Car Burgulary Last Night

[Paladin]

It might be interesting if your uncle got an interest in snakes?? And left Herman his pet rattlesnake in his truck at night????

Darn, officer! This happened again? Herman just hates his new cage. He's really a gentle rattler; wanna pet him?

Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes?

[pbandjelly]

but srsly, I understand everyone here has unlimited income, so replacing a stereo and other things of that nature is no biggie.
I, however, am poor, and take offense to someone deciding that my second true love (her name is Titan) needs a new window.
I'm not saying I'm going to come flyin' out mah door, bullets just ah spewin'
but I ain't gonn sit idlely by, either.
Austin's account of his buddy's heroic beatdown of two car thieves is impressive, in the world of anonymous interwebs...
but
I rather doubt things would go so nicely in my personal experiences.

[seamusTX]

Texas law explicitly prohibits setting "mechanisms" that might injure someone, and some slick DA may try to extend the definition of "mechanism" to include a rattlesnake,...

If you want to get pedantic about it, guard dogs aren't illegal, so why would snakes be?

Especially if you had window stickers that said, "This vehicle protected by sidewinders," with an appropriate graphic.


The stickers might do the job without bothering with a real snake.

- Jim

[para driver]

The stickers might do the job without bothering with a real snake.- Jim

you might have something there... but then once in a while you gotta go with the real deal to have any credible deterence..

[longtooth]

Texas law explicitly prohibits setting "mechanisms" that might injure someone, and some slick DA may try to extend the definition of "mechanism" to include a rattlesnake,...

If you want to get pedantic about it, guard dogs aren't illegal, so why would snakes be?

Especially if you had window stickers that said, "This vehicle protected by sidewinders," with an appropriate graphic.


The stickers might do the job without bothering with a real snake.

- Jim

I would much rather face a small Sidewinder that the Cottonmouth that is pictured here.
Sidewinder - small rattler that would rather retreat than fight.
Cottonmouth - Large Moccoson that would rather fight than give an inch. Them fangs are born & never get over it.

[Lucky45]

PC §9.04. THREATS AS JUSTIFIABLE FORCE. The threat of force
is justified when the use of force is justified by this chapter. For purposes
of this section, a threat to cause death or serious bodily injury by
the production of a weapon or otherwise, as long as the actor's purpose
is limited to creating an apprehension that he will use deadly
force if necessary, does not constitute the use of deadly force.

If by "draw down" you mean produce a weapon.

My question is that my interpretation seems to be a bit different than some here. The part of the law says "threats as justifiable force." Expanded in the definition, it says, "a threat to cause death or serious bodily injury by the production of a weapon or otherwise."
To me, it is saying that if you threaten someone that you will produce a weapon to use it, then that does not constitute the use of deadly force.

I think some are interpreting it to be if you threaten someone and produce the weapon at the same time, that does not constitute the use of deadly force.
If you are on your property that is totally fine, but if this scenario took place in a public parking lot would it apply the same.
IF you caught the suspect breaking in your vehicle and you said stop whatever you are doing and back up, cops on the way, etc, etc . The suspect is now interrupted and starts to walk towards your direction. There is no weapon visible, then you can make a threat to use deadly force and not brake the CHL law. But if you pull your weapon and threaten the suspect, then I think according to the law, you are failing to conceal because you were not justified at that point.
What do you think?

[para driver]

DESCALATION.. why show the weapon, unless you need to use it?
Most BG's want to do the crime and get away clean. Now if you confront him, and give him a chance to escape, and he raises the threat level by approaching you in a menacing manner, then displaying the weapon is my plan.

Remember, you will be put before the Grand Jury(ies), I understand it's automatic in Texas. You will have to convincingly express your fear during the situation. The DA can bring you before multiple grand juries to get an indictment?

Even if 'No Billed', you will spend what $10k-$20k easy. If you are 'True Billed", you're facing time and HUGE legal bills. Is it worth it for a $500 car stereo?????? Remember, the DA can charge you with 'crimes' not protected by your CHL, his time and money are supplied by the taxpayers, how about yours?

[pbandjelly]

???????????????? !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
UPPER CASE LETTERS!!!!!!



the point is, if somebody is breaking the law, damaging things that are dear to me, that I can't replace (insurance, suuuUUUUuuure ), then I will respond.
you all are saying that runnin' and gunnin' is wrong. yes. I, personally never said that. I'll go out there and spray (OC) the bejeezus outta someone, but that is also circumstantial.
sure, there's plenty of support for people getting torched by minute details.
key is, know the details before you act.

[DSARGE]

You never know until you are put in the same situation, but I would like to think I would do the following:
1) Call 911
2) Proceed outside w/weapon concealed and confront assailants (this would more than likely run them off)
3) Draw weapon if aggressive towards me and try to talk down until cops arrived
4) possibly fire a shot in the ground first if they were "closing the gap"
5) Use deadly force only if I absolutely thought they were about to do it to me

[Mithras61]

You never know until you are put in the same situation, but I would like to think I would do the following:
1) Call 911
2) Proceed outside w/weapon concealed and confront assailants (this would more than likely run them off)
3) Draw weapon if aggressive towards me and try to talk down until cops arrived
4) possibly fire a shot in the ground first if they were "closing the gap"
5) Use deadly force only if I absolutely thought they were about to do it to me

About #4... keep in mind that a person can cover 7 yards in about 2 seconds.

Also, I don't know about your pistola, but my GI .45 only holds eight rounds with one in the pipe. I'd hate to find I really needed the one I put in the ground (e.g. - what if there are three or more goblins?) if things get ugly enough to warrant shooting. If they keep coming when I have it out & low-ready, I don't know that a "warning shot" would make much difference.

On the other hand, I hope I never have to find out how effective my gun is against people...

[DSARGE]

You never know until you are put in the same situation, but I would like to think I would do the following:
1) Call 911
2) Proceed outside w/weapon concealed and confront assailants (this would more than likely run them off)
3) Draw weapon if aggressive towards me and try to talk down until cops arrived
4) possibly fire a shot in the ground first if they were "closing the gap"
5) Use deadly force only if I absolutely thought they were about to do it to me

About #4... keep in mind that a person can cover 7 yards in about 2 seconds.

Also, I don't know about your pistola, but my GI .45 only holds eight rounds with one in the pipe. I'd hate to find I really needed the one I put in the ground (e.g. - what if there are three or more goblins?) if things get ugly enough to warrant shooting. If they keep coming when I have it out & low-ready, I don't know that a "warning shot" would make much difference.

On the other hand, I hope I never have to find out how effective my gun is against people...

Your are right on. 21 ft even with a knife. I've been trained tactically that warning shots are a no no. I just want to exhaust all possible means first.
I, too shoot a GI .45 and I feel the mere sight of that weapon will leave them in awe and make them want to turn thier lives around.

[frankie_the_yankee]

I think that producing a weapon is what constitutes a "threat of deadly force" under the law - not mere jawboning. Of course, IANAL, and the preceeding isjust my opinion of what the law means.

If someone was breaking into my truck, and I was inside my house, I'd probably call 911 first. Then, I might or might not go outside and try to run the BG(s) off. But the temptation would be to let the sheriff's deputies handle it. Much less hassle for me.

Another possibility might be to open my door holding a 12 gage at port arms and tell the BG(s) to get the heck off the property. If they are crazy enough to come at me, I can shut the door or not.

In any event, I've got a lot of options at that point, most of them good ones.

[Jeremae]

I believe in only 1 kind of warning shot.....

my first two shots to your center of mass are a warning that if you don't stop, I'm gonna shoot you in the face.

[alphonso]

This is a long thread, but I just have to weigh in with my first post after lurking for quite a while.

By my way of thinking one DOES NOT EVER shoot a human being over a small item like a car or a car radio. Jeez.......

In my mind it doesn't matter how poor you are or how cool your car or radio is. Let the SOB take it and get another. If you can't get another for a while, walk to work and/or do without the radio.

Deadly force should be reserved for only the most serious of situations.

My two cents.....