Free Republic

DAYTON — A 63-year-old man accused of shooting and killing two teens on his West Dayton property was indicted Thursday on charges of murder and felonious assault, which comes after months of public outcry over a lack of an arrest and criminal prosecution in the killings. Victor Santana, who owned the home at 848 Conner St., has been indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury for fatally shooting 17-year-old Dayton residents Devin Henderson and Javier Harrison. “The evidence in this case does not demonstrate a reasonable claim of self-defense,” Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. said. Santana is in the...

Ex-Dallas police Officer Amber Guyger was "unreasonable" when she mistakenly entered her neighbor's apartment "commando-style" last year and fatally shot him, thinking he was an intruder, prosecutors said Monday during closing arguments in her murder trial. "A guilty verdict in this case does not mean you hate police. This has nothing to do with politics," prosecutor Jason Fine told the jurors. But the defense argued to jurors that at that moment, Guyger truly believed she was acting in self-defense when she thought she was at her apartment, which is one floor directly below that of neighbor Botham Jean. "It's one...

The Italian government has reformed its law on self-defense law in the home. Italy's legislature has passed a law to follow the example of the United States and restore the legitimacy of armed defense of the home. The philosophy behind the previous law dates back to the Fascist government of Benito Mussolini. The gun laws in Italy have become increasingly restrictive since 1931.The new law is similar to what is called Castle Doctrine laws in the U.S.A. The vote in the Chamber of Deputies occurred on 3 March, 2019. The quote below incorrectly refers to “Stand Your Ground” laws....

The Oklahoma legislature has overwhelmingly voted to extend the protections homes and businesses have in the laws of defense of self and others to Oklahoma churches. From publicradiotulsa.org: The Senate voted 42–1 on Thursday for House Bill 2632, which makes places used either part- or full-time for religious services covered by the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act. The shooting still must be done because of reasonable fear of harm or death or to prevent a violent felony. "That makes it clear that there has to be some reason that you felt that you were threatened and needed to use that defensive...

When should a resident be permitted to use deadly force against an intruder? Whenever an unlawful entry is made, according to legislation proposed by Del. Neil Parrott, R-Washington. Parrott made his case this week in the House Judiciary Committee, telling members that 34 other states already have the "castle doctrine," which permits deadly force. Parrott's bill, he said, allows a person to defend himself against anyone who has made an unlawful entry into a dwelling — and to use any degree of physical force necessary. "Why do we need it? Well, because people need to be able to protect themselves...

Friday, I had a great interview with Greg Pruett, the founder and President of the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance. The ISAA has been successful in getting anti-gun legislators voted out of office, getting city and county gun bans overturned (Idaho has a state pre-emption law, but when did a pesky little thing like the law ever stop penny-ante tyrants?), and in making Idaho the ninth state in the nation to pass a Constitutional carry law. Really, if you don’t know what Constitutional carry is, Google it. Better yet, get a copy of the Constitution and read it.

A man’s home is his castle, and a great many states have either a de jure or de facto “Castle Doctrine” on the books allowing a person to defend themselves in their home if threatened, with deadly force if necessary. These laws, along with the “Stand Your Ground” laws, establish the right of a person to defend themselves if attacked. Even California has such a law, even though that state is generally held to be loathe to let anyone have a permit to carry a gun in a concealed carry holster, or even openly for that matter. (Though some counties...

The Oklahoma man who fatally shot three teenage intruders won’t face charges, authorities announced Monday. Zachary Peters, 23, defended his family’s home with an AR-15 after three teenager broke into the house to try and rob it last week, reports the Associated Press. The Wagoner County assistant district attorney announced that Peters acted lawfully, after authorities conducted an investigation into the shooting.

The grandfather of one of three suspects killed during the alleged March 27 home invasion in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, says the use of an AR-15 against the suspects was “unfair.” According to  Tulsa World, Wagoner County Sheriff’s deputy Nick Mahoney said the three suspects “were wearing all-black clothing, masks, and gloves” and allegedly “forced their way into the home through a glass door in the back.” The homeowner’s son was asleep at the time and awoke to “loud bangs” as the suspects made entrance. The son grabbed the AR-15 and opened fire when the intruders walked into the hallway.Deputy Mahoney said “investigators...

For 21 years, John Croft lived in his Alabama home virtually problem-free until last summer. “I’ve been a prisoner in my house,” he said. Croft, who is 79, says the burglaries began last June. Since then, he says his Center Point house has been broken into 13 times. The most recent case came around 1:15 Wednesday morning.

<p>Gunfire rang out Monday afternoon in a home in Broken Arrow, an Oklahoma city 15 miles southeast of Tulsa. Three intruders were killed after the son of the homeowner fired a semiautomatic rifle in what local law enforcement officers later described as an act of self-defense, though their investigation remains open.</p>

Intruder Breaks Into Home; Shot By Entire Family

On 16 July, a homeowner in Chicopee, Massachusetts was confronted with three men who were attempting to break into his house. It was an hour past noon, in broad daylight. He called the police to report the attempted break in. He tried to get them to leave,  but one persisted in pounding on the door.  When the would be intruder broke glass, he shot one shot through the door. That intruder died.  It turned out that the intruder was 15 years old and had been illegally drinking with his two friends. Afterwards, the surviving young men claimed they were...

Police are searching for two burglary suspects after Sgt. Craig “Hutch” Hutchinson was killed in a shooting at his house early Monday morning. The sergeant was shot at his home on Oak Meadow Drive in the Cimmaron neighborhood, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Sheriff Greg Hamilton said Hutchinson radioed the department around 1:22 a.m. when he saw suspects running around his backyard. By 1:32 a.m. when officers arrived at Hutchinson’s house he was found on the ground in the backyard near a creek. He was transported to a Round Rock Hospital where he was pronounced dead. “Our...

Missouri lawmakers passed a sweeping expansion of gun rights Friday, allowing people to carry concealed guns without needing permits while also expanding their right to stand and fight against perceived threats. The legislation, which goes to Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon, was among the most prominent measures passed by the Republican-led Legislature on the final day of its annual session. Under the measure, most people could carry concealed guns, even if they haven’t gone through the training now required to get a permit. The legislation would also expand the state’s “castle doctrine” by allowing invited guests such as baby sitters to...

Video Link Great advice from Don West, co-defense counsel representing George Zimmerman.

ST. LOUIS • Ernest Williams, 14, says he, his cousin and their friend were wrong to sneak out on their bikes at night, hop a backyard fence and rummage through someone’s car for pocket change. The car’s owner interrupted the boys and shot at them about 12:45 a.m. Sunday, killing Ernest’s 13-year-old cousin, Martinez Smith-Payne. Ernest wishes they had gone home instead of riding down that North Point neighborhood alley. “I was just thinking while in the jail cell, what was up in that car was not worth Martinez’s life,” Ernest said on his front porch Monday, standing next to...

Two years ago, in May of 2013, James George Stiffler shot a man who was burglarizing his home in Lewis and Clark County, Montana. The burglar, Henry Tomas Johnson of Helena, managed to make it to his car, but died before being able to leave the property. The case illustrates the ability of forensic science to determine details of what happened. From helenair.com: Henry Thomas Johnson, 37, of Helena, was shot dead in 2013 while apparently ransacking a home in Lewis and Clark County. Nearly two years later, the county attorney has charged homeowner James George Stiffler with felony...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police in Charlotte, North Carolina, said the second man involved in a home break-in that turned deadly near the Charlotte/Mint Hill border has been arrested. Another suspected intruder was killed when a 14-year-old inside the house shot and killed him Tuesday night, police said.The two intruders, who police identified as 18-year-old Isai Delcid and his 22-year-old brother Carlos Delcid, attempted to break into the home on Rolling Fields Lane just after 5 p.m., according to investigators. Isai was shot and died at the scene while police said Carlos fled. Officers arrested Carlos late Tuesday night and charged...

Suspect Jaime Lewis When you are an elderly woman, you are likely to have more leeway in how you interact with criminals.  It is partly a matter of being more vulnerable; and partly a matter of the statistics reinforcing the stereotype that women are less aggressive than men.  In Georgia, a 73-Year-Old woman shot an intruder through her bedroom door, after he had broken into the house.  The woman heard the doorbell ring a little before 10 pm, but did not answer.  She saw a truck parked in the middle of an intersection, and called 911.   From ajc.com:...