customer shoots at fleeing shoplifter

[diablo982]

http://m.myfoxal.com/autojuice?targetUrl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.myfoxal.com%2fstory%2f22512996%2fcustomers-fire-shots-at-shoplifter-running-from-prattville-belk

Apparently a customer saw a shoplifter at Belk in Montgomery, AL. He decided to intervene and shot at the getaway car. Not a good idea.

[Randall53]

STUPID....JUST plain 'ol stupid.  What part of "I was in fear of my life" do these DH's not understand?

[c.a.willard]

I'm kid of surprised the guy's only being charged with a meanor

[gl19gobang]

Ya think he might be one of the people that wear the HCP badge?

[enfield]

"Stand Back!!! I have a badge and a GUN!!!!"

[BigK]

I thought shooting out the tires of the getaway car only worked with Hollywood guns. Luckily they didn't have that kind of gun, b/c we all know that Hollywood bullets would have made the car flip end over end with a 1/2 twist and explode, injuring God only knows how many people.

I hope they lose their HCP, at the least...freakin' mall cop wannabe guntards. Edited June 6, 2013 by BigK

[mikegideon]

I'm kid of surprised the guy's only being charged with a meanor

 

It's Alabamer. The way I read it, you can stop a felony. Doesn't have to be self defense.

[10-Ring]

Stupid.  I spent 6 years working loss prevention.  Petty theft like this is a very minimal loss.  Most retail stores mark up clothing exponentially.  They really are not worried that a shirt walking out the door is going to break the business.  It is employee theft that will shut a business down.  I passed up making apprehensions several times if we were busy and the doorways were filled with people because I didn't want a shoplifter going berserk and getting a shopper injured.  To fire upon someone because they were trying to get away is unthinkable, the guy should have his gun and permit confiscated for life.  These are the people that we do not need having guns, they give the rest of us a bad name. 

[10-Ring]

It's Alabamer. The way I read it, you can stop a felony. Doesn't have to be self defense.

 

Rapist, murderer, okay maybe depending on the situation.  Shoplifter?  Nope, not me, I'll let that stuff walk.  My $0.50 bullet isn't worth Belk's $500 worth of clothing.  And it sure as hell isn't worth an innocent bystanders life if things go bad.

[mikegideon]

Rapist, murderer, okay maybe depending on the situation.  Shoplifter?  Nope, not me, I'll let that stuff walk.  My $0.50 bullet isn't worth Belk's $500 worth of clothing.  And it sure as hell isn't worth an innocent bystanders life if things go bad.

 

Of course it's not worth it. I wasn't defending their decision to shoot. Just saying the law appears to be a little different there. 

Edited June 6, 2013 by mikegideon

[Jesse]

He risked his freedom and someones life trying to protect a random store for petty theft?

Im sure he is one of many guys wishing something would happen so he could use his gun and make the news. Someone could steal my neighbors house and I wouldnt shoot. Id be like wtf and call the police.

[Jonnin]

if AL allows it (??? !!! ) and you have a clear shot, I can live with it.  But I have a very hard time trying to imagine a clear shot in any sort of shopping area.   If there are others around, its reckless endangerment at the very least. 

[vontar]

No shoot here.

 

more like, Officer, they where in a Red car and went that way.

[DaveTN]

Doesn’t sound to me like Alabama law allows it.

 

13A-3-27

 

(g) A private person acting on his own account is justified in using physical force upon another person when and to the extent that he reasonably believes it necessary to effect an arrest or to prevent the escape from custody of an arrested person whom he reasonably believes has committed a felony and who in fact has committed that felony, but he is justified in using deadly physical force for the purpose only when he reasonably believes it necessary to defend himself or a third person from what he reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of deadly physical force.

 

The shoplifters will now probably come forward so they can sue the guy.

 

 

 

[TMF]

Isn't shoplifting just a misdemeanor unless it's a certain amount of value?

[mikegideon]

Isn't shoplifting just a misdemeanor unless it's a certain amount of value?

 

Yep. That's why Bubba got charged for shooting up the parking lot :). I believe the value for felony theft in TN is pretty low, maybe $500. At least it was years ago when guy stole my Tanqueray (and some gear). He went away for 3 years.

[RobertNashville]

I'm never going to shoot at anyone for steeling "stuff"; most especially someone else's stuff and most most especially when it's a store's/company's.  Now, if it's food and we are in a TEOTWAWKI kind of situation that's a bit different...but just "stuff? No way.

[mikegideon]

I'm never going to shoot at anyone for steeling "stuff"; most especially someone else's stuff and most most especially when it's a store's/company's.  Now, if it's food and we are in a TEOTWAWKI kind of situation that's a bit different...but just "stuff? No way.

 

You ain't in Alabamer :). 

[RobertNashville]

You ain't in Alabamer :). 

You're right...I have all my teeth.

 

I also have insurance to cover my "stuff"

 

As far as my neighbor's "stuff" goes; I'll call 911 and be as good of a witness as I can but he's responsible for his own insurance. ;)

[Guest Keal G Seo]

You're right...I have all my teeth.

 

I also have insurance to cover my "stuff"

 

As far as my neighbor's "stuff" goes; I'll call 911 and be as good of a witness as I can but he's responsible for his own insurance. ;)

 

As for OP, one of the guys got trigger happy plain and simple. Yeah charge him for the discharge. Now had he just held him in the lot at gunpoint I would support his choice for making a citizens arrest.

The second guy however that says he shot at the tires...I am truly torn on. I like that he wasn't shooting to kill or maim but wonder how he was able to tell in a parking lot his shot was clear behind the target. I mean even if he hit the target it is going through two layer of rubber and going to bounce off the asphalt. Could he see into every parked car behind the target?

In short: Guy 1, yeah charge him fully. Guy 2, maybe a reckless discharge of a firearm charge.

[Spots]

You ain't in Alabamer :).

You're right...I have all my teeth.

I also have insurance to cover my "stuff"

As far as my neighbor's "stuff" goes; I'll call 911 and be as good of a witness as I can but he's responsible for his own insurance. ;)

Ive got an insurance policy also. Its called a 1911. Why should I stand by while someone walks away with the stuff I bust my ass 6 days a week to earn. They used to hang thieves in the west, and the world was a better place for it. The guy in Alabama made a bad call, but at least he did something instead standing there with a finger in his ass trying to decide. If you need something, gas, shoes, clothes or food, knock on my door and I'll give you the shirt off my back. Several people here have met me and can tell you I will give to no end. Steal from me, hurt me or my family and I might go to jail, but your a dead man.

Sent from the backwoods of Nowhere

[RobertNashville]

Ive got an insurance policy also. Its called a 1911. Why should I stand by while someone walks away with the stuff I bust my ass 6 days a week to earn.

Well, your first problem is you are using an 100 year old outdated design. :popcorn:

 

Other than that....maybe you should stand by because shooting someone (using deadly force) who isn't presenting an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury isn't illegal and could send you to jail.  I mean, what good is your stuff if you are in prison? And if you are found guilty you could lose all that "stuff' you were protecting in the civil lawsuit(s) that will come your way if the shooting isn't justified.

 

On a more philosophical note, I suppose, legal or not, it comes down to whether you think a human life is less important than "stuff".  I think human life is pretty important or at the very least, more important than any stuff I happen to own so unless I'm in legitimate and reasonable fear for my life or the life of someone else I'm not going to shoot someone.

 

More to the point of this case, this idiot wasn't even protecting his own stuff but some store's stuff and he did it outside...is it really worth risking some innocent bystander's life to protect stuff that doesn't even belong to you?

Edited June 10, 2013 by RobertNashville

[DaveTN]

A store owner in Nashville ran outside and started shooting at a car after he was robbed. Two Police Officers were walking out of a restaurant and yelled at him to stop; he didn’t and they killed him.

 

Situational awareness; lose sight of it and it can cost you your life.

 

No one is taking sides with the thieves; but killing an innocent bystander or ending up in prison isn’t protecting your family.

 

What if one of us was walking in front of that store when this nutcase pulls a gun and starts cranking off rounds? If I have nowhere to take cover; I’m engaging the shooter.  If he starts to turn that gun towards me; one of us is probably going to die. Over what? Over property of a store that probably has a store policy that doesn’t even allow them to chase after a shoplifter?

 

This guy has no business carrying a gun; he can’t think fast enough. If he had the mental ability to process the situation; a shot would not have been fired. I doubt he did it intentionally; it was a real life test and he failed.

 

This isn’t a video game or a TV show; know the laws and the rules or quit carrying before you get someone killed.