You aren't the only one with imagination, you're just letting it run wild and free here. As for not accidentally shooting the child being "very possible", that's not good enough. Putting rounds through a vehicle with children in it does not help anyone. It "might" save the day, yes, or it just might not.

Your time would be better spent writing down the license plate number.

If I wasn't sure what was happening, you would be told to "STAND STILL!" .

A much more effective command than "freeze!"

Gives me time to sort out exactly what is going on......

On that note, I myself had a child scream "I'm being kidnapped!" at a crowded bus station during my college years. I was volunteering in the projects and the child was African-Israeli. I'm not. Nobody bat an eyelid.

I understand where this is coming from, I really do. It's appalling that children can and do become victims of predators in this day and age. It's even worse that bystanders let it happen.

But none of my training, or simply common sense, suggests guns would be too useful in this situation. I suppose when you've secured the victim/s behind you a gun will come in handy to subdue the perp. Any other application of firearms runs a high risk of turning the event into a blood bath, or a hostage crisis. Why escalate? If possible - knock the guy out, sure. If not - okay, at least you saw A. Who is missing. B. Who took them and when.

That's a good start right there.

[censored] out of pedophile?

Does Canadian law permit parents to use force to defend their kids?

Do the parents have to consult lawyers on this issue ?

Picard, it would be best if you asked a local lawyer these questions rather than asking them here.

Also, consider yourself warned in regards to using swear words in your post.

-Blast

oops. I didn't realize I used swear words.

I never did it to my parents and neither did my sister. We are both adopted. So there is at least one set of adoptive parents that didn't have to hear it, i hope you will never hear it either.

I gather it's rare for them to enter homes to abduct. Apparently when they are claimed to have done so, it often turns out the parents were involved in foul play and covering it up by claiming abduction. (This is part of why not everyone believes Madeleine McCann's parents, for example.)

In the Caycee case in the article you linked, the victim was outside, waiting at a bus stop. That is (relatively) more common. So the case you linked to is not an example of what you were talking about.

Ranter - Most of us will go through our entire lives without making such a profound difference in anyone's life that you made in these two girls' lives by saving them from their attacker. Hopefully his being arrested saved others, as well.

God bless you and the elderly woman for taking an interest and then taking action.

Child molesters don't usually walk around with "CHILD MOLESTER-PEDOPHILE" emblazoned on their forehead or t-shirt.

But when a child we don't know is in distress we should pay attention and assess the situation. And if anyone else is around as a potential witness or help, we should try to draw their attention, too.

But shooting the suspected perp on sight? Outside of Hollywood, that's very dangerous for innocent bystanders and exposes the shooter to considerable legal jeopardy. Being judge-jury-executioner on the spot like that is a horrifying prospect.

If it were my own child at issue and in or around my own home, I'd know the person was a threat and if armed and my child were not in the way, I'd probably shoot. And shoot, and shoot until all the bullets were gone. I'd worry about whether my action was legal when someone from the police department mentioned it.

As for the thread title: Shoot Pedophiles Who Abduct Children? I'm all for the death penalty for these perps. Their recidivism rate is extremely high and the crimes they commit against children are pure evil.

In Canada we are allowed the use of lethal force to protect ourselves or others.
It is still homicide though and you will almost certainly defending yourself against a murder charge.

So you had better be very sure that you really had to kill to protect yourself or somebody else from harm.

We don't have the death penalty in Canada for any offence. We do have life in prison instead, which is supposed to be 25 years with no parole.