TexasCHLforum.com

Shoving a potato up the exhaust pipe is easy and quick.

However, I don't recommend exposing oneself to an unknown threat for such a purpose.

- Jim

LAYGO wrote:If I'm not mistaken, having property in your possession or not doesn't make it NOT a burglary. The act was committed whether or not they actually absconded with the property.

Burglary is based in part on intent, namely the intent to commit a felony, theft, or assault. It's difficult to prove the intent unless the offender commits or attempts to commit the act.

Otherwise illegally entering property is criminal trespass.

I was referring to the homeowner pursuing the "suspects." Using force or deadly force against fleeing robbers, burglars, or thieves is justified only to recover stolen property (as I wrote earlier, not to apprehend or punish the offenders).

- Jim

I don't see where the suspects had any of the defender's property.

This story would read very differently if the homeowner had shot an innocent party or an innocent party had been injured during the car chase. As I said above, the guy was lucky.

- Jim

Day or night time has nothing to do with burglary.

As for arresting the defender, they know where he lives.

- Jim

surprise_i'm_armed wrote:Clue the rest of us in - what is Fox 5.3?

Industrial-strength pepper-CS spray: http://foxlabs.com/pepperspray.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I wasn't going to comment further, but I can't help it.

We can't punish criminals. Not even LEOs can do that.

IMHO, if a non-LEO stops a crime before it is accomplished, that is the whole point of self defense. If he can get information that leads to arresting the criminals, that's even better.

According to Texas law, we can arrest a suspect who committed a felony (such as burglary), but the danger of trying to arrest an offender or multiple offenders has been discussed many times.

We simply can't shoot at fleeing empty-handed criminals, regardless of what they tried to do or might do in the future. I understand the impulse; and unfortunately movies and TV programs show too much of this kind of retribution.

In this case, the defender was fortunate not to have injured an innocent party or caused property damage, or had the injured driver do the same.

- Jim
[Excaliber and I were typing at the same time.]

He's lucky to be alive, walking in on two burglars.

Maybe he needs a burglar alarm.

- Jim