[OldMarksman]

This guy just kicked down your front door of your home! He decides to just walk away and you do nothing?

The guy in Bexar County did not "do nothing" and he has been indicted for murder.

You can use deadly force to protect yourself from imminent danger, but when the man decides to just "walk away," you cannot--it would be murder.

You can go after him to try to hold him for the police. Not wise. All downside, no upside.

He also was armed at the time (which was later found out).

So the shooter and his brother have said. Might be true. Might not be.

And either way, it is completely irrelevant to what you can do, and if he is armed, does that make it wiser to go after him?

In my opinion, it has a lot to do with, "DOING THE RIGHT THING". Which is arresting the SOB, and/or preventing repeat offenders, (even if you have to do it yourself). ... You guys say, "it's not our responsibility to chase the bad guy". I'm sorry, but for some of us, that is just not acceptable. We will take action.

So---you apparently think you have the skills and training. You do not have the indemnification or the back-up.

What's really at stake here, is not letting these dirt bags get away with their crimes.

Agree. They get caught by whomever, and they will probably be prosecuted. Maybe they'll get what they deserve, maybe not. Maybe they'll be back in your neighborhood before you are. You don't control that.

You say "it's just not right to chase down the bad guy, as we can get in trouble with the legal system"?

Not "right"? No, it's not that. It's just not smart. Not smart at all.

"Trouble with the legal system?" We'll, you can be charged, maybe tried, and lose most or all of your money even if you win. If you lose, you lose your clean record, your fortune, your livelihood, and your personal freedom, and your right to own guns--forever. Not to mention civil liability.

And not to mention the possibility of getting maimed or killed.

You say, "Call the cops, its not worth the hassle of trying to stop the perp"

You call the above "hassle?"

I am a man and the defender of my home and family. It has nothing to do with being macho, but rather RESPONSIBLE.

Wouldn't it be wise then to not put your ability to stay in your home, and your ability to provide for your family, at extreme risk?

But let's go along with your idea. A guy has just kicked in your door and taken off. You go after him. You catch up with him. What are you going to do? Say "stop"? If he doesn't, what then? You can't shoot him (but of course, you know that already). Think you can tie him up without being disarmed and shot? What if he is injured or becomes ill, or dies? That's your responsibility then. But of course you already know that.

Even if you should successfully effect a citizen's arrest successfully without being prosecuted, sued, or killed or injured--and that's by far the best case scenario-- how would your family possibly be any safer than if the perp had been brought to justice by the authorities?

If you want to be the man arresting people, attend the police academy. You'll end up with the training; equipment including cuffs, radio, dash-mounted camera, etc.; back-up, approved departmental procedures; legal authority; and indemnification to do the job.

Yes, you would still be exposed to legal risk or at least discipline for wrongful actions, but you wouldn't face the possibility of losing everything you own in civil court--your jurisdiction will take care of that. Yes, you would still face the possibility of getting maimed or killed, but you would at least have better training.

And you would have a much, much lower chance of being shot by the police or by an armed citizen who comes upon the scene.

Having a gun does not begin to confer police powers upon you. If you desire to have them, you have to take some steps to get them.