Originally Posted By: celler
Originally Posted By: 2005RedTJ
<snip>"That's him laying in a pile, bleeding all over the floor, officer. Oh, and I'm going to want those JHP's back, so I can measure them for expansion and penetration."


Please understand that what I am about to say is intended to be helpful, not critical. I believe in your and my right to self-defense.

I hope you are never involved in a deadly-force situation and most of us never will. However, if by some stroke of fate you are and some over-zealous prosecutor decides that you "had it in" for the scumball that broke into your house and goes searching around the internet for your opinions on such issues, you don't want him finding that post.

The internet is not as anonymous as we think it might be. I never write anything that I would not want a judge to see.

In the situation you described, if I could determine that the threat had ended, I would render first aid to this individual and hope he lived. And believe me, I'm not a bleeding-heart criminal coddler. Some LEOs involved in use of deadly force are never able to come to terms with it and leave the profession. Its something to be avoided if at all possible and, at least for me, has led me seek to become more proficient in less-lethal responses.

As always, YMMV.


For me, the simple truth is that I can't determine another person's intent above and beyond the situation that they are in my house, uninvited.

I deal with people every day who've had a break-in or even a home invasion. My customer today had a home invasion 2 nights ago while they were in their bedroom. When a person breaks into your home, while you are home, I wouldn't think they are there to bake cookies.

Talking on a daily basis with people who've survived a home invasion puts things in a different perspective for me. Probably 90% or more of the people in the US think they are safe in their own home, but thinking that nothing bad can happen to you there is just living in denial.

My life and those of my family and friends are worth the minor hassle of me keeping a gun either on me or within arms reach. Due to what I hear every day from people who've been there, I'll never be one of those people who thinks you should just whip out the phone, dial 911, and smile knowing help is on the way.

I may be a little verbal about my opinions, but I believe strongly in my right to provide for the safety and security of anyone who I invite into my home.