Antioch resident disarms and kills intruder with his own gun, police say
ANTIOCH -- A man who was home alone with his son fought off an intruder who kicked in his front door, wrested away the suspect's gun and shot him to death Monday evening, police said.There's an adage in the CCW community: Better to be an unarmed sheepdog than a well-armed sheep. The goblin in this story, despite his appearances, was a sheep - he viewed his firearm as a magic talisman that would cause all who viewed it to fall to their knees and do his bidding. When faced with someone not cowed by the gun, he panicked and froze, allowing the homeowner to wrestle the gun away from him and end his life with his own gun.
News of the violence startled residents of the bucolic neighborhood nestled a block from Lone Tree Golf Course, lined by manicured lawns, shrubbery and a smattering of palm trees.
It does happen. Without the planning - even just the mental planning that says "what if" - a firearm is next to useless for someone unwilling or unready to use it. There's a lesson here for those of us that own firearms for self-defense: we need to ask the fundamental question of ourselves, "Am I ready to use this firearm to possibly end someone's life if needed?". Unless and until you can answer that question without hesitation, the danger is there that you might very well have your gun taken away and used against you.
At least in death this goblin proved useful, albeit as a cautionary example.
Dead Goblin Count: 255
That is all.
6 comments:
For me, it's not a question of "whether" so much as "when."
If someone kicks down my door and runs toward me? Stop the threat.
But what if I wake up to find someone rummaging through my living room?
What if their backs are turned and they're running away?
(In the back-turned scenario, it would depend whether the goblin was just trying to escape - in which I would not shoot - or whether he could be running TOWARD someone, in which case it is correct to shoot him in the back.)
Think about that "in the back" scenario for a minute. You discover someone is in your house uninvited in the middle of the night with bad intent, you hesitate because somehow you remember that singing cowboys never shot anyone in the back or some other nonsense, he becomes aware that you are there, he turns around and shoots you hitting you center of mass. He does not call 911 for you as you lie paralyzed and bleeding to death, with you knowing that somehow you were "fair", "honorable", "peaceful", "non-violent" or some other quaint dysfunctional notion. Oh, by the way, the uninvited visitor with bad intent then steps over you and proceeds to do unspeakable things to your wife and children, as you have failed to protect them.
What if when he first becomes aware of your presence, he starts to run away, then after a few steps turns and shoots you, with the same effect and actions afterwards?
Care to review your choices and their possible consequences?
If you were on a jury or grand jury evaluating someone accused by the prosecutor of homicide or manslaughter for shooting an uninvited visitor in the back, what would you decide?
What would be your well reasoned opinion of any juror that would vote to indict or convict under these circumstances?
The kicker in all this is that you know that the intruder dared to enter the home with bad intent despite the potential bad consequences for him, and is capable of doing worse things than robbery. How much worse? You do not know until he acts. Can you safely assume the worst? Yes, even if the intruder is twelve years old, a teenager, middle aged elderly, female, male, or any other demographic you choose that somehow lowers your perceived risk.
See, the "rummaging through my stuff with his back to me" part is why I advocate a shotgun with a chainsaw bayonet.
Start up the saw. He'll know you're there...
OMG the antis were right!!!
If you carry a gun someone will take it away from you and shoot you with it...
You keep coming up with these stories from the north eastern bay area, Contra Costa County to be exact. If I wasn't aware of what is was really like to live there, I would question moving out of that specific area 7 years ago. But then I remember why this happens in that area and decide that I made the better decision. There is a reason that the adjacent city of Baypoint is commonly referred to as Gunpoint. Interestingly, according to the latter part of the article, goblin was already convicted receiving stolen property and carrying a concealed weapon. And he's out already. I hate Californa...
David, don't DO that........
I just spewed coffee all OVER my keyboard and monitor.
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