If someone broke into your house...

[DallasCowpoke]

For you people saying "no, not unless they were going to hurt my family or kids", I'm PRETTY sure by the time you find that out, it'll kinda be too late.

And I'm 100% SURE, the dude kicking in your front door won't be wearing a T-shirt stating his intentions.

 

[Danny White]

First of all, I don't live in Virginia. So why don't YOU look it up. Texas buddy.

He was likely referring to me, as I live in Virginia.

I did look up the law, and it isn't precisely clear.

This is what it says:

§ 18.2-280. Willfully discharging firearms in public places.

A. If any person willfully discharges or causes to be discharged any firearm in any street in a city or town, or in any place of public business or place of public gathering, and such conduct results in bodily injury to another person, he shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony. If such conduct does not result in bodily injury to another person, he shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

B. If any person willfully discharges or causes to be discharged any firearm upon the buildings and grounds of any public, private or religious elementary, middle or high school, he shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony, unless he is engaged in a program or curriculum sponsored by or conducted with permission of a public, private or religious school.

C. If any person willfully discharges or causes to be discharged any firearm upon any public property within 1,000 feet of the property line of any public, private or religious elementary, middle or high school property he shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony, unless he is engaged in lawful hunting.

D. This section shall not apply to any law-enforcement officer in the performance of his official duties nor to any other person whose said willful act is otherwise justifiable or excusable at law in the protection of his life or property, or is otherwise specifically authorized by law.

E. Nothing in this statute shall preclude the Commonwealth from electing to prosecute under any other applicable provision of law instead of this section.

Section D, states that when your act is "justifiable or excusable at law in the protection of his life or property" -- who's to say what's justifiable or excusable, but there clearly is some provision for defending your home, property and family.

Here's another interesting article I came across. A man, in Richmond VA, confronted a man OUTSIDE of his girlfriend's apartment who was breaking into her car. The perp was unarmed, and it appears that the man shot him multiple times, including while he was fleeing. The jury ended up reluctantly convicting him of manslaughter (not murder) and he received no jail time.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2010/jan/31/driv31_20100130-205603-ar-12785/

 

[Maikeru-sama]

I'm pretty sure that someone breaking into your home doesn't always have to end with a confrontation.

The criminal could be stealing things from your car in the front driveway or break into your house, the alarm goes off and they leave immediately.

I have a certain area in my house where I will go if somebody breaks in, which happens to be where my gun is. Once I get there, like a lot of cops and home invasion experts advise, I will not leave that location and go hunt for the criminal inside my house. I will sit tight and let my alarm system notify the authorities.

But if you enter the area I am in, then as Jigsaw famously said, "Oh yes, there will be blood".

Now if I had a wife and kids, that is an entirely different story.

 

[Doomsday]

Here in Colorado they have the Make My Day law, which basically means if you break into some ones house you do so at your own risk.

That is the way it should be in my opinion. It shouldnt be up to the resident to try and figure out what the intentions are of the person who breaks into their home.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

Here in Colorado they have the Make My Day law, which basically means if you break into some ones house you do so at your own risk.

That is the way it should be in my opinion. It shouldnt be up to the resident to try and figure out what the intentions are of the person who breaks into their home.

Castle Doctrine in Texas. You have the right to protect anything and everything in and on your property with deadly force.

 

[rkell87]

i could and would, i know if a robbery occurred at my place my GF would not feel safe and get an alarm system, if it occurred while we were in the house should would tell me to buy a gun that day. she is wary of me getting a gun right now but i know for a fact that if someone broke in and we had a gun she would be all for me using it. it is just the way she works.

i don't think i would shoot to kill though unless he was coming at me or had a weapon, but if i shoot him and he dies, oh well thats what you get for being a pos

 

[Hostile]

I wouldn't even hesitate. I see home break ins in the news frequently where I live. You come in my house, you play by my rules. I only have one. Get out or die. I will not miss and I will unload the gun.

 

[CATCH17]

It depends.


I would let them be fully aware I have a gun and the cops are on the way.

If they run... Fine.. Let them run.

But if they attack me than yes I would shoot them but I would try not to kill them unless they had a weapon as well.

 

[theogt]

I'd have to make sure it wasn't a relative or something that had a key. Otherwise, no issues.

 

[ajk23az]

If I would be put in that situation, it would be tough to know what I would do because if you hesitate you could get killed yourself. I would probably TRY to make out if the intruder had a gun/knife and if I could, I would shoot him/her on the spot. If I could tell he/she didnt, I would use the gun to obtain them and if I couldn't tell, I would probably shoot them too.

Shoot to kill?

I dont know, maybe shoot them in the kneecaps, or their unmentionables.

The problem with this would be what if you miss? IF that person is armed, you ALWAYS aim for the chest/midsection.

It might sound easy to shoot someone in the kneecaps or the unmentionables but if your in that situation, you will be nervous and shooting moving parts like legs or arms would be very hard to do. If you miss, it could be the last thing you ever do.

 

[CliffnDallas]

Castle Doctrine in Texas. You have the right to protect anything and everything in and on your property with deadly force.

Exactly, some people don't understand that states have differing laws. Anyone caught in my home in the act of a crime is a dead man/woman. I just hope the brain stains come out of the carpet.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

Exactly, some people don't understand that states have differing laws. Anyone caught in my home in the act of a crime is a dead man/woman. I just hope the brain stains come out of the carpet.

Ah, the blood will set in while the police and forensics do their thing. Sorry, but you'll need to call one of those environmental catastrophe clean up places that handle things of that nature, or just get new carpet/wallpaper.

A doctor buddy of mine got his parents house broken into when he was a kid. His Mom's Persian rug still had blood stains in it.

 

[CliffnDallas]

Ah, the blood will set in while the police and forensics do their thing. Sorry, but you'll need to call one of those environmental catastrophe clean up places that handle things of that nature, or just get new carpet/wallpaper.

A doctor buddy of mine got his parents house broken into when he was a kid. His Mom's Persian rug still had blood stains in it.

Well there go's the neighborhood.

 

[vta]

I wouldn't even hesitate. I see home break ins in the news frequently where I live. You come in my house, you play by my rules. I only have one. Get out or die. I will not miss and I will unload the gun.

Which brings up an interesting question. Would you give them the chance to get out? In such a situation can anyone afford to hesitate and say 'put 'em up; now leave or I shoot'?

 

[CliffnDallas]

Which brings up an interesting question. Would you give them the chance to get out? In such a situation can anyone afford to hesitate and say 'put 'em up; now leave or I shoot'?

No. Then they know you are armed, they will come back and kill you. Aim for center mass and keep pulling the trigger till the threat is destroyed.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Bunch of wimps and your missile weapons.

Take a knife, plunge it in the guy, wrap one arm around the guy, pull him closer from the back while you are plunging...once in real good, start to push him away while taking the knife in a dramatic and quick upward stroke.

From gut to gullet.

All you have to say is he came at me and I told him I had a knife, next thing I know he was bleeding out a slow death on my carpet.

Up close and personal and you can look them in the eye while doing it.

Guns...bunch of wimps who think they are tough because they have something that goes boom.

Be a man, get up front and personal.

 

[Concord]

Got a 357 just in case of a break in.

I wouldn't want to kill someone...just because they broke in...but if they had a weapon or wouldn't leave when they knew I did...yes I would kill them.

 

[zrinkill]

If you are in my house you are potentially a threat to my children.

I cannot take the chance you are just a "pacifist robber who would not hurt anyone." as much as morons would want me too.

You are shot.

 

[CliffnDallas]

Bunch of wimps and your missile weapons.

Take a knife, plunge it in the guy, wrap one arm around the guy, pull him closer from the back while you are plunging...once in real good, start to push him away while taking the knife in a dramatic and quick upward stroke.

From gut to gullet.

All you have to say is he came at me and I told him I had a knife, next thing I know he was bleeding out a slow death on my carpet.

Up close and personal and you can look them in the eye while doing it.

Guns...bunch of wimps who think they are tough because they have something that goes boom.

Be a man, get up front and personal.

A 12ga pump is close enough. Thank you very much!

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

The more I think about it, I might go for a crotch or colon shot instead of trying to kill someone.