Posted on 07/01/2013 4:49:53 AM PDT by marktwain
GLOUSTER, Ohio -
An Athens County man could face murder charges after he allegedly shot and killed a suspected burglar Thursday.
Deputies from the Athens County Sheriff's Office were called to a home in Glouster on a report of a burglary at about 10:54 a.m.
According to the Athens County Sheriff's Office, 34-year-old Keith "P.J." Rutter was seen walking from the woods next to Ronnie Shover's Glouster home Thursday morning. Witnesses say Rutter then attempted to get into the home through a back door while Shover was mowing the lawn.
Shover's son-in-law reportedly saw Rutter trying to break into the home and fired several shots into the air, according to a detective with the sheriff's office. The detective says Rutter began to run and the son-in-law fired in his direction, striking him.
Shover's son-in-law immediately began to perform CPR on him until emergency crews arrived, according to the sheriff's office. Rutter was pronounced dead at 1:05 p.m. Thursday.
Neighbor Linsey Cooper says she saw the whole incident unfold.
"They turned the body over and they found a key and an open knife laying underneath him," said Cooper.
Detectives confirmed the key found underneath Rutter belonged to Shover's home.
Detectives say Rutter was the suspect in multiple burglaries in the area of state Route 13 and Taylor Ridge Road.
Cooper says she suspected Rutter had also broken into her father's home on multiple occasions.
"First time it was an AK 47, and then it was five guns, and then it was his medicine. Pain medicine," said Cooper. She says her father is a cancer patient.
Athens County officials tell NBC4 murder charges could be filed because Rutter had not threatened harm to the shooter. The officials did say, however, that they don't think the Athens County Grand Jury will indict the shooter on those charges.
I guess it depends on where they pick the Grand Jury from?
Does a person deserve to die because they attempt a robbery?
Not neccesarily, but if it happens, I won’t cry for the thieving POS.
Interesting they would publicly admit it, as Grand Juries used to indict ham sandwiches on request.
It is logically impossible that a civilian does not have the right to use deadly force against a fleeing suspect when police officers do. Every scintilla of authority any government has has one source, and only one source: The people it governs. That means it can not possibly have any authority those it governs do not also have as individuals. An individual cannot grant a government (or anyone else) any authority he does not already have.
The right to use deadly force by a officer against a fleeing felon limited also.
“Interesting they would publicly admit it, as Grand Juries used to indict ham sandwiches on request.”
I’d imagine it works like this. A panel of citizens is put in place. A prosecutor puts forth his case to this panel. Nobody on the panel really can evaluate whether what the prosecutor says is valid or not. If he says that the ham sandwich is suspected of harboring ptomaine or regularly using illegally grown lettuce how would I know? There is no defense presented, just charges. So, ham sandwiches will continue to be indicted.
However, in the case of a citizen shooting an intended burglar, I do have an opinion. But, if the defendant was running away and was not armed, I’d be hard pressed to say it was defense.
Good riddance! I hope the shooter isn’t charged. How in the world would this be justice? Today the only justice you’ll get is what you’re willing to take for yourself.
Does a person deserve to die because they attempt a robbery?
If you kill them then you will end their life of crime. If not, they will continue robbing good people for the rest of their lives.
His mistake was firing warning shots. Very dangerous (you don’t know where those shots will land). A first shot to center mass of the intruder still facing forward would have simultaneously ended the threat and short circuited prosecution.
He probably broke the law. I doubt he’ll be convicted.
Still. If his first shot had been for effect, he would have avoided a lot of hassle.
No compassion for criminals. The POS had been there before stealing guns and medicine. He got his own medicine this time.
Yep, they can shoot only as many rounds as they have with them.
An example, the numerous shots fired at the two women deliverying newspapers in California.
Bottom line, this is how a culture and society dies back to barbarism. It is the failure to control non producing takers while taking the product of the producers.
If you wish civilization to survive, producers must be rewarded, and thieves must be EFFECTIVELY punished AND preempted.
If you aren’t committing robberies then you have little to worry about.
Someone who would say no, hasn’t been robbed yet.
“His mistake was firing warning shots.”
I think his real mistake was this:
“The detective says Rutter began to run and the son-in-law fired in his direction, striking him.”
I have no problem with shooting a fleeing felon in the back, but it might not sit well with a jury.
OH folks care about crime not spreading to their communities. I can’t imagine a grand jury that would not side with these people, at wit’s end since the police had not stopped the crime there.
The perp began to run because he heard warning shots. If the first shot had been for effect, the perp would have still been facing forward, attempting to enter.
We are in agreement that the problem for the shooter is that the perp was running. Cause and Effect. Eliminate the warning shots and you eliminate that outcome.
My CCL instructor explained it this way: You should count on the fact that if you fire a shot, it will cost you about $50K in defending yourself from the fallout. Don’t waste a $50K round by firing it in the air. If the situation is dire enough to pull the trigger, it’s dire enough make it count.
Your chambered round is a $50K round. Use it appropriately.
Importantly, in the United States, the Rule of Law is being subjugated to the Rule of Who You Are.
The Aristocracy of Public Servants and those "Connected" may use lethal force as they see fit, and those regulated by that aristocracy may not use any force, even in their own homes.
For some time, Juries of non hyphenated Americans, have become increasingly informed of this fact. It is possible that Grand Juries may be joining their trial peers.
In California, Federal judges have just ordered Governor Moonbeam to release ANOTHER 10,000 assorted murders rapists and thieves from prison because of California's "cruel and unusual punishment" of said felons.
Of course California's cruel and unusual punishment of law abiding, producing taxpayers is OK.
home invaders need to die. period.
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