Do I need a less-than-lethal weapon in my home?

[Bear44]

Thou shalt not disturb the ODT surfing!
Seriously man... if I half drew on TWO different people in my own home that were innocents, I'd SERIOUSLY consider some new protocols to avoid a tragic mistake. All joking aside, I'm being VERY serious. I can't even imagine that.

Well see, that's where the different standard comes in. Just because I don't know them, it doesn't mean I'm going to kill them. That's kind of what this has been about.

I work about 60 hours a week and if I didn't delegate a lot of stuff, a lot of stuff wouldn't get done at all.

One of my favorite lines is "Just get it done."

 

[GeauxLSU]

Well see, that's where the different standard comes in. Just because I don't know them, it doesn't mean I'm going to kill them. That's kind of what this has been about.

I work about 60 hours a week and if I didn't delegate a lot of stuff, a lot of stuff wouldn't get done at all.

One of my favorite lines is "Just get it done."

What you have delegated is the security of your home (which is your prerogative). What if someone comes in and quietly over powers your wife and/or daughter?. You hear nothing and walk down the stairs and meet the stranger who perhaps "seems" innocent enough. By what you've admitted you'd be OBLIGATED to ask questions and try and figure out who the person is because by your own admission you have no idea who is in your home. That fraction of a second may be your last.
NOTHING is more valuable than the security of my family.

 

[summer44]

See post #127.

We moved in here a year ago and there's been a lot of activity getting things they way we want them. That's life.

At my house we communicate. We all know when we have people scheduled for service calls. And one of us is always home and watching the service personnel. In 21 years living here I have never had someone in my home that myself or a family member didn't invite or let in. Communication is the key to a happy family and it helps the invited guess and service providers stay on the correct side of the dirt...

 

[Bear44]

What you have delegated is the security of your home (which is your prerogative). What if someone comes in and quietly over powers your wife and/or daughter?. You hear nothing and walk down the stairs and meet the stranger who perhaps "seems" innocent enough. By what you've admitted you'd be OBLIGATED to ask questions and try and figure out who the person is because by your own admission you have no idea who is in your home. That fraction of a second may be your last.
NOTHING is more valuable than the security of my family.

You might want to go back and read my previous posts more carefully.

My wife or daughter (33 years old) had let cable and Terminix in. I gave permission for the contractor to be there. Even so, in all three instances my weapon instantly came into play and gave me the advantage until I knew what was going on. No fraction of a second was lost.

 

[Ken Ford]

If you have the balls to enter a persons home without their blessing, then you should receive your last blessing a week later when they plant you.

And if one of your elderly family members wander in to the wrong house?

I don't suggest you follow through with that basic concept.

 

[Radar363]

When I had teenaged sons in the house in PA I had a different attitude, because they had friends coming and going all the time.
Now I live in Jonesboro; no one is just 'wandering in' to pass out on my couch. I wouldn't shoot someone if I found them asleep on my couch but I would hear the front door get kicked in and be downstairs before they had time to get comfortable on the sofa.

 

[GeauxLSU]

You might want to go back and read my previous posts more carefully.

My wife or daughter (33 years old) had let cable and Terminix in. I gave permission for the contractor to be there. Even so, in all three instances my weapon instantly came into play and gave me the advantage until I knew what was going on. No fraction of a second was lost.

I read your post. There was a stranger (to you) in your home that resulted in your half drawing your weapon on innocent people twice (actually drew it and pointed at an innocent the third time). That is a condition that is obviously acceptable to you when very simple communication would avoid it. Like I said I can't even imagine.
I can't conceive of anything more serious than beginning to draw a weapon on another human so I do everything possible to ELIMINATE the circumstances where I would have to. If I draw it, it's getting used. I'm sure as heck not going to put myself in a situation where I'm grabbing my gun on the exterminator or the cable guy!

 

[Bear44]

At my house we communicate. We all know when we have people scheduled for service calls. And one of us is always home and watching the service personnel. In 21 years living here I have never had someone in my home that myself or a family member didn't invite or let in. Communication is the key to a happy family and it helps the invited guess and service providers stay on the correct side of the dirt...

I've never had anyone in my home that myself or a family member did not invite. I invited the contractor (including his crew) in and have known him half my life, so I trust him when I'm not there.

The point is, **** happens and because my standard for killing someone in more than them simply being in my home unexpectedly (to me) they are still alive and I'm not in prison.

 

[Ken Ford]

A person can beat another person to death with only their fists. A rock was used in the first murder. I also have no idea what weapon a person may be carrying. If they have violated one law they are a criminal and capable of other criminsl acts possibly including extreme violence or murder. It is my intent to stop this threat since I believe anyone in my house can threaten my life or my families. If the courts cant be reasoned with on those grounds then I guess Ill have to do some time.

You do realized that criminal trespass or any trespass requires intent? It's not a crime to mistakenly enter someone's property.
While I know if they are there they probably intended to be there. But I have worked cases where drunks and persons that are confused were in and on property that they did not have a right to be. Sometimes several states away from where they thought they were.
Be sure before using Deadly Force. Or at least make an articulable case that you attempted to determine if there was actual criminal intent on the suspects mind.

 

[Ken Ford]

I can't recall a single case in Georgia that I've heard of or been personally involved with where a homeowner was charged criminally for shooting an intruder in his home.

I don't know a single district attorney that would prosecute a homeowner unless it was blatantly clear that he acted recklessly

This is true as well, but if your only reasoning was "well they were in my house so I blasted him" I don't see that as going well in the DAs mind.