Fight Gun Control & Your Right For Self Defense

Alberta farmer charged with shooting suspected thief

An Alberta farmer who is facing charges after police say he chased and shot at an alleged thief last Thursday has people from across the province rallying to his defence.

Brian Knight was charged with seven offences, including assault and criminal negligence, after police say he took the law into his own hands when he thought someone was stealing his All-Terrain Vehicle.

Since Knight was charged last week, he has become a hot topic in the region, being discussed in print and local talk radio stations. One newspaper published a column that called for charges against Knight to be dropped.

A website has even been set up for people wanting to donate to his legal fund.

According to a police report, Knight saw three people trying to take his ATV in the early hours of March 26, chased them in his car and ran the ATV off the road, crashing his car in process. Police say Knight fired his shotgun at one of the suspects trying to get away.

"We believe the farmer exited his car and discharged two rounds to the suspect with a shotgun," said acting Sgt. Jim Lank of the RCMP.

The suspected thief was treated in Edmonton for non-life threatening injuries and is still recovering. He has been charged with stealing a quad and a truck. Charges against the other two involved are still pending.

Citizens in the small town of Bashaw, located just north of Red Deer, have come out in support of Knight.

"I don't agree that somebody can come in, take your stuff and you can't do anything about it," said Virginia Stewart, a resident of Bashaw.

A friend of Knight's, Vern Ferguson, is another one of Knight's local supporters. He even said he'd do the same, if it happened to him.

But despite the local support, Ferguson doesn't think Knight will emerge unscathed.

"Brian's going to be the big loser," he said. "And that's not right."

However, Lank doesn't feel the same way.

"These are some serious charges that could have ended up in a fatality as well," he said.

In all, four people, including Knight, were charged after the events on Knight's farm. Knight will appear in court on April 9.


Source: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNe...402/farmer_support_090402/20090402?hub=Canada

 

Alberta farmer charged after alleged vigilante action
CHQR Newsroom
3/30/2009


RCMP have charged an Alberta farmer after he allegedly chased, rammed and shot a would-be thief allegedly trying to steal his all terrain vehicle.
The farmer, Brian Knight of the Bashaw area, was charged Friday with criminal negligence causing bodilly harm, assault and dangerous driving.
Former crown prosecutor and current criminal law defence specialist Jeff Manishen, says the courts will have to decide if excessive force was used in the incident.

Most of Knight's neighbors believe that in the absence of police protection, Knight's defence of property and himself were not excessive.

 

That is some BS! If that had happened here the farmer would be in the same boat. This is sad.

 

I completely agree! I will be driving down there next week to do some line locates in the area. Maybe I will stop and drop off some support!

 

Honestly if he had accidentally killed the thief just for stealing an ATV would be horrible. BUT!! it is rediculous that you can't defend yourself or property without becoming a criminal yourself. No one died so he shouldn't be facing these kind of charges.

If someone broke into my house or onto my land and theatened my well being I should have every right to defend myself without worrying about being prosecuted.

 

Well, think about it a little bit. I'm not saying I agree that the farmer should be charged, but does theft carry a potential death-penalty? I think that in most states (and I definitely don't know about Canada) the law of self-defense is that a person can use deadly force if he/she is in fear of death or serious bodily harm being done to himself or another. If someone is running away they probably don't constitute a threat to self or others, although an argument might be made that they are going to run amok and cause an accident. In a nearby town a couple of years back a guy walked out his back door when he heard a disturbance, discovered a guy in his car trying to steal it, and shot him dead. He was charged with deliberate homicide. The case was controversial to be sure. I have to say that if I caught someone stealing my vehicle or other property I'd be mightily pissed off, but I don't think it would give me cause to shoot them as they were running away.

 

Theft does NOT mean a death penalty. But in the w/o the law around, you have a right to get your property back and to prevent it from being stolen.

In the process, you don't know what may happen, so you are entitled to defend yourself, as we're dealing with criminals and they my carry guns or knives or just beat you to death or steal your own gun.

So, in retrieving your property, if you indeed feared for your life, you could defend yourself. That may include killing the perp as he tried to disarm you, or shot at your or tried to run you over, etc.

So, if you are a criminal and you live that kind of life, you risk certain consequences.

 

I suppose you could give chase and if you caught the criminal as he was trying to abscond with your stuff and a confrontation ensued wherein you became reasonably fearful for your personal safety, then you're right. Using a gun purely for the purpose of stopping a fleeing property criminal, not so much.