San Antonio: Homeowner shot thief stealing potted plant.

[TexasRedneck]

could be the home owner was in a bathrobe. Put texasredneck in a bath robe and he looks more feminine.

r i g h t . . . .

 

[matefrio]

r i g h t . . . .

 

[Glitter and Guns]

What's not to be proud of there? He had warrants, you helped get someone off the street that shouldn't have been there. And you protected what was yours.

I am fine with getting him off the streets (probably for all of 12 hours or something), but I really was terribly uncomfy with how easy it would have been for me to shoot him in that moment. Again, I blame the "nesting and protecting" hormones involved in being pregnant. In 30 years would that snow blower have mattered to me a bit? No. Was I truly in danger? No, I don't think that I really was. Was I very close to making myself judge, jury, and hangman? Yep. Even if society and the law had said that I was right and let me off with no charges, today I would be carrying a terrible weight knowing that I ended a life over a snow blower.

I was living up north and I assure you they would NOT have let me go. I would have had to stand trial and could quite possibly been sent to prison over the whole thing. There is little love there for protecting one's property with deadly force.

Now, had my life been in danger - If someone was hurting/would be hurting my kids - If someone was on some kind of rampage - in all those cases I would be ethically fine with the weight of ending another humans life. At the end of the day the regret over killing someone over a snow blower would have been immense.

Seriously though, don't jack with pregnant women - it is crazy how serious one becomes about protecting your place and the life that one is making.

 

[RetArmySgt]

Depends on what he was doing with the potted plant, I have seen them hurled through windows to gain entry. So if he looked as if that was his intent then fine but if he picked it up and ran away with it because he thought it was pretty that would be a different story.

 

[matefrio]

I wrote this for another forum.

How much hassle is worth shooting someone?

8:00 am - You see someone in your front yard messing around with your plants.
8:01 am - You grab the gun and are going to shoot the #@$@ steeling your plants and messing with the #@$@ in your front yard. If you're smart you call 911 and report there's someone out there or have your SO do it for you.
8:02 am - Your out there yelling at the guy to stop pointing your gun at him. STOP!, @#$ doesn't stop and is getting away.
8:02.10 am - Blam, He's running. Blam, he's getting in the car @#$# your angry, Stop you @#$#@ Blam, you've hit the windshield and he's driving off.
8:03 am - If you didn't call 911 now's the time. What do you say? You're still so @#$# pissed.
8:03.20 - cops are on their way. Operator is telling you to put the gun someplace safe. You're still pissed off.
8:07 - Cop pulls up. How's this going to go? You start not to be pissed off and start worrying about your actions.

What goes on here is a blurr. You're answering questions, neighbors who you've lived by for a long time may be talking about you unfavorably or not getting the facts straight as you know them. Doubt sets in as the police go over your actions with you.

9:00 am - Call comes in, you hear it over the radio, the guy has been found and he was shot in the head. His version of the story is 180 degrees off of yours. He was just driving down the road after dropping off his kids and was shot randomly by some stranger.

9:10 am - Reporters are flooding the neighborhood, News crews are checking your facebook, myspace and googling your name.

9:15 am - will these guys ever leave? When do the questions stop? How many times do they need to ask that? No, you can't just go back inside.

another blurr. Is it really 12 noon? No you don't feel like lunch. Were you going to work? Guess that's not going to happen @#$@ need to call in sick? who else do you need to call? Siblings? Friends? You don't feel like talking to anyone.

12:30 pm - Folks start calling, news of the shooting is on the Internet now. You don't want to talk to anyone, your tired.

another blurr, Can you go back outside? Reporter or two is still polking around, yep, that's the door again. The guy you shot going to make it? They can't tell you even if you know who to ask. Tape is up in your front yard still. Can you even bare being in your own home?

6:00 pm - You're on the news. More reporters. Neighbors you never knew. One was outside and saw the whole thing. Did you even see her? What if she'd gotten hit?

You're not really hungry. Have a beer? You're eating but not tasting the food.

7:00 pm - Live reporters setup around to broadcast for the 9 or 10pm news.

Folks have been posting their opinion this whole time online. They're also googling you. News media interviews 3 kids who's father you just shot and a distraught wife who doesn't know how she'll manage with her husband back in jail. Friends start to post on your Facebook wondering how you're doing and your other 150 friends now know what's happened.

9:00 pm - another round of news. They're getting it wrong. It wasn't only about a potted plant it was about what you felt he was doing to you. Comments left about how you acted in the right are drowned out by the @#$ the liberal media\neighboors etc are saying. Hard to feel good about anything you've done when your actions are being ripped apart.

9:30 pm - Man these lawyers who want to help won't stop calling you. They warn you of the dangers you still face and the cost how much??? That @#$@# on the porch wasn't worth 1% they are asking to represent you in court.

Can you sleep though the night? Do you go back to work the next morning? The shock of the events is still on your mind. You haven't though about anything but this shooting in the last 20 hrs. Will your boss understand if you take the day off? Can you afford to take a day off and not go to work?

The next day,

You haven't slept well at all. Two kids aren't in school today as their dad got shot last night. Who knows what future they have.

People, strangers are walking passed your home including kids from the school who's best friend's dad was the one you shot.

You just want to leave. Anything you do the burden is still there. You've shot someone. Stress shows up with your wife and others even at work because of the worry. You're a good man, but you've shot someone.

How long till you recover? How long will pople stop pestering you?

A church group shows up, not yours, the family's pastor and his congregation. Lucky it's not Qualnell X. They stay on the street but it brings out the media again. Cops are called to direct traffic.

Court date set in the middle of your work day 5 months later. You're there to testify. Family of the robber are there glaring at you. You're taking off more time from work.

Trial set, how many days can you be there? How much time off work? You're asked to testify.

Guy gets probation. Does he still live less than a mile away?

How much time have you lost? Was it worth the emotional roller coaster? How much money have you spent or time off work have you needed to take? How much more secure is your life now that you've caused harm to others including the kids, wife and family of another? The folks who know your story have taken sides and judged you on 2 min of your life. Almost all are supportive but the ones who judge you were wrong are some of the loudest.