Caught Someone Breaking Into "The Touring"

doc540 · #1 07-20-2010, 08:20 AM

(that's BMW for "station wagon")

cliffs:

broad daylight

bad part of town

helping move my 91 year old uncle

I'm 20 feet away sitting in my uncle's truck in his driveway

Touring alarm went off

I turned and looked as a pickup truck sped away.

I run to the Touring, see broken window, think "hit and run".

I chase the truck about 8 blocks, flashing my lights.

Call 911 while chasing, give license and description.

Dude slows and pulls into his home driveway.

I park 1/2 block away (out of gun range)

4 cops arrive.

I discover the window frame has been bent = breakin, not hit and run

Guy's mom and dad lied for him and said he'd never left the house.

Cops believe my story, search him, find cocaine, take his sorry ass to jail.

I duct tape busted window, call insurance adjuster, set cruise on 80 on the way home 60 miles away.

Loss: Craftsman tool bag with my emergency road kit.

NOTE: At no time did I either anticipate or seek to involve any of the three guns I had in my possession.

In other words kids, I didn't fire a shot and didn't want to.

jady · #2 07-20-2010, 08:25 AM

Justice is rare nowadays,

but when it happens...... PURE AWESOME!!!!!!!!!

hover · #3 07-20-2010, 08:27 AM

I LOVE it. Don't think that little **** thought he'd be going to the slammer that day.

Kawai-chang · #4 07-20-2010, 08:29 AM

Legally, I don't thik you could have ventilated him and gotten away with it. Sadly, I don't even think you could have pistol-whipped him.

blendermassacre · #5 07-20-2010, 08:30 AM

I'm glad you didn't use your weapon. Starting a driving shooting range is a pretty bad idea, in general. Glad you got justice, though.

doc540 · #6 07-20-2010, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blendermassacre

I'm glad you didn't use your weapon. Starting a driving shooting range is a pretty bad idea, in general. Glad you got justice, though.

I did everything I could to make sure that didn't transpire.

Even if the perp had turned and shot at me from his truck, I would've turned off and avoided a confrontation.

Shooting is the cops' job.

hdracer · #7 07-20-2010, 08:33 AM

Good to hear it turned out ok. I just hate stupid stuff like that. Wreck a nice car for what? A few tools that he may get a couple of bucks for? I once had a window busted out of my car so the punk could steel my cig's. It reminds me of the great words of Dirty Harry, "Nothing wrong with people getting shot, as long as it's the right people getting shot"

sarcastro83 · #8 07-20-2010, 08:34 AM

His parents are absolute trash for lying to the cops on his behalf. People like this seriously suck, and the mental gymnastics they are capable of when their lousy kids do awful things to people in order to protect them never ceases to turn my stomach.

However, I'm glad you persisted and acted in a responsible fashion. Good for you, man. This is an excellent story.

DigMe · #9 07-20-2010, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blendermassacre

Starting a driving shooting range...

Ooh!!

*runs off to get a new business loan*

bc

**Horny Toad** · #10 07-20-2010, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kawai-chang

Legally, I don't thik you could have ventilated him and gotten away with it. Sadly, I don't even think you could have pistol-whipped him.

I believe the laws in TX are quite different than the laws in OH. Regardless, he used restraint and for the situation he described, did the right thing and let the cops handle it.

D.A.R.K. · #11 07-20-2010, 08:49 AM

well handled.
it'd suck to live the rest of your life having killed someone over a few tools and some auto glass.
no need to sink to their level.

doc540 · #12 07-20-2010, 09:00 AM

Long ago I decided not to take someone's life over property, yes, even if I caught them stealing my '69 Jbass.

It's an absolute, last resort, self-defense tactic or a last resort tactic to protect the defenseless or innocent.

And conditioning my mind to think that way payed off yesterday. I had NO desire to involve any of the guns I had....none.

**Horny Toad** · #13 07-20-2010, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doc540

Long ago I decided not to take someone's life over property, yes, even if I caught them stealing my '69 Jbass.

It's an absolute, last resort, self-defense tactic or a last resort tactic to protect the defenseless or innocent.

And conditioning my mind to think that way payed off yesterday. I had NO desire to involve any of the guns I had....none.

Agreed. Just about any possession can be replaced.

geeza · #14 07-20-2010, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarcastro83

His parents are absolute trash for lying to the cops on his behalf.

Perfect example of "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree".

blendermassacre · #15 07-20-2010, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doc540

Long ago I decided not to take someone's life over property, yes, even if I caught them stealing my '69 Jbass.

It's an absolute, last resort, self-defense tactic or a last resort tactic to protect the defenseless or innocent.

And conditioning my mind to think that way payed off yesterday. I had NO desire to involve any of the guns I had....none.

if someone was taking my 69' Jazz, I might be tempted to shoot them in the knee cap... just sayin'

Also, this thread saddens me, because I love wagons...

DigMe · #16 07-20-2010, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Horny Toad

I believe the laws in TX are quite different than the laws in OH. Regardless, he used restraint and for the situation he described, did the right thing and let the cops handle it.

The laws in Texas would not have allowed him to shoot this guy.

bc

**Horny Toad** · #17 07-20-2010, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DigMe

The laws in Texas would not have allowed him to shoot this guy.

bc

If you look at 9.41 and 9.42 at the link below, the argument for a justifiable shoot could be made. But as I've said, I believe the OP did the right thing in having the cops handle it. It definitely wouldn't be worth the huge legal headache.

http://law.justia.com/texas/codes/pe...000009.00.html

Relic · #18 07-20-2010, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doc540

I did everything I could to make sure that didn't transpire.

Even if the perp had turned and shot at me from his truck, I would've turned off and avoided a confrontation.

Shooting is the cops' job.

What a refreshingly great attitude. Thumbs up, you did a great job and as fellow a gun-owner I like your outlook on the situation. Very realistic and it shows a lot of restraint.

DigMe · #19 07-20-2010, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Horny Toad

If you look at 9.41 and 9.42 at the link below, the argument for a justifiable shoot could be made. But as I've said, I believe the OP did the right thing in having the cops handle it. It definitely wouldn't be worth the huge legal headache.

http://law.justia.com/texas/codes/pe...000009.00.html

I don't know... I'm no lawyer and considering the cocaine and whatnot he could possibly get cleared in front of a jury but the bolded part below, IMO, negates the justification:

Quote:

(b) A person unlawfully dispossessed of land or tangible,
movable property by another is justified in using force against the
other when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the force
is immediately necessary to reenter the land or recover the
property if the actor uses the force immediately or in fresh pursuit
after the dispossession and:
(1) the actor reasonably believes the other had no
claim of right when he dispossessed the actor; or
(2) the other accomplished the dispossession by using
force, threat, or fraud against the actor.

He used force against the actor's car but not against the actor. Not trying to get into a big, dumb argument but that's how I see it. That is also pretty much what they teach in texas CHL classes.

bc

**Horny Toad** · #20 07-20-2010, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DigMe

I don't know... I'm no lawyer and considering the cocaine and whatnot he could possibly get cleared in front of a jury but the bolded part below, IMO, negates the justification:

He used force against the actor's car but not against the actor. Not trying to get into a big, dumb argument but that's how I see it. That is also pretty much what they teach in texas CHL classes.

bc

Hey, I'm no lawyer either and I'm not foolish enough to argue with the Quintar.

But yeah, obviously in court the arguments would go both ways, but I'm guessing a jury would be sympathetic to an upstanding citizen over a drug-possessing thief. But I wouldn't want to test that theory either.