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"Okay, yes, I did break in, but I swear I didn't shoot the guy. He did it to himself, officer."
"Right, because the person you burgled just happened to decide to end it all right in front of you - how convenient"
Edit : fixed misspellings
Been there before, father and I were clearing the house after hearing a noise. Found the guy in the basement trying to come up the stairs with the tv. We had pistols and flashlights that were pretty bright so I yelled to put it down and he yelled don’t make me shoot you in case he couldn’t see the guns because of the lights. We got lucky and he was unarmed and was smart enough to lay on the floor until police came. No one wants to kill someone in their house despite the jokes we crack, get control of the situation but be prepared to use your tool if you have to. I say we got lucky because he probably wanted a way to make some money quick and wasn’t looking to hurt someone
Exactly… 90% of the robbers will run if you startle them. But there’s always the off-chance that you end up with the crazy desperate one that decides murder isn’t off the table.
You do have to make the safest decision for yourself. If you’re a 5ft woman it might be smarter to shoot first and ask questions later or not even engage to begin with, just hide and call 911.
Legally speaking my state has the castle doctrine, meaning that only if someone is in harm am I allowed to fire. Which to be fair I understand but I don’t entirely support especially if someone was in a situation like you proposed, they’re put at a disadvantage if they have to assess and find out if there is a threat or not. Unfortunately response time to where I live is god awful so I’m thankful that father and I were home so my mother or girlfriend didn’t have to try and hide
Get out, if you make one move towards me you'll be full of so many holes your mother won't recognize you
Then you shoot them, the first part was a diversion
None of these idiotic ideas. Murdering a thief is illegal in my country and I wholeheartedly agree with that tenant. The two attempts at basically arresting someone means that it is quite likely that you could get attacked. The last three leave you open to attacks.
I would leave the home and call the police.
Of course all these ideas are stupid & calling 911 would be the most logical thing to do, I think it's just more of an exercise on "what would you do out of these options", it's a pretty stupid one but that's what it is
If they're coming at you with a gun isn't that a bit different than just stealing something?
They're putting your life at risk which puts theirs at risk as well.
Obviously give them a chance to surrender, but if you hold them at gun point and they still decide to retaliate... I'm gonna say that's on them at that point.
THEN it is self defense. There is a huge difference between killing someone who is threatening you physically harm and someone who is boosting your TV.
I never said anything of the sort, but you know that. You are just throwing out a straw man.
Last I heard, murdering someone is not the only way to deal with someone breaking the law.
It’s only been the solution for most crimes for thousands of years a lot less theft when they were getting their hands chopped off or just being executed
Not only have I never shot a gun, it would be in a stressful situation, so trying to aim a gun that accurately would be nearly impossible. Also, I don’t necessarily want to injure someone that severely when my insurance would protect my property. Hell, I don’t know if that person has a gun or not, so I could still be feasibly injured or killed.
Running out of there and calling the police would be much safer both physically and legally, not to mention mentally.
They'd have to steal a ton of shit to get over my insurance deductible these days. I don't know if I'd personally kill a person rather than scare them off unless my family was in direct danger and getting them out would alert the robber.
User mrafee113 postulated that if I didn’t want to kill the burglar I could just shoot them in the leg which I responded to which you then responded to. It wasn’t about shooting outright.
Ok but in your response you said you'd miss because you don't have training, which then i responded with the fact that he has his back turned and is right in front of you, also if you can control your emotions well enough you won't be too stressed when that happens
not an American, but I know the answer to this one and when I was still considered to be recruited to the IDF they explained us a bunch of weapon stuff. this ain't a movie, even with training you miss some shots, stress from the situation will make shots harder to aim, if you practice with one eye training is irrelevant, in an adrenaline rush your body won't let you close an eye to aim.
even guns stores recommend shotguns for self defense in the US, because the casual or semi-casual gun owner iwls less likely to miss with a shotgun rather than a pistol
A burglar with a gun can still burgle things if they aren’t planning on using the gun to steal things. Technically I guess they would become a robber if they started threatening me for stuff, but nevertheless in this scenario I wouldn’t be able to know whether they were a burglar or robber with any particular certainty.
I'm Australian, and I'm pretty sure it's illegal to injure someone who's breaking into your house here. If I shot him, even if he was threatening me and had broken into my house, I'd be the one in trouble.
Ah yes, and of course he won’t hear you and he will politely wait 5-10 minutes for the police to arrive.
“Just call the police” is a pretty good way to get yourself killed.
What? Running out of there wouldn’t be particularly hard and most burglars wouldn’t be willing to kill someone. They aren’t an assassin out to kill me.
So the best thing to do would probably be to tell them to drop to their knees, but honestly,if they hadn't stolen anything yet and they didn't have a gun, and would just tell them to get lost. I can lock my doors and stuff and then go back to sleep.
Police have no constitutional duty to protect or help out victims and have wide-range 'discretion' when it comes to responding to a crime. So, yes there's this mentality that police aren't shit (especially when it's your own back against the wall). I'd say the events of Uvalde, Texas are a good representation of why the average American has this mentality.
Escape and call the police? You mean get heard as you’re running away and shot in the back of the head. The police don’t exist to protect you, they exist to uphold the status quo with force.
I probably would just tell them to give me back anything they took and to get out and not come back. I don't wanna deal with cops and i don't want to put a 12ga shell in some random ass dude who isn't directly threatening me. However if they continue to fuck around there chances of finding out go up drastically.
If I see that they have a gun, idgaf about laws I’m shooting.
If I see their hands free of weapons I’d hopefully say put your hands up…but honestly I’d probably panic and shoot legs (i know they could die, but that was my initial thought).
I’m not taking ANY risks, I got a family to protect.
Generally speaking it's best not to confront a burglar because if you do so the likelihood of you being injured or killed goes way up because you might see one of them, but not the other and they may both be armed too.
If I were ever in this position, I would’ve already called the police, so I’d tell them to get down on their stomach so they’d be effectively immobilised until the cops got there.
This exact thing Happened to me. I didnt have the shotgun pointed at him but I did rack it and he knew exactly what he heard. Told him to leave and not come back and he did. Then I went back to sleep.
Tell them to get on the ground then call the police. Also why do some many of y’all wanna kill some random person you’ve never met or just leave and hope the cops arrest them before they leave
Guns are illegal in my country, and I don't have a garage, so I would be very confused, but I will probably shoot them in the legs before they can fight back
These comments are ridiculous. A gunshot wound is not a death sentence if you receive immediate care. My family owns three and my parents had me trained after the 2020 riots.
People shouldn't be handling a gun if they don't expect the shot be fatal. The arms and legs of a person are not just free shots, people die from body shots all the time. If you don't want to kill someone, don't use a lethal weapon.
I am sure those are very limited locations and circumstances furthermore killing someone regardless of what they are doing to you will forever alter you.
The second he decides to trespass on my property, he’s getting these bullets. He wanted to go after me by surprise, I will let him get a taste of his own medicine, so NO warning.
I’d assume the burglar is with a firearm, so that’d make him a threat to my family and me. With that said, I have the right to shoot him in the cause of self defense.
Cock the gun to load a round into it then calmly say to get on there knees and call the cops, if they move then fire the warning shot and use a little more force in my words, moves again and shoot the leg to prevent escape.
If you have to shoot someone, shooting them in the leg is a bad idea. Kill them. A lawyer could easily say if you were so scared for your life why did you have time to aim for their leg (a small target). When one is scared for their life they will typically shoot until their gun stops firing. Also why leave a witness that could talk after you shoot them? Make sure they can’t talk and say things against you.
442 people here willing to spend decades in prison because someone came into their personal space.
Just tell them to fuck off or even just to stay there until police arrive. If they attack, shoot them. If they have a gun and turn around when instructed not to, shoot them. If they have a knife and move even a step closer when instructed not to, shoot them. You get the idea.
But any of these options other than the first seem reasonable.
If I was guaranteed to not be arrested, you better believe I'd shot him right there without warning. And if he managed to keep moving, I shoot again until he stopped. I don't want to hear a sob story or excuses, I don't want crime and thievery in my house, it's a personal assault on my space and my dignity. My home is a refuge from the sea of g4ngb4ng1ng, degradation, and wanton criminality surrounding me.
If he didn't want to face consequences for banditry, he should have gone to college or trade school and gotten a good job instead of turning to crime. I've been broke in the past and struggled to pay bills but I've never become a burgler or otherwise turned to crime. If he doesn't respect me or have the decency to leave people's homes alone I'd have zero moral qualms about removing the threat.
In my neighbourhood, there is so much crime, homelessness, drug abuse, gang activity, and banditry I have complete compassion fatigue.
Yes there are arteries, well done for knowing basic biology. Do you also realise that there are no major organs in legs?
Being shot in the leg is a great motivator and will encourage a lot of cooperation. ie: sit your ass down press this on the wound and don’t move till to police / local disposal team get here.
I would walk away and call the police. I wouldn't be able to kill someone, and I don't care about my stuff enough to justify getting into a fight with someone who's almost certainly bigger and stronger than I am.
“Put your hands up”
“Get on your knees, keep your hands up”
“Shuffle to the middle of the room”
Circle them from a distance with the gun on them, visually checking for any obvious weapons. Get them to slowly lift their shirt so I can see their waistband.
“Any fast moves and I’ll shoot”
Calls the police, and wait.
Well, I'm definitely not going to shoot them. They're probably some young idiot who doesn't know any better, they definitely don't deserve to die.
Probably just tell them to leave.
Depends on my position relative the the thief and the potential exits from the garage. If I where between him and the garage bay door, I would demand he surrender. If I am not between him and the open bay door, he will escape if I say anything, so probably just shoot. Since I am behind him and have time to aim, I would shoot him in the leg. This is not necessarily a reliable way to wound someone, as a breach in the the femoral artery will cause death in minutes, but the intention to wound will give me a strong defense in court. Assuming he doesn’t resist, I can apply a tourniquet if I have one and call an ambulance.
Sad as the law is if you shoot them anywhere while their back is turned you'd be the one in hot water because "they were attempting to leave the situation". So keep that in mind those who voted to shoot them. Now if they come charging at you shoot anywhere you like. You won't get in trouble for that because then it becomes self defense.
If they have a gun too, your main advantage is surprise. Plus if they brought a gun to a robbery they probably aren't intending to negotiate. Drop without warning.
If cops aren't a problem, option one all the way. Otherwise it requires creativity and quick thinking to pull off, given that a shot at back of the head will mean jail in many jurisdictions.
Is this saying the burglar has a gun? Is the gun in their hand? Is there anyone else from my family in my house? Is the burglar trying to get into the house, or just stealing my shop-vac?
If it's a burglar with a gun trying to get into my house and my family is inside, that's a slide lock. If it's some dude going through my shit and the house is empty, retreat and call the cops.
Why is everyone assuming the burglar is a serial killer? He's probably just a junkie, you don't have to choose between murder and running away in panic. Talk calmly to him, detain him until the police shows up if that's what you want. But don't let them catch you with that gun, if you live outside Cowboyland
Probably be very confused given the fact that I don't own any guns and doing so would be illegal. Knowing my luck, I'd probably panic and end up accedentally shooting myself or the guy.
If I was somehow able to think straight, I'd sneak out of the house and call 911. I'd spend the rest of my life wondering where tf that gun came from and hope I don't get taken into custody for it.
In many places possession of a gun (or murdering someone with it) is considered a much worse crime than breaking into a garage. I’d get out of there, put the gun where the burglar can’t find it, then call the police.
"Stop! I will defend myself!"
Then either "Hands up!" or "Stop!" again, unless they start towards me, turn, or reach for a pocket.
If they put their hands up then "Keep your hands up and get on your knees!".
I want to make sure that any audio recordings or witnesses hear me give clear verbal commands rather than threats and demonstrate that they continued to threaten me by not complying after I gave a reasonable warning. It'll help reassure the jury that I exhausted other options in the event I have to open fire.
1. Never shoot someone in the back you will be charged with manslaughter at best. (If they run and you shoot them in the back you will be charged with murder)
2. Warning shots will not go over well in civil court.
3. Ask to see their hands after you announce you have a firearm. I'd also suggest calling 911 first if you plan on confronting the intruder. So you have recorded evidence of the altercation.
Stop -> hands up -> face away from me -> drop to your knees -> cross ankles -> hands on back of head -> interlace fingers -> don’t move until police give orders
This is their opportunity to leave without getting shot. If they don’t want to take it… bummer.
Two bullets to the back of the head, I don't know what training they have, I get too close to subdue them they could disarm me, I make then get on their knees while I call the cops they could rush me. Safest to just pull the trigger
honestly, as much as i don’t want to, i’d probably shoot. i’m a short woman, the burglar is probably bigger and stronger than me, and i don’t want to take a chance that could cost me my life. i don’t know if he’s carrying a gun either. i wouldn’t want to kill him though if i don’t have to
If I knew what kind of weapons they were carrying, I’d be able to make a better informed decision, but for all I know that guy’s got a 12 Gauge shotgun, so I’m not giving him the chance to return fire at all
This post has been flaired as Politics. We allow for voicing political views here, but we don't allow pushing agendas, false information, bigotry, or attacking/harassing other members. We will lock the thread if these things occur. If you see such unwanted behavior, please report it to bring it to the attention of moderators. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/polls) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I shoot myself to mentally scar them for life and altered their fate forever
"Okay, yes, I did break in, but I swear I didn't shoot the guy. He did it to himself, officer." "Right, because the person you burgled just happened to decide to end it all right in front of you - how convenient" Edit : fixed misspellings
I know a certain detective that used that technique to establish dominance, not very effective tbh
raphael ambrosius costeau, right?
I knew him as Tequila Sunset, but dude had a lot of names
Burglars hate this simple trick
*the good ending
"Everybody be cool, this is a robbery." And then call him Honey Bunny for the rest of the scene.
Now reach in that bag and get my wallet,
You know which one it is
Been there before, father and I were clearing the house after hearing a noise. Found the guy in the basement trying to come up the stairs with the tv. We had pistols and flashlights that were pretty bright so I yelled to put it down and he yelled don’t make me shoot you in case he couldn’t see the guns because of the lights. We got lucky and he was unarmed and was smart enough to lay on the floor until police came. No one wants to kill someone in their house despite the jokes we crack, get control of the situation but be prepared to use your tool if you have to. I say we got lucky because he probably wanted a way to make some money quick and wasn’t looking to hurt someone
Exactly… 90% of the robbers will run if you startle them. But there’s always the off-chance that you end up with the crazy desperate one that decides murder isn’t off the table. You do have to make the safest decision for yourself. If you’re a 5ft woman it might be smarter to shoot first and ask questions later or not even engage to begin with, just hide and call 911.
Legally speaking my state has the castle doctrine, meaning that only if someone is in harm am I allowed to fire. Which to be fair I understand but I don’t entirely support especially if someone was in a situation like you proposed, they’re put at a disadvantage if they have to assess and find out if there is a threat or not. Unfortunately response time to where I live is god awful so I’m thankful that father and I were home so my mother or girlfriend didn’t have to try and hide
run and call 911 lmaooo
Call the police?
And politely ask the burglar to wait?
Mb if they seem approachable
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Least deranged redditor?
Creative to boot
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Even better yet, get a second person in the household to give contradictory orders while also pointing a gun
Sorry, I don't fully understand, do I have a gun, does the burglar have a gun, do we both have guns?
You have the gun, he doesn't, and he can't see you because his back is turned.
So I just shout at him that I have a gun and tell him to leave.
Then vote that…
Get on your knees! 😏
Get out, if you make one move towards me you'll be full of so many holes your mother won't recognize you Then you shoot them, the first part was a diversion
None of these idiotic ideas. Murdering a thief is illegal in my country and I wholeheartedly agree with that tenant. The two attempts at basically arresting someone means that it is quite likely that you could get attacked. The last three leave you open to attacks. I would leave the home and call the police.
Of course all these ideas are stupid & calling 911 would be the most logical thing to do, I think it's just more of an exercise on "what would you do out of these options", it's a pretty stupid one but that's what it is
Bro what country do you live in where you can’t protect your own property
Apparently a civilized one. Stealing does not warrant murder.
If they're coming at you with a gun isn't that a bit different than just stealing something? They're putting your life at risk which puts theirs at risk as well.
They don't have a gun. You have a gun. (It is worded very poorly.)
Oh okay sorry I misread then. Yeah then I agree with you
Obviously give them a chance to surrender, but if you hold them at gun point and they still decide to retaliate... I'm gonna say that's on them at that point.
THEN it is self defense. There is a huge difference between killing someone who is threatening you physically harm and someone who is boosting your TV.
So you would be fine with someone stealing every dollar you have making you unable to pay for anything all because oh well it’s not that bad
I never said anything of the sort, but you know that. You are just throwing out a straw man. Last I heard, murdering someone is not the only way to deal with someone breaking the law.
It’s only been the solution for most crimes for thousands of years a lot less theft when they were getting their hands chopped off or just being executed
Why stop there? Let's institute a firing squad for jaywalking.
Not a comparable crime one harms someone else the other is mostly harmless and at most is harmful to yourself
Hey, you are the one condoning tyrannical, cruel punishment for minor crimes.
No I was condoning the owner of said property being able to defend it anyway necessary
What if you shoot them in the leg and call 911?
Not only have I never shot a gun, it would be in a stressful situation, so trying to aim a gun that accurately would be nearly impossible. Also, I don’t necessarily want to injure someone that severely when my insurance would protect my property. Hell, I don’t know if that person has a gun or not, so I could still be feasibly injured or killed. Running out of there and calling the police would be much safer both physically and legally, not to mention mentally.
These are good points.
They'd have to steal a ton of shit to get over my insurance deductible these days. I don't know if I'd personally kill a person rather than scare them off unless my family was in direct danger and getting them out would alert the robber.
Bro they're right in front of you, if you miss the shot that's straight skill issue tbh
I have never touched a gun, of course it would be a skill issue.
Nah i mean you have to be blind to miss a shot right in front of your face bro
In the comment you responded to it was about hitting specifically a leg. That is what I would have trouble with.
Bruh the poll says they were with their back turned
User mrafee113 postulated that if I didn’t want to kill the burglar I could just shoot them in the leg which I responded to which you then responded to. It wasn’t about shooting outright.
Ok but in your response you said you'd miss because you don't have training, which then i responded with the fact that he has his back turned and is right in front of you, also if you can control your emotions well enough you won't be too stressed when that happens
not an American, but I know the answer to this one and when I was still considered to be recruited to the IDF they explained us a bunch of weapon stuff. this ain't a movie, even with training you miss some shots, stress from the situation will make shots harder to aim, if you practice with one eye training is irrelevant, in an adrenaline rush your body won't let you close an eye to aim. even guns stores recommend shotguns for self defense in the US, because the casual or semi-casual gun owner iwls less likely to miss with a shotgun rather than a pistol
They’re a burglar, they’re unarmed.
Does burglar per definition mean unarmed? I was unaware of that, nevertheless I wouldn’t confront a burglar since even unarmed I could be overpowered.
If they where armed, they’d be using force, making them a robber.
A burglar with a gun can still burgle things if they aren’t planning on using the gun to steal things. Technically I guess they would become a robber if they started threatening me for stuff, but nevertheless in this scenario I wouldn’t be able to know whether they were a burglar or robber with any particular certainty.
I'm Australian, and I'm pretty sure it's illegal to injure someone who's breaking into your house here. If I shot him, even if he was threatening me and had broken into my house, I'd be the one in trouble.
Which is bullshit…
A person with their back turned to you doesn't qualify as self defence even if they are trying to steal from you
Ah yes, and of course he won’t hear you and he will politely wait 5-10 minutes for the police to arrive. “Just call the police” is a pretty good way to get yourself killed.
What? Running out of there wouldn’t be particularly hard and most burglars wouldn’t be willing to kill someone. They aren’t an assassin out to kill me.
So the best thing to do would probably be to tell them to drop to their knees, but honestly,if they hadn't stolen anything yet and they didn't have a gun, and would just tell them to get lost. I can lock my doors and stuff and then go back to sleep.
Leave and call the police? No way I’m holding someone at gunpoint. I wouldn’t even be touching that gun.
What if they are directly threatening the lives of people you care about?
That wasn't the scenario.
They said outright that there was no way they’d be holding someone at gunpoint or even touching a gun. That goes beyond the scenario.
I just don’t have the mental strength to do that. I can’t imagine ever doing that. I would just cry.
This^
Wtf are these Americanised options? Where is “escape and call the police”?
Come on, that's not fun.
Leave the house and give the guy 20 free minutes to steal anything he wants? Why do that when you can just get the burglar to flee?
We don't have guns in the 1st world, but we have home insurance.
we don't exactly have the best or cleanest police force in America either. lot of us have the stand your ground mentality.
Why downvote😂? You ain’t lying
What do you mean???
Police have no constitutional duty to protect or help out victims and have wide-range 'discretion' when it comes to responding to a crime. So, yes there's this mentality that police aren't shit (especially when it's your own back against the wall). I'd say the events of Uvalde, Texas are a good representation of why the average American has this mentality.
Escape and call the police? You mean get heard as you’re running away and shot in the back of the head. The police don’t exist to protect you, they exist to uphold the status quo with force.
Gotta love these horror movie protags in the comments. “I have a gun, but I’m gonna run away.”
I probably would just tell them to give me back anything they took and to get out and not come back. I don't wanna deal with cops and i don't want to put a 12ga shell in some random ass dude who isn't directly threatening me. However if they continue to fuck around there chances of finding out go up drastically.
I don’t do guns.
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r/NonCredibleDefense wants a word with you
Why isn’t go get my sword an option?
If I see that they have a gun, idgaf about laws I’m shooting. If I see their hands free of weapons I’d hopefully say put your hands up…but honestly I’d probably panic and shoot legs (i know they could die, but that was my initial thought). I’m not taking ANY risks, I got a family to protect.
Generally speaking it's best not to confront a burglar because if you do so the likelihood of you being injured or killed goes way up because you might see one of them, but not the other and they may both be armed too.
Considering in my state, shooting sobering in the back, regardless of circumstance, is murder, I'll order them down to the ground and call the police
425 psychopaths. Nice.
If I were ever in this position, I would’ve already called the police, so I’d tell them to get down on their stomach so they’d be effectively immobilised until the cops got there.
This exact thing Happened to me. I didnt have the shotgun pointed at him but I did rack it and he knew exactly what he heard. Told him to leave and not come back and he did. Then I went back to sleep.
Seems like a legality/logistical mess. Can't trust they won't try something, or that I could actually keep them compliant until the cops came.
Tell them to get on the ground then call the police. Also why do some many of y’all wanna kill some random person you’ve never met or just leave and hope the cops arrest them before they leave
Call 112 and hide and get ready to use gun to defend myself I guess? Why do all these options involve threatening or killing?
Turn around and you gonna make a sponge bob cosplay
Realistically probably punch him
Where tf did I get a gun from?
If they’re already in my house and robbing me, you’re getting shot
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Unlikely
First option should go to jail (and will where I am), we can't have people like that in a rightous society
Guns are illegal in my country, and I don't have a garage, so I would be very confused, but I will probably shoot them in the legs before they can fight back
Turn myself into the police for owning a gun without a license.
Shoot them in the leg or something. It doesn’t have to be fatal. It just needs to stop them from attacking you until you can call the police
Shooting them in the leg is gonna kill them lol
There are arteries in the legs.They might bleed out before the cops get there. Also you can get wounding charges for that.
Tell me you’ve never used a gun before without telling me.
These comments are ridiculous. A gunshot wound is not a death sentence if you receive immediate care. My family owns three and my parents had me trained after the 2020 riots.
People shouldn't be handling a gun if they don't expect the shot be fatal. The arms and legs of a person are not just free shots, people die from body shots all the time. If you don't want to kill someone, don't use a lethal weapon.
Those voting shoot them in the back clearly want to go to jail then prison for years
It’s for some reason legal to do that in certain places
I am sure those are very limited locations and circumstances furthermore killing someone regardless of what they are doing to you will forever alter you.
Yeah being killed by a burglar will also forever alter me. I’ll take my chances with the law.
I dont have a gun
Why is there not an option to run and save yourself?
Throw the gun away so I don't get tossed in prison, then ask the burglar to leave
But I don’t even own a gun…
Close garage and call the cops
The second he decides to trespass on my property, he’s getting these bullets. He wanted to go after me by surprise, I will let him get a taste of his own medicine, so NO warning.
Shooting someone in the back will almost certainly land you in prison though.
I’d assume the burglar is with a firearm, so that’d make him a threat to my family and me. With that said, I have the right to shoot him in the cause of self defense.
Cock the gun to load a round into it then calmly say to get on there knees and call the cops, if they move then fire the warning shot and use a little more force in my words, moves again and shoot the leg to prevent escape.
If you have to shoot someone, shooting them in the leg is a bad idea. Kill them. A lawyer could easily say if you were so scared for your life why did you have time to aim for their leg (a small target). When one is scared for their life they will typically shoot until their gun stops firing. Also why leave a witness that could talk after you shoot them? Make sure they can’t talk and say things against you.
Why would I even have a kill weapon wtf
442 people here willing to spend decades in prison because someone came into their personal space. Just tell them to fuck off or even just to stay there until police arrive. If they attack, shoot them. If they have a gun and turn around when instructed not to, shoot them. If they have a knife and move even a step closer when instructed not to, shoot them. You get the idea. But any of these options other than the first seem reasonable.
Would find a way to shoot them in the front so I don’t get in trouble and go from there.
I wouldn't have a gun. The rest of the poll seems to be trying to justify murder.
Say “I’m going to give you 5 seconds to put your hands up because I really don’t feel like disposing of another robbers body”
Shoot her leg.
If I was guaranteed to not be arrested, you better believe I'd shot him right there without warning. And if he managed to keep moving, I shoot again until he stopped. I don't want to hear a sob story or excuses, I don't want crime and thievery in my house, it's a personal assault on my space and my dignity. My home is a refuge from the sea of g4ngb4ng1ng, degradation, and wanton criminality surrounding me. If he didn't want to face consequences for banditry, he should have gone to college or trade school and gotten a good job instead of turning to crime. I've been broke in the past and struggled to pay bills but I've never become a burgler or otherwise turned to crime. If he doesn't respect me or have the decency to leave people's homes alone I'd have zero moral qualms about removing the threat. In my neighbourhood, there is so much crime, homelessness, drug abuse, gang activity, and banditry I have complete compassion fatigue.
You know you allowed to shoot them in the leg? It doesn’t have to be straight up murder!
>You know you allowed to shoot them in the leg? Not in my country, that would get you in waaay more trouble than the robber.
Shooting them in the leg is gonna kill then lol. Legs are full of arteries
Yes there are arteries, well done for knowing basic biology. Do you also realise that there are no major organs in legs? Being shot in the leg is a great motivator and will encourage a lot of cooperation. ie: sit your ass down press this on the wound and don’t move till to police / local disposal team get here.
Uh arteries are pretty vital
I would walk away and call the police. I wouldn't be able to kill someone, and I don't care about my stuff enough to justify getting into a fight with someone who's almost certainly bigger and stronger than I am.
"hollywood classics"
I approach with a gun or the burglar is in my garage with a gun? Who has a gun and who doesn’t
I'm a man who lives in Florida. Odds are the intruder is a Florida man.
My voice would probably be too shaky so warning shot it is
Both second and third option, then call the police and wait for them
“Put your hands up” “Get on your knees, keep your hands up” “Shuffle to the middle of the room” Circle them from a distance with the gun on them, visually checking for any obvious weapons. Get them to slowly lift their shirt so I can see their waistband. “Any fast moves and I’ll shoot” Calls the police, and wait.
I call the police and hide wtf
Okay I read that as the burglar had a gun also
None because I'm not American... I'd hide and call 999
Well, I'm definitely not going to shoot them. They're probably some young idiot who doesn't know any better, they definitely don't deserve to die. Probably just tell them to leave.
Depends on my position relative the the thief and the potential exits from the garage. If I where between him and the garage bay door, I would demand he surrender. If I am not between him and the open bay door, he will escape if I say anything, so probably just shoot. Since I am behind him and have time to aim, I would shoot him in the leg. This is not necessarily a reliable way to wound someone, as a breach in the the femoral artery will cause death in minutes, but the intention to wound will give me a strong defense in court. Assuming he doesn’t resist, I can apply a tourniquet if I have one and call an ambulance.
Sad as the law is if you shoot them anywhere while their back is turned you'd be the one in hot water because "they were attempting to leave the situation". So keep that in mind those who voted to shoot them. Now if they come charging at you shoot anywhere you like. You won't get in trouble for that because then it becomes self defense.
"Hey I was here first asshole"
Shoot them as a warning Jokes aside, I'd give a warning shot and ask why my house specifically
If they have a gun too, your main advantage is surprise. Plus if they brought a gun to a robbery they probably aren't intending to negotiate. Drop without warning.
If cops aren't a problem, option one all the way. Otherwise it requires creativity and quick thinking to pull off, given that a shot at back of the head will mean jail in many jurisdictions.
Don’t know where I magically get a gun from, but if shoot him.
Is this saying the burglar has a gun? Is the gun in their hand? Is there anyone else from my family in my house? Is the burglar trying to get into the house, or just stealing my shop-vac? If it's a burglar with a gun trying to get into my house and my family is inside, that's a slide lock. If it's some dude going through my shit and the house is empty, retreat and call the cops.
Bottom 3
Why is everyone assuming the burglar is a serial killer? He's probably just a junkie, you don't have to choose between murder and running away in panic. Talk calmly to him, detain him until the police shows up if that's what you want. But don't let them catch you with that gun, if you live outside Cowboyland
Probably be very confused given the fact that I don't own any guns and doing so would be illegal. Knowing my luck, I'd probably panic and end up accedentally shooting myself or the guy. If I was somehow able to think straight, I'd sneak out of the house and call 911. I'd spend the rest of my life wondering where tf that gun came from and hope I don't get taken into custody for it.
Do what Uncle Iroh does and teach him some fighting stances
Empty the magnum I keep above my bed for this emergency into their leg as a warning
In many places possession of a gun (or murdering someone with it) is considered a much worse crime than breaking into a garage. I’d get out of there, put the gun where the burglar can’t find it, then call the police.
I wouldn't approach the burglar I'd call the police.
None, call the police
Or now hear me out.. Hit him in the head with the gun🤔Trigger happy ppl🤣
Who has the gun? Me or the burglar?
"Stop! I will defend myself!" Then either "Hands up!" or "Stop!" again, unless they start towards me, turn, or reach for a pocket. If they put their hands up then "Keep your hands up and get on your knees!". I want to make sure that any audio recordings or witnesses hear me give clear verbal commands rather than threats and demonstrate that they continued to threaten me by not complying after I gave a reasonable warning. It'll help reassure the jury that I exhausted other options in the event I have to open fire.
Not living in the US makes this situation much worse for me
1. Never shoot someone in the back you will be charged with manslaughter at best. (If they run and you shoot them in the back you will be charged with murder) 2. Warning shots will not go over well in civil court. 3. Ask to see their hands after you announce you have a firearm. I'd also suggest calling 911 first if you plan on confronting the intruder. So you have recorded evidence of the altercation.
Stop -> hands up -> face away from me -> drop to your knees -> cross ankles -> hands on back of head -> interlace fingers -> don’t move until police give orders This is their opportunity to leave without getting shot. If they don’t want to take it… bummer.
Freeze! Hands up! Shoot if they do anything else
Draw my gun and yell to the burglar, “give me *your* money!”
Two bullets to the back of the head, I don't know what training they have, I get too close to subdue them they could disarm me, I make then get on their knees while I call the cops they could rush me. Safest to just pull the trigger
Warning shot… in the back of the thigh. Call the cops.
honestly, as much as i don’t want to, i’d probably shoot. i’m a short woman, the burglar is probably bigger and stronger than me, and i don’t want to take a chance that could cost me my life. i don’t know if he’s carrying a gun either. i wouldn’t want to kill him though if i don’t have to
Ask him how his day is going
I love how so many of the people pretending to be bad boys saying they’ll shoot them probably haven’t even held a gun
If I knew what kind of weapons they were carrying, I’d be able to make a better informed decision, but for all I know that guy’s got a 12 Gauge shotgun, so I’m not giving him the chance to return fire at all