Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Just Shoot Them Through the Door

https://www.yahoo.com/news/off-duty-texas-trooper-shoots-191558541.html

You’d think a State Trooper would know better. I’m sure he expects “benefit of the doubt”, since he’s not a “gun totin’ moron” like the rest of us civilians. This is in Houston, so should get a LITTLE bit interesting…

Well, the key takeaway in the story is that the trooper was unharmed. That's all that matters.

Took stupid to a gunfight.

I have learned here that if you are afraid, it's legal grounds to shoot someone.

Downtown Houston….shoot first, ask questions afterward…

IIRC it was the man in the Oval Office that
advised to get a shotgun and shoot warning
shots in the air, and shoot potential intruders
through the door

The fear has to be reasonable, and it has to be a fear of imminent, serious (potentially life threatening) harm. The definition of reasonable fear is fear that an ordinary prudent person would likely have experienced under like circumstances. The judges of this standard are, first, the cops (If the standard appears to be met, cops can choose not to proceed with the case), second, the prosecutor or grand jury (If the standard appears to be met, they can choose not to proceed with the case), and thirdly, the the trial jury, i.e., if both the cops and the grand jury/prosecutor decided to proceed with the case, the trial jury is the final judge as to whether the standard was met after the completion of the trial.

PS It's part of Florida law that one is presumed to meet the reasonable fear standard if there is an intruder in your home and you are not engaged in criminal activity when you shoot.

Officer safety 😀

Dumb, and dumber. Why? Just why would you do that?

Trying to brake in versus forced entry and they are inside are to very different things.

We had a case here many years ago. I don't remember any details but a city cop went to a house for some reason. He talked to the owner through the screen door. As he turned to leave, the guy grabbed a shotgun from behind the door and and shot him in the back. He was so close that the shot was like a slug. He survived but I don't remember anything else.

Your sarcasm detector may be in need of recalibration.

In some states you only have to prove that you were in fear for your life!

Are you going to suggest that someone (especially an older or physically challenged person) that has someone with an axe (think The Shinning) screaming obscenities and threatening to kill them must wait until the would be assailant is in their home……I don’t think so!

Yes, that was an exaggeration……but, the point should be clear! If in fear for your life, the distance between the criminal and the victim is irrelevant! memtb

No, you implied that many here believe that fear alone is enough. This is in fact what I've observed, too. I provided a clarification of the actual law on the question.

Fear alone is never enough, regardless of jurisdiction. The fear must always be reasonable. Now, disparity is always taken into consideration in assessing reasonableness, so your example of a feeble old man would be taken into consideration under the term "in like circumstances."

PS Some states authorize one (under the right conditions) to shoot to prevent theft, such as Texas. But that's not categorized under self defense law.

Gotcha. Most states don't use the word fear or afraid in their law at all. Florida only uses it in the Home Protection section. They don't use it in the self-defense/defense of others section. There's a good reason for that.

Must’ve been a WOMAN State Trooper. 😜

LOL. Houston is definitely a Schitthole.

You “MUST” be able to prove in court that you feared for your or someone else’s life was in eminent danger! In many states, it will stand up in court…..and rightly so! memtb

Actually, that word is most likely to be "believe."