Attempted Robbery On My 2012

Way to stand your ground in your skivvies!
Glad it ended up the way it did. I'd hate for him to get away or for y'all to be hurt. I'd watch out for retaliation though, from him when he gets out of the joint, and from any friends of his that he may 'sic' on you. I'd keep armed, maybe set a few booby traps and cameras if at all possible.
Skivvies man 1, Loser robber, 0! May it forever be that way!

 

^Razgriz.....And honestly, I don't mind it at all.

I still wish I would have given him a proper ass whooping though.

 

Man, I really hate that 'sit & do nothing' attitude. My truck and it's contents are not "just a car" or "just some stuff." The truck is the second most expensive thing I own, after the house. The tools inside are a substantial investment as well. My livelihood, and my family's livelihood (food on the table), depends on that truck and it's contents. Since both (truck & tools) would take considerable time and expense to replace, both are darn well worth protecting.

Luckily, I live in a state which allows me to confront thieves on my property, stand my ground, and use deadly force if they become hostile. Read that sentence again. My threat of deadly force is not the result of some guy "just" stealing "stuff," as you so dismissively put it. Instead, it's one potential outcome of any hostility shown towards me (my self-defense) after an individual is caught in the act of stealing my valuable property.

 

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I am funny about my property ... when a bad person breaches that perimeter to do harm ... I go into a survival mode.

OP ... Great story ... really glad you got the b*stard ... I hate a thief.
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That's not true, Bill. One cannot legally use the defense of self-defense while engaged in a criminal act. You should well know that since it's the law in this state (AL) as well. A person who has just stolen property, and is now running down the street with that property in his hand (as was described in the story), is engaged in a criminal act.

You're absolutely free to chase & capture a person running away with your property. You're just not allowed to shoot him (use deadly force) unless he turns on you in a hostile or threatening manner. Then it becomes a matter of your own self-defense, which applies everywhere (not just on your own property).

 

Here in Tn. you can stand your ground in self defense, but you can't use deadly force on someone who is robbing your stuff.

The problem is if you have a gun on you and you catch him or her in your yard, you have to be real careful if you confront the perp and the situation escalates above and beyond a "stop and drop that stuff". You may have actually, by confronting him or her, forced what you perceive as a self defense situation to one the courts would disagree with.

If not in your house directly, it may be best to let it go or ditch the gun and then beat the crap out of him ============ or her.

 

So Tennessee has restricted gun rights as well? For centuries, settlers, for example, were allowed (even expected) to use deadly force to protect their property (cattle, horses, etc) from indians or bad guys out to take it. Now you're saying that's changed in Tennessee?

Actually, it hasn't really changed (in many states). Only the perception of the situation has changed. Most focus on the idea of protecting property, when that's not truly the issue. Instead, it's a matter of protecting yourself while confronting a person in the act of stealing your property.

In every state, you have a right to confront, and try to stop, a person stealing your property. The question is how far you can take that effort. Very few states allow deadly force (though I wish more did).

However, if the bad guy responds hostility in response to your efforts to stop him, it now becomes a matter of your own self-defense. This is where you have the right to use deadly force if the situation warrants.

 

Might be a good time for a cheap home surveillance system and a cheap DVR. Just putting them up and making it obvious makes your house a harder target than the neighbors.

 

Some kind of story. Probably a good thing you didn't have gun in hand. Steeling property isn't considered life threatening most of the time. Only read few pages of this but didn't see if the scumbag did indeed have a weapon? Either way, you and yours are OK, truck in hand with minimal damage.

Would I have liked it if you killed him? Yep. But it's way more complicated than that these days. Worked out best as it could, all things considered IMHO.