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RoyGBiv wrote:

Oldgringo wrote:Yep, what jbarn said: if they are backing away is one thing, if they are running 'for their life' is another thing altogether. You really don't want to shoot anybody...if you can get out of it. It will definitely be a life changing experience, in more ways than one.

Let me be clear.... I would never shoot a perp who was no longer a threat to my (and loved ones) physical safety.
The dilemma comes in knowing whether he's actually fleeing, and whether he'll keep fleeing.

That said, I firmly believe that the level of danger presented by a gun-toting perp in close proximity, someone who has already attempted to break in to my house (OP), should not be so quickly dismissed just because they've turned their back on me and started to step away. Proximity to me (and my loved ones), offenses committed and most importantly, the opportunity for me (and loved ones) to gain cover out of harms way will determine the best course of action.

Specifically, if I'm standing in my front yard after an attempted armed robbery and the perp is 2 feet away with his back to me, my course of action might very well differ from an encounter with that same armed perp creating distance from the other side of my locked door. Standing in that field and choosing not to shoot leaves me at the mercy of the perp. Must I wait for him to turn and shoot when, if he chooses to do so, I am clearly in mortal danger?

Can't argue with that.

I think it's a huge mistake to pre-determine an immediate change from shoot to no-shoot until the immediate physical danger has clearly passed. I can shoot fairly well out to 25 yards, why would I assume any differently for the perp? That mistake might cost me more than money.