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Originally Posted by deputy584
Roving bands of armed pill heads looking for Xboxes where you live? They're coming in to your house to steal, they aren't willing to enter with a gun when it's to easy for them to go back out the window they came in when confronted. I investigate hundreds of break ins a year and NONE involve the suspect possessing, carrying, using, owning any type of firearm. they will steal them if they can but that's about it.
If they break into your house armed then it's a drug rip.
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I agree, an armed assailant seeking to kill is extremely unlikely. Then again, most of these situations are extremely unlikely.
Personally, I would start with a worst-case scenario and work from there. In other words, I wouldn't rule many plausible scenarios out, because the hazard is underestimating your opposition. Locally, I believe the worst-case plausible scenario is an escaped convict, or high-profile wanted person.
It's happened perhaps three times that I'm aware of in my area. One was the highly-publicized Bucky Phillips manhunt--Bucky was armed with long guns and wound up shooting three State Troopers, killing one. Another time, a prisoner escaped from town courthouse, a couple miles from where I do most of my fishing. That led to a multi-hour manhunt and structure-to-structure search, including more county deputies and State Troopers than that little hamlet has ever seen. I locked up the shed and the house, and canceled fishing for the day. Again, a lot of hunters in the area, a lot of camps unoccupied for the summer, and a lot of long guns stored unsecured and unsupervised.
The third time was the Richard Matt/David Sweat escape. Both of those guys were convicted murderers, and hid out in hunting cabins where rifles and shotguns are commonly stored.
Hence, while I'm not going to assume I'm facing armed terrorists or biker gangs or any other such outlandish unlikelihoods, I'm going to hope the intruder in the night is just some junkie, and plan my moves in case it isn't.
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Originally Posted by Gamecock
Maybe where you live.
Around here, when the mother tells the local fishwrap, "He was a good kid. He wanted to go to college," people just laugh.
Nothing like the anecdote you state has happened in my county in the 20 years I have lived here. If a stranger is in my house, they are in mortal danger. I'm am not going to pause to wonder if he has a scholarship to NC State. I will wonder if he is acting alone, or if there are more.
A few years ago, there were 3 different home invasions within 500 yards of my house. Three perps were later caught and are still in prison. This is reality, not some kid on a drinking binge.
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The point isn't that he shouldn't have shot. If that's what you thought I was writing, read it again. The homeowner did everything correctly. He issued warnings, he waited as long as possible to open fire, and his use of force was extremely well-controlled. His actions were reasonable by any standard.
The point is that despite doing everything correctly, he became fodder for the nightly news.
My point is that a lot of guys focus on fulfilling legal duties, but fail to understand that they can act legally and correctly, and still be crucified. Even if their actions are acceptable, or even laudable, by local mores. I'd prefer to not shoot if I can help it, and avoid all that.