Comments on: Shoot to kill – follow up

By: Bobster

Bobster — Sun, 24 Jul 2005 13:59:54 +0000

Say there is a general melee going on and you need to stop it. Maybe several people are fighting in your back yard and you want them to stop. Would it be all right to shoot a round into the ground in front of you? Just to get the attention of those you want to stop? (A whistle may be just as effective if you have one.) Does shooting into the ground in this case constitute a warning shot? I think the shot into the ground is what will stop the action you want stopped. (This actually happened to a friend of mine. At a family gathering no less!)

By: PawPaw

PawPaw — Fri, 22 Jul 2005 23:52:41 +0000

Brutal Hugger. You’re right. Taking a pistol out is a threat of lethal force and firing the weapon is a use of lethal force. You are right again that it doesn’t matter what you hit or miss. You have used lethal force.

Which, in itself, is one of the reasons for the prohibition on firing a warning shot. If you fire a warning shot, and God Forbid, it comes down three blocks away on Granny’s skull, you have used lethal force on Granny. You are responsible for the flight of your bullet.

By: SayUncle

SayUncle — Fri, 22 Jul 2005 18:20:18 +0000

Heh. Yeah but i can’t shoot them for stealing water.

By: Guy Montag

Guy Montag — Fri, 22 Jul 2005 18:18:14 +0000

Either way should keep the contractors out of your yard . . .

By: Brutal Hugger

Brutal Hugger — Fri, 22 Jul 2005 17:56:43 +0000

My understanding is a bit foggy, as I haven’t looked at this in a long time. But from what I recall, legally, shooting is lethal force. It doesn’t matter what you’re aiming at or what your actual intention is. If you fire your weapon, you are using lethal force.

By: Phelps

Phelps — Fri, 22 Jul 2005 14:52:59 +0000

I like the “I don’t shoot to kill; I shoot to live” version myself.

By: Blounttruth

Blounttruth — Fri, 22 Jul 2005 14:33:40 +0000

It is my understanding that shoot to stop is correct. Actually I think it is shoot until the threat is elinminated. In otherwords shoot once and if the threat is still there shoot again until it is gone, but not in excess. Eliminate the threat and you are well within your bounds.

By: SayUncle

SayUncle — Fri, 22 Jul 2005 14:29:13 +0000

I agree on aiming center mass.

By: Steve Ramsey

Steve Ramsey — Fri, 22 Jul 2005 14:10:07 +0000

If you are not shooting center of mass, then you have no business shooting in the first place. Attempting to use lethal force in a non-lethal manner is unwise from both a legal and practical standpoint.