Man Shoots Tires Of Burglar

#1

I would say this is what NOT to do. . .
Video: http://www.kcci.com/news/8002524/detail.html#

DES MOINES, Iowa -- An Ames man said he wanted to give a burglar a scare.

Authorities said Doug Havlik fired two rounds at the getaway car of a man who allegedly attempted to break into Havlik's home and business overnight.

Havlik said a large piece of concrete came smashing through a window and woke him in the middle of the night Monday.

"I put on my robe, and I heard more glass breaking, so I grabbed my gun, came through the door and there was a guy halfway through the window," Havlik said.

"I've got laser sights. I put them between his eyes and said, 'Man, you should not be doing this. You're going to get killed doing this,'" Havlik said.

Havlik lives and works in a shop where he repairs cars. He said that once he confronted the burglar, the man quickly scrambled back through the window and dove into a car waiting for him outside.

"(I) put a couple shots in the rear tire of the car (and) made sure I wouldn't hurt anybody, but I definitely wanted to scare them, hopefully slow them down," Havlik said.

With several cars lined up outside, Havlik suspects the burglar was searching for keys and didn't expect to find anyone inside.

"If I wasn't here, they could have done whatever they wanted, and we've got a lot of expensive cars stored upstairs. If they would have known what they were doing, they could have caused some real damage," he said.

Ames police said they found one of the bullets fired from Havlik's gun outside his shop, but they have yet to find the second.

"We don't think that anyone was struck as an occupant or the perpetrator of this crime. It appears on the knowledge that we're working on right now that it was probably the vehicle that was struck," Randy Kessel, of the Ames Police Department.

Havlik said everything happened so quickly that he didn't get a good look at the car or the burglar.

"It was scary. I, in fact, I've played back in my mind, and I can't really see the guy's face. I can see why there's such a problem with eyewitness identification," he said.

It would be up to the Story County attorney to determine charges. Police said that under Iowa code, people have the right to protect themselves if they feel threatened.

Police said the burglar is a white man in his 20s.

Ames police are asking those with information to call (515) 239-5133.

HighVelocity · #2

He puts a laser between the BG's eyes but he didn't get a good look at him?

one eyed fatman · #3

And the next burglar that is armed will kill him.

KinnyLee · #4

I don't think scaring the bad guy by warning shots is an option under my guidebook.

#5

I always say "fire two warning shots - both to center mass".

DKSuddeth · #6

The BG halfway through the window and he's got the sight between his eyes.........If he didn't shoot then, he'll never shoot.

flintknapper · #7

I am glad this person did not have to experience the aftermath of a shooting. I can tell from some of the responses, that others may be thinking he should have shot the person.

I am not suggesting that he should or should not have, just.. that the best possible ending occurred (the BG left when confronted).

Without question, pursuing the BG and firing shots at the vehicle was unnecessary (and probably illegal).

The victim not being able to give a good description of the BG is not uncommon. Adrenal stress will do funny things to you.

#8

flintknapper wrote:The victim not being able to give a good description of the BG is not uncommon. Adrenal stress will do funny things to you.

I remember a TV news report of a robbery at a stop-n-rob several years ago; back when the BG's didn't kill the clerk as a matter of procedure. The elderly gentleman behind the counter was asked by a TV reporter what the guy looked like. His response, "A great big gun with feet!!" His eyes were still as big as golfballs.

I had two responses to his comment; how funny

and how accurate! All he saw was the thing that scared him - the gun. This phenomenon is also common in self-defense shooting, both by LEO's and non-LEO's alike. It's amazing how many times the gun or gun hand/arm are shot, rather than COM or a CNS area, simply because that's what we tend to focus on when scared. It's also why we practice breaking tunnel vision, and don't make the mistake of thinking the focus of your tunnel vision will be COM or the BG's face - it could well be the gun.

Regards,
Chas.

KBCraig · #9

HighVelocity wrote:He puts a laser between the BG's eyes but he didn't get a good look at him?

Lasers are aiming aids. They don't provide a lot of illumination.

one eyed fatman · #10

KBCraig wrote:
HighVelocity wrote:He puts a laser between the BG's eyes but he didn't get a good look at him?
Lasers are aiming aids. They don't provide a lot of illumination.

You mean lasers don't take up close satellite pictures in 3D and send them to the FBI?

flintknapper · #11

one eyed fatman wrote:
KBCraig wrote:
HighVelocity wrote:He puts a laser between the BG's eyes but he didn't get a good look at him?
Lasers are aiming aids. They don't provide a lot of illumination.
You mean lasers don't take up close satellite pictures in 3D and send them to the FBI?

And we don't have French Benefits?

Chris · #12

i know an officer that went to a call of a car burglar at gun point. the guy held the burglar at bay with a .454 casull. he probably couldn't run because of the mess in his pants when he saw how big that thing was that was pointing at him.

dws1117 · #13

the guy held the burglar at bay with a .454 casull

Now that's a home defense gun!

The .454 would scare the mess out of anyone.

KBCraig · #14

flintknapper wrote: And we don't have French Benefits?

Is one of those benefits the right to bare arms? Do you like muzzle breaks on your arms?

PX · #15

JMO:

You break into my house unarmed and you will probably be threatened with being shot.

You break into my house ARMED and you will most likely be shot...

Just the way my old fart brain works.

I really don't want it on my conscience that I took a life because I didn't want to lose my "big screen", or El Camino....

I also don't want it on my conscience that myself, or someone I love was hurt, or killed because I was too stupid to pull the trigger when it was necessary.

Break into my little home in the woods and chances are you will scare this old senior citizen enough to get yourself shot.. Over and over...

JMOFO

JP/