This recent incident in Washington State underscores the need for all of us to understand the use of force laws in our jurisdictions and in any location in which we might be traveling.
A citizen fired at a person who was unlawfully taking his automobile, killing him. The shooter has been charged with manslaughter, and he faces up to ten years in prison.
The author of the article says the following: "Read over the deadly force law and if you don’t understand it, ask around or pay a lawyer for an hour of their time."
I have to caution on that. You may think that you understand the law, and you may be wrong.
There's one other tactical lesson, much less important, to be learned here. Do not leave your car unattended with the engine running. Every winter, people in the St. Louis area do just that when they are defrosting their windshields, and every winter, numerous cars are taken.
It is not a simple thing to learn the local laws, and just reading the printed code will not suffice.
The safest course of action is to not even think about drawing a gun unless it is necessary to protect oneself or others whom you know. This fellow found that out the hard way.
A citizen fired at a person who was unlawfully taking his automobile, killing him. The shooter has been charged with manslaughter, and he faces up to ten years in prison.
The author of the article says the following: "Read over the deadly force law and if you don’t understand it, ask around or pay a lawyer for an hour of their time."
I have to caution on that. You may think that you understand the law, and you may be wrong.
There's one other tactical lesson, much less important, to be learned here. Do not leave your car unattended with the engine running. Every winter, people in the St. Louis area do just that when they are defrosting their windshields, and every winter, numerous cars are taken.
It is not a simple thing to learn the local laws, and just reading the printed code will not suffice.
The safest course of action is to not even think about drawing a gun unless it is necessary to protect oneself or others whom you know. This fellow found that out the hard way.