OT Castle Doctrine in Texas

[Hobie]

I personally feel that I (and this is just a personal rule of engagement) am not justified in shooting someone if I have not first taken reasonable measures to keep them from entering my dwelling.

I don't care HOW they got to the point that they are a threat, I will not allow them to hurt my family members (including me!). Forgetting or failing to lock a door doesn't give them a free pass. What about a guy who attacks you while you're working in your yard?

[Jason_W]

I don't care HOW they got to the point that they are a threat, I will not allow them to hurt my family members (including me!). Forgetting or failing to lock a door doesn't give them a free pass. What about a guy who attacks you while you're working in your yard?

I was really just stating my own personal rules of engagement. I'm a bit obsessive-compulsive about locking doors (I check like 3 times a night) so I doubt I'll forget.

[sore shoulder]

I personally feel that I (and this is just a personal rule of engagement) am not justified in shooting someone if I have not first taken reasonable measures to keep them from entering my dwelling.

I don't care HOW they got to the point that they are a threat, I will not allow them to hurt my family members (including me!). Forgetting or failing to lock a door doesn't give them a free pass. What about a guy who attacks you while you're working in your yard?

It would seem the burden of due diligence to avoid encouraging a hapless innocent from assaulting you in your yard dictates remaining indoors, thereby removing the stumbling block from the otherwise virtuous citizens path.

[Hobie]

I don't care HOW they got to the point that they are a threat, I will not allow them to hurt my family members (including me!). Forgetting or failing to lock a door doesn't give them a free pass. What about a guy who attacks you while you're working in your yard?

I was really just stating my own personal rules of engagement. I'm a bit obsessive-compulsive about locking doors (I check like 3 times a night) so I doubt I'll forget.

So, you would not defend yourself (or your fiancee) on your front yard?

You're right to have ROE but they need to be based in reality. Innocent people get killed for failing to base their ROE (or their organization's ROE) on reality.

[Paul Jenkins]

Hobie,
I like the way you think.

I had a recent incident, recounted here, where I was able to avoid shooting somebody who was impaired and I am glad of it. Just because you can do something doesn't mean that you should do something. Wink Nonetheless, I wouldn't hold it against somebody who did just because the intruder was drunk/high. Indeed that makes people less predictable and more dangerous.

Only people drunk on perceived power do unnecessary harm. Either victim or perp.

[Jason_W]

I don't care HOW they got to the point that they are a threat, I will not allow them to hurt my family members (including me!). Forgetting or failing to lock a door doesn't give them a free pass. What about a guy who attacks you while you're working in your yard?

I was really just stating my own personal rules of engagement. I'm a bit obsessive-compulsive about locking doors (I check like 3 times a night) so I doubt I'll forget.

So, you would not defend yourself (or your fiancee) on your front yard?

You're right to have ROE but they need to be based in reality. Innocent people get killed for failing to base their ROE (or their organization's ROE) on reality.

Of course I would. In my, home, in my yard, or out in public, if there is a genuine threat, I'll defend myself or my loved ones.

Mostly, I just can't help but feel bad for the guy mentioned in the opening article who was just drunk and stupid and wandered into the wrong house. I also don't fault the home owner for doing what he did in shooting the kid (I doubt that the homeowner feels great about the situation either).

[ScottT]

"In San Antonio last year, a Northwest Side homeowner fatally shot an intoxicated college student who wandered into his home — in the same neighborhood where the student’s sister lived."

Jason,

Please understand that I live in San Antonio. I probably live less than two miles from where this shooting happened. Drunk or not, I would have killed this son of a b___ if he was in my house at night. In that particular case, the drunk broke into that fellow's house.