The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Flashlights and Handguns for Home Defense

Stooge · March 14, 2012, 02:43 PM

I agree you should not go looking for a bad guy in your home. Not only do you run the grave risk of running into an ambush yourself, there is a legal concern. Seeking out a bad guy in your house can make you appear as the aggressor. If you do have to shoot someone, you should absolutely make sure that its utterly and totally clear that it was in self DEFENSE.

As to shooting someone for just being in your house, I agree, partially. It kind of plays into the idea of not going on the hunt. If I'm awakened in the night by shattering glass or something of that nature, I arm myself first and foremost. My next action is to secure and gather my family into a defendable location...back bedroom, on the floor, behind the bed. Then I call 911 and wait for help to arrive. The gun only comes into play if someone comes down the hall and attempts to enter that bedroom. But if someone does come down that hall, they WILL get shot. I'm not going to endanger myself and my family by waiting to make a positive ID and seeing what his intentions are. It won't be a family member on a midnight stroll, as I will already have the family secured, which is my case is just my wife. If it's a neighbor coming to tell me my house is on fire, I'd have an expectation that as soon as he enters the house he's announcing his presence and yelling that the house is on fire. If he comes down the hall toward the bedrooms without announcing himself, well there's just going to be one less idiot in the world.

Of course that doesn't cover the home invasion scenario where someone just kicks down your door when everyone is up and about. You just have to play that one by ear, as there are way too many variations in the scenario to plan it out in advance. Of course, in that case, the aggressor is going to be pretty apparent and the threat immediate.

March 14, 2012, 02:43 PM	#6
Stooge Member Join Date: March 10, 2012 Location: Missouri Posts: 51	I agree you should not go looking for a bad guy in your home. Not only do you run the grave risk of running into an ambush yourself, there is a legal concern. Seeking out a bad guy in your house can make you appear as the aggressor. If you do have to shoot someone, you should absolutely make sure that its utterly and totally clear that it was in self DEFENSE. As to shooting someone for just being in your house, I agree, partially. It kind of plays into the idea of not going on the hunt. If I'm awakened in the night by shattering glass or something of that nature, I arm myself first and foremost. My next action is to secure and gather my family into a defendable location...back bedroom, on the floor, behind the bed. Then I call 911 and wait for help to arrive. The gun only comes into play if someone comes down the hall and attempts to enter that bedroom. But if someone does come down that hall, they WILL get shot. I'm not going to endanger myself and my family by waiting to make a positive ID and seeing what his intentions are. It won't be a family member on a midnight stroll, as I will already have the family secured, which is my case is just my wife. If it's a neighbor coming to tell me my house is on fire, I'd have an expectation that as soon as he enters the house he's announcing his presence and yelling that the house is on fire. If he comes down the hall toward the bedrooms without announcing himself, well there's just going to be one less idiot in the world. Of course that doesn't cover the home invasion scenario where someone just kicks down your door when everyone is up and about. You just have to play that one by ear, as there are way too many variations in the scenario to plan it out in advance. Of course, in that case, the aggressor is going to be pretty apparent and the threat immediate.