Quick poll on self defence and protection of property?

In light of what Jack Straw has been saying, please answer A, B, C or D


If someone breaks into your house through the night, and you wake up and hear them but dont know if they are armed, do you





A: Sit tight and wait till they go to phone police.


B: Go and confront them with just your bare hands


C Use some sort of weapon to stop them, but not to excess


D Grab a baseball bat and beat them to a pulp





Personally, I think that once they cross my door, they are threatening my family and my property and they will get whats coming to them, and I would expect not to be charged with anything.

Quick poll on self defence and protection of property?
Of those options, C.





I think the law has it about right - you have the right to protect people and property. You don't have the right to carry out revenge beatings and killings.





The only recent occasions when people have been found guilty of charges after confronting burglars have both involved people who were escaping empty handed being shot in the back or chased and beaten to a pulp. These people had ceased to pose any threat, and their treatment was someone acting as judge, jury and executioner.





If they are threatening your family and property, I agree, they get what's coming to them. If they are running away not posing any possible threat, that's a different matter.
Reply:In most states in the US, you could do D if you have reasonable grounds to believe they are going to hurt you. See the link below for the conditions. In some other states that do not have castle doctrine, you have a duty to retreat and you could be charged with homicide if you kill them.
Reply:D. either that or "Sic 'em dogs"
Reply:Just remember, if you've got a shotgun and they surrender, you're not supposed to shoot one of them dead.
Reply:sometimes you just don't know if they are going to kill you or not.......geez........someone could break in and you don't "See" a gun or knife or whatever but they have one and could take you out in a split second!


protect yourself and your family.......they have crossed your boundary.......do what you have to..........they lost their rights when they entered your home uninvited.....why should we have to "guess" as to whether they will kill us or not.......





C
Reply:Defiantly C, as much as I would be angry, they do not deserve to be beaten to a pulp (unless the attempt to do it to me!)


However if I found them unarmed, then B is the answer.


While all this is happening, my wife is phoning the police!
Reply:Would like to do D, but don't have a baseball bat.
Reply:D. f**k the law, if they break into my house, they aint coming out on 2 legs thats for sure.
Reply:D defo, anyone who has kids should feels the same. If some dude was in my house how do I know they are not after my kids? I would try to put the person out of action big time. If i didn't go in guns blazing and my kids were abducted how would I live with myself? If they break in then they should expect a fight, i would kill for my kids, no probs.
Reply:According to a police officer, if you have a way out you cannot use deadly force to confront a person who breaks into your home. In other words, if you can run out the back door, don't use the bat. Call the police immediately if you can. If not, then you should wait until they leave if they don't bother you. If they do confront you and you have no way out, then you can go for the bat.





This is in California. There may be different statutes elsewhere.
Reply:D. Shoot first and ask questions later.





"Sure it was dark, but it looked like he had a gun..."
Reply:I agree with you totally on that, if some scumbag gets into my house its a question of either me and my kids or him, so i would definitley go for D any day, i would gladly do time rather than let them violate or threaten my family or home
Reply:Jack Straw really hasn't said anything new. The main flaw with self defence in the U.K is the term reasonable force. It is of course totally unreasonable to try and ascertain if the person that has broken into your home, is armed and dangerous, without putting yourself at risk. Rather than addressing that point in particular, it has been avoided. The fact still remains therefore that if someone breaks in and you use a shotgun on them, you the home owner will still be the person in trouble and not the burglar, even if he had a crowbar and could have caved in your skull.
Reply:there are other options besides the 4 you mentioned
Reply:C for me. But would do whatever I needed to protect my family.
Reply:picking the wrong house here B.C AND D then i will have a go after 4kids have done with him/her
Reply:in the state of florida if there's an intruder in your home the skies the limit .But i don't have a baseball bat so, i have to use the cricket bat which is more fun. :0)

plum