Self-defense stance defended on Web in burglar death

Washington Times ^ | 12/17/01 | Guy Taylor

[kattracks]

Two Harford County, Md., men facing first-degree murder charges for killing a burglar who broke into their warehouse are drawing national attention to their case with a Web site that asks: "When is it right to deny people their right to defend themselves?"

[Gilbo_3]

the guy would be alive if he hadnt been in their warehouse...

[Travis McGee]

I am sure race had nothing to do with the decision to prosecute.

[lelio]

Here's the website mentioned for the two accused of murder for defending themselves.

[RLK]

Don't put me on the jury. I'll vote to give the guys a medal for whacking this character.

[Tall_Texan]

**In Greenbelt, an armed robbery suspect died Tuesday after he was shot by a gas station owner. On Friday, four members of a band of armed thieves were arrested after a pedestrian in Langley Park was stabbed to death and a McDonald's restaurant manager was shot and killed in Lanham.**

Sounds like a virtual crime wave going on. Wonder what gives folks the idea they can break in and steal things in the state of Maryland without fear of getting shot? Oh, that's right - people like the prosecuting attorney give them that idea. And when the store owner has the nerve to exact his own punishment, well the state just won't tolerate such independent thinking.

[Slapper]

Couldn`t they have fired a warning shot first to scare the intruder off? Doesn`t self defense only apply when you think there is an immediate threat to your life? If I had a shotgun and the other guy had a hammer, I wouldn`t be too worried.

[lelio]

Well you wouldn't be the first to get angry with Patricia Jessamy. The mayor of Baltimore, Martin O'Malley, is pretty peeved at her for not prosecuting a cop that falsified drug contraband. Amazingly the evidence was recently stolen too.
His critique of her rings true in this case:
"I've been trying for a year patiently to teach her the difference between important cases and minor cases, and have got nothing but excuses on why she couldn't do it," O'Malley said. "Her progress in separating the wheat from the chaff [in the court system] has been a snail's pace."

[lelio]

That's what I used to think until someone pointed out that you can run a distance of 10 yards in a couple of seconds. The hammer can be thrown, etc.

[Dixielander]

"Maryland State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy said she has received "a few letters" about the case but that they won't affect the decision to prosecute the two men as criminals.

Prosecute the two men who defended their lives and their property from an intruder? I hope the people of Maryland will oust Jessamy as soon as possible. She sounds as though she hasn't the smarts to hold the job.

"Mr." Walker? No way. Dead or alive, he's no mister.

[Skywalk]

Perhaps they could have. How do we know they didn't tell him to get on the ground, and he kept coming forward?

In all honesty, you forfeit your right to safety when you break onto property that isn't yours. I might not have shot the man, but if he didn't follow my instructions, I'd have to drop him.

With all the crime going on in my former state of residence, I'm surprised they're going after these guys. Hey, maybe if we started shooting more thieves and murderers, the criminals would stop. Companies like McDonald's and others need to be slapped with lawsuits for FORBIDDING employees to be armed or resist. This "sheep" approach gets lots of workers killed every year. It's disgusting.

[cincinnati_Steve]

So. I'm supposing this chick'd be happy to entertain a couple of hammer-weilding dudes in her casa in the wee hours of the night. GGrief! I must be missing something here...was there an RSVP card found on the trespassers? I fail to see how any sentient being could dispute that people have a right to defend their life, liberty, and property. I didn't copy it, but what did she say...? "We're dedicated to reduce gun crimes" or some such drivel? ARRGH! She's no doubt highly edu-moe-kated, so where does this logical disconnect come from?

[Travis McGee]

Put your shotgun on the table, unchambered.

I will take a 20 ounce straight claw hammer, and stand ten feet from you.

How confident are you that you will get the shotgun up and ready before I plant the steel claws into your cranium?

This is why you are (normally) allowed to shoot intruders armed with deadly weapons (knife, hammer, club) inside you home or business in the USA.

If you don't want to get shot by a home resident or business owner, don't be a burglar. It's pretty simple. (Usually.)

[Travis McGee]

Poor Mr. Walker's family has been deprived of the income from his livlihood, (thief and burglar).

[BADROTOFINGER]

Yeah, they could fire a warning shot and scare him off, but next time, and there would have been a next time, the perp would have brought a gun too. When you fire a firearm to stop a crime, you aim for center body mass with the intent to kill. No other way about it...JFK

[Dixielander]

A guy with a hammer seriously injured two FedEx pilots and almost brought the plane down. A few guys with boxcutters murdered thousands of people. Messrs. Kenny Der and Darrell R. Kifer are to be commended for their action.

[Dixielander]

I repeat, "Walker is/was no mister". Thieves, burglars and killers do not deserve the respect of being called mister. Yes, Walker's poor deprived family will probably try to sue the real victims, Messrs. Kenny Der and Darrell R. Kifer.

[Mogger]

Bump. There's a link from their web site to the Baltimore Sun's online version.

I just sent a letter to the editor.

A good place for a little Freeping!

[Rubber Duckie]

You are so right. What kind of moron state would even be charging people who kill burglars in the act of their crime? That would be like pressing charges against people who interfere with hijackers.

I suppose this prosecuting b**** would press charges against the heros of UA93 had they managed to kill the hijackers and land the plane safely in Maryland. After all, there was no solid proof they were planning to crash the plane, was there? </sarcasm>

[BlackbirdSST]

Couldn`t they have fired a warning shot first to scare the intruder off? Doesn`t self defense only apply when you think there is an immediate threat to your life? If I had a shotgun and the other guy had a hammer, I wouldn`t be too worried.Warning shots are a waste of good ammo. Intruders, armed or not, deserve to be shot dead. That is a risk even the most moronic of criminal minds know they are taking when they choose to commit. A dead intruder leaves no witness (or in your case, victim) to sue you for maiming. Protection of private property is "Self Defense". The hammer is a deadly weapon. Blackbird.

[Drew68]

Couldn`t they have fired a warning shot first to scare the intruder off?

Firing warning shots are how people become disarmed and are suddenly killed with their own weapons.

One of the responsibilities of owning a gun for self-defense is to be prepared to kill someone who is threatening you. If you don't think you can do this, you ought to not own a gun.

[Flyer]

Ping

Bump

Bang!

[wita]

I'm afraid. Well, not really, I'm afraid it was apparent, upon reading the name of the "hero" of the story, that this was another reversed engineered "crime" of white on black. East coast ejukayshun coupled with lawyer mentality, and throw in a little leftist, communist, whats black is white, good is bad, bad is good, "thinking", and voila yon female make a name for herself, hormonic, I'll soon be running for the mayor's job, states attorney is on a fast track in the democrat party. How's that for reading a few "facts" into an article.

[mtman]

Hey there's a lesson here....Dont bring a hammer to a gun fight!

[VaMarVet]

Ping for possible FReep in Baltimore. Let me know.

[mbb bill]

Let the court and all the government lay down and we will kick their teeth out. Send them to trial for trying to turn away!!!

[Abundy]

I interviewed with the BCSAO. I know of another #2 male who did as well. We were both highly qualified. Neither of us were offered jobs. Both of us are very glad we were not, given where we work now. He was told he would not be hired due to his status as a #2 male.

The Baltimore City State's Attorney is not a #2, nor male. These business owners (HEY PATRICIA, THEY ARE NOT CRIMINALS UNTIL THEY ARE CONVICTED YOU IDIOT) are #2's. The criminal was not a #2. You do the math.

[4CJ]

It's the middle of the night, and some perp is breaking down your front door. He enters the room and advances towards you . Behind you is your wife and children. What do you do next? Ask him "Pardon me, but do you have any Grey Poupon?

[Tijeras_Slim]

Tygon Walker

This poor unfortunate was laboring under the stigma of being named for a brand of chemical resistant tubing. Cut him some slack. < /sarcasm>

[zx2dragon]

When you pull a trigger you are responsible for where ever the bullet(s) may go. Would you want to risk injuring an
innocent bystander because you thought that the criminal deserved a better chance to live?

Never fire a warning shot. Give them a warning and if they continue to come toward you, shoot for the body. It may
not kill them, but it will take them down. Then dial 911 immediately.

[Hail Caesar]

Thanks for the ping. This definitely qualifies as a FReep opportunity.

[Hail Caesar]

TRT bump!

[Sloth]

If I had a shotgun and the other guy had a hammer, I wouldn`t be too worried.

Yeah, I'm sure that when the criminal entered the establishment, he informed them that he only had a hammer, and surely he wouldn't lie about something like that.

[sargon]

This indictment would be surprising if it didn't occur in the socialist state of Maryland, the Massachusetts of the South.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Idiot Judge. Probably voted for Gore, too.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Mr. Der is the eldest son of two Chinese immigrants, Mr. Kifer is white, and Mr. Walker was black. Everyone involved in the Geckle case, including the man who died, was white. But Miss Jessamy said "race has had nothing to do with this.""

A germane question is what it "Miss" Jessamy's race.

[stryker]

But you don't know that the other guy only has a hammer. After all, he is already in the process of committing a serious felony, and is therefore showing little respect for the law. He also must expect that in some instances he will be met with force, so it is logical to expect that he is armed. This same type of case is coming up again and again in Florida right now under Jeb Bush's 10-20--Life law. So all of you Bush lovers out there are just getting a new and nifty and nastier form of gun control than Clinton was giving you.

[Hail Caesar]

Try doing a simple internet search on the persecutor's, whoops I mean prosecutor's, name. You will find some very relevant facts regarding what that particular Maryland State's Attorney is all about.

Also, it appears that she wants to make a name for herself as we move into a major gubernatorial election year (2002) here in Maryland. This whole case smacks of underhanded racism on the part of the Baltimore court and criminal justice system.

[2Trievers]

Another story about an armed storeowner ...

Burglary Suspect Killed By Store Owner

[maica]

White-on-black murder is so rare in Baltimore that this case was a slam dunk for the grand jury: a little race-norming for the prison statistics.

When my friend's son was killed in Baltimore County, by a knife-wielding thief (former employee in the kitchen of the motel where the dead young man was working as the night clerk), the case had to be tried in Baltimore City, because the Judicial system in the County would have gone for the death penalty. Can't have that possibility for the poor misguided perp! His lawyers got the case moved to the City court system with the reason that he was a city resident.

Now I read that these defendants live in the County. I guess they can't try THIS case in the county because the poor dead burglar is a city resident. Or ---could it be---the case would not pass the smell test in the county. It would certainly be considered self-defense.

These defendants - CONTRIBUTORS TO THE TAX BASE OF BALTIMORE CITY - a shrinking breed - definitely need the national exposure that Free Republic can focus. But I am positive that most of America has no idea how dictatorial and intransigent Pat Jessamy and her supporters are. Think Winnie Mandela!

[Flyer]

Tygon® Beverage Tubing Formulation B-44-3
Most widely specified clear, flexible tubing

Thanks. I learn something every day here.

[Wonder Warthog]

Yup, she sounds like Marion Berry all over again.

[Travis McGee]

Speaking of the tax base of Baltimore City, how many entrepreneurs who have been hanging on out of a love for the town are reading this and saying "that's it, the last straw, if it's open season on white business owners, I am outta here"?

[jimt]

From http://www.mddailyrecord.com/specialpubs/leadership/i-jessamy.html you'll find that Ms. Jessamy originally wanted to serve as a civil rights lawyer, and did so for some years in Mississippi. I strongly suspect racial bias on her part.

[lelio]

Here it says that Jessamy received an award in 1997 for " Distinguished Women Award, Alliance of Black Women Attorneys" and this article says that she's black.
I'll take back the post I had about the mayor, he seems like a nutcase in himself. Why isn't he complaining about the police that can't secure crime evidence? Also he was grandstanding in talks about September 11th.

[maica]

The policeman who falsified the evidence (planted some dope, I believe) and then was involved in destroying the evidence has been fired. It was announced last week; I can't offhand give you a source - just local radio or TV news broadcast. Mayor O'Malley may be a lot of things but 'kook' is not one of them. He might as well be trying to bring order to Zimbabwe, the tact and kid gloves he has to use. His and the polce Commissioner's goal for 2001 is to reduce city homicides to below 300! How many other American cities are in that situation? NYC last year had just over 600 murders, I believe, with 8 million residents. Baltimore has around 600,000 residents.

[FreeTally]

Never fire a warning shot. Give them a warning and if they continue to come toward you, shoot for the body. It may not kill them, but it will take them down. Then dial 911 immediately.

And when the operator says, "911, what's your emegency", reply, "Send a hearse".