballs of others I shall henceforth use a smaller less bodacious font.. I use the larger because it is easier for my old eyes to read.
I do apologise

Oh you. If you only use a slightly smaller font we'll love you just as much.. so win!
Hear you though...