The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Guy chases burglar outside and shoots him away from the house.

csmsss · July 1, 2009, 12:30 AM

I have a couple of thoughts.

First, there is a profound dearth of reliable information on this case, so it's way too early to make any determination as to whether the shooter's actions were justified, somewhat justified, or entirely unjustified.

Second, I don't agree with those who assert that one should *never* pursue a fleeing bad guy. There may be no immediate danger to you, but could be extreme danger to others in the vicinity. I liken this to, for example, an active shooter in a mall. The shooter runs past you, therefore there is no immediate danger to you, but there is extreme danger to everyone else in the shooter's path. Is the best course of action really to stay your ground and do absolutely nothing? My opinion is no.

Hopefully we'll learn more about these events, the shooter's actions and the entirety of the circumstances preceding the shooting. Until then, I'm going to reserve judgement about the shooter's culpability, if there be any.

July 1, 2009, 12:30 AM	#76
csmsss Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Orange, TX Posts: 3,078	I have a couple of thoughts. First, there is a profound dearth of reliable information on this case, so it's way too early to make any determination as to whether the shooter's actions were justified, somewhat justified, or entirely unjustified. Second, I don't agree with those who assert that one should never pursue a fleeing bad guy. There may be no immediate danger to you, but could be extreme danger to others in the vicinity. I liken this to, for example, an active shooter in a mall. The shooter runs past you, therefore there is no immediate danger to you, but there is extreme danger to everyone else in the shooter's path. Is the best course of action really to stay your ground and do absolutely nothing? My opinion is no. Hopefully we'll learn more about these events, the shooter's actions and the entirety of the circumstances preceding the shooting. Until then, I'm going to reserve judgement about the shooter's culpability, if there be any.