I love Utah. Peeping Toms, not so much.

[SCKimberFan]

However I personally think this no longer becomes self defense when he walked out his house to find the guy. if the guy had been in his house and walking towards him or me in a manner stated...sorry in the choice of my life, my SO's or my kids....you lose.

Inside/Outside, it doesn't matter. If you are on my property and pose a threat to me, I will DEFEND myself and my family. He loses nothing at all by confronting the perp outside of his house, he is still on his property. It is still self-defense.

 

[JImbothefiveth]

Well, the warning shot worked, and everybody survived the encounter, and the perp instead of the victim is off to prison. I would have fired in to the air, so as not to injure myself. Of course, not if the guy is too close.

 

[robmkivseries70]

Hi All,
I worked with a guy, back in the 70's, who spotted a peeper at his window, went to get the 12 Ga. and couldn't find any shells. So, he picked up one of those Gallon glass milk jugs (1950's), walked up behind the peeper, who must have been in a bit of a trance, and broke the milk jug over his head then, called the police to come get him.
Best,
Rob

 

[Rugerlvr]

So you're saying that a man should hide in the house and wait for a prowler to come in and threaten his family?

I imagine he's saying that he should have called the police immediately, and let them do the job. If he felt threatened, he could have waited inside with his gun at the ready.

 

[dalepres]

I imagine he's saying that he should have called the police immediately, and let them do the job. If he felt threatened, he could have waited inside with his gun at the ready.

That is not the police's job: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_v._District_of_Columbia

And, if he waited inside with his gun at the ready, if the criminal came into the house he just let the pervert get that much closer to his wife and children.

 

[Zedo]

Yeah, I like the line of reason -- "You fire a 'warning shot' and the perp has the justification to shoot back in self-defense."

-- Except the perp is TRESPASSING.

It's going to be fundamentally impossible to support a legal defense of "self defense" in a situation where you're firing to protect yourself from a property owner upon whose property you're tresspassing -- particularly when you're being charged with voyeurism or some other sexually predatory act.

"Warning shots" -- They give the other person legal cause to defend themselves against an armed threat. If you're justified in shooting, then shoot center of mass. If you're not justified in shooting center of mass, then you're not justified in shooting.

And NEVER shoot "into the air." You could hit an airplane.

 

[Elza]

I don’t think that I would say “freeze or die!” Depending upon where you live it might be construed that you intended to kill the guy. “Freeze or get shot” would sound more like you were trying to stop the threat as opposed to intentionally killing someone.

Nor would I go outside to check things out. This seems a very good way to walk into a bullet or a knife. I’ll stay inside and wait for the cops to handle it. But then we have the luxury of a three minute response time for the cops in our town. If I lived out in the bonnies and had to wait for God knows how long for a Sheriff’s Deputy to show up I might look at things differently.

 

[Old Grump]

I do live in the boonies, there have been break ins, beatings and murders in the area, just not as often as happens in a big city because our population density is lower. I live 7 miles from a supermax prison, meth is a problem in southwest Wisconsin. I would have warned him once and if he went any direction except down on his face or directly away from me he would find out old people with guns have no sense of humor when it comes to protecting family and property. Warning shots are a waste of ammo and gives a juiced up criminal time to react while your gun is pointed in some other direction than at him.

 

[Zedo]

I would have fired in to the air, so as not to injure myself. Of course, not if the guy is too close.

NEVER fire a gun into the air.

Them's the basic safety rules. Besides which, it's illegal in most places.

 

[jonmerritt]

You step on my property and threaten to, or try to do me bodily harm, even in my yard, you are in a world of hurt. You as in a BG.

 

[jonmerritt]

Three minute response time? You must live right next door to the police station! satire, couldn't help myself.

 

[dalepres]

I don’t think that I would say “freeze or die!” Depending upon where you live it might be construed that you intended to kill the guy. “Freeze or get shot” would sound more like you were trying to stop the threat as opposed to intentionally killing someone.

Good point... changing my routine now:

Freeze or I'll shoot!
Freeze or I'll shoot!
Freeze or I'll shoot!
Freeze or I'll shoot!
BANG

EDIT: Oh, wait. If we get to BANG, who cares what I said before that? It's my word against... well... no ones. LOL. But I still like your idea better. It really does represent the point.

 

[Rugerlvr]

dalepres, In Cache County, Utah, the police are going to come on a peeping tom call. This isn't DC.