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Homeowner fights back against intruders
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 11:37 am
by Paladin
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?secti ... id=5120116
Homeowner fights back against intrudersMultiple shots were exchanged during the confrontation
By Eric James
(3/14/07 - KTRK/HOUSTON) - Police in northwest Harris County are investigating the shooting death of a suspected burglar.
It happened at a home on Dusty Dawn and Coral Stone. They say the homeowner did what he had to do to protect his family. But those who live in this neighborhood are questioning what the homeowner says led up to the shooting.
In that northwest Harris County neighborhood, residents say that about the only thing that ever makes a ruckus is the occasional stray dog. Victor McGee likes to walk through his quiet subdivision.
"I've been around this area for three and half years," said McGee. "As far as I know, I haven't noticed anything,"
But today his walk was met with crime scene tape at the 6700 block of Dusty Dawn Street. It was just after 8pm yesterday when police say the father of two who lives there with his family shot and killed an alleged burglar. Police feel the shooting was justified.
Orris Carr, who doesn't know the family, but lives a few doors down finds the homeowner's story of a random break-in a bit odd.
"But for it to happen around 8 o'clock last night, most of the time people are at home at that time," said Carr. "You would think that it was kind of rare for something like that to happen."
Carr has lived in the neighborhood since 2000.
"Generally at that time of the night, people are at home," he said. "Generally, a burglar wants to come into your house when no one is there. So, that is what I mean, why I think it's rare."
Carr wasn't the only resident in the neighborhood who had their suspicions.
"I'm not saying there was, that there's drugs or something, you know, normally that they are after," said neighbor Karen Vinson. "I mean, why else would somebody do it that early in the evening."
Investigators say the incident is still under investigation. Authorities are still actively looking for two other people who may have been with the shooting victim.
Wow... great neighbors... with no evidence of wrongdoing, police feel it's justified, they blame the victim
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 11:48 am
by longtooth
Remember, victims get blamed for the breakin.
It is society's fault & that of a truobled home & childhood that that caused the criminal behavior of the criminal.
Yes I know to be PC he is supposed to be the suspect or at worst the perpetrator. In Deep East Texas they jist criminals.
Re: Homeowner fights back against intruders
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 11:50 am
by seamusTX
Paladin wrote:Wow... great neighbors... with no evidence of wrongdoing, police feel it's justified, they blame the victim
That's what they call "human nature."
It is unusual for a home intrusion to occur in the early evening, but sometimes criminals are stupid or just plain nuts; and sometimes they hit the wrong house, thinking they're going after a drug dealer or someone they have a feud with.
- Jim
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 12:00 pm
by stevie_d_64
Well with all these home invasions being about drugs, money, guns, etc etc...
This one kinda fits with the whole premise of a "dealing" kind of environment...
Also I had heard initially, which was somehow not included in on this followup report that the "homeowner" had four (4) pit bull dogs...In varying degrees of restraint (in crates of tied up)...
Now that certainly is circumstantial,and not all people who own pit bulls are drug dealers or a pat of that community...
I'm just holding out judgement knowing that this will probably be the last public news story about this incident, unless someone really digs into it later...
Remember...
News stories are not evidence...
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 12:21 pm
by cyphur
Whether drugs were there or not - its self defense if they were not invited on to the property. While the homeowner may be far from innocent, I think his possible illegal participation in a given matter is irrelevent.
If he were engaged in those activities at a remote location and was attacked, that would be a different story entirely.
But, IANAL, and thats just my two cents.
Re: Homeowner fights back against intruders
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 12:47 pm
by Charles L. Cotton
Paladin wrote:Wow... great neighbors... with no evidence of wrongdoing, police feel it's justified, they blame the victim
Yep, and the scary part is these folks could well be the type of people any of us could have on a jury - criminal or civil. And Rosenthal's lead appellate attorney testified that SB378 simply wasn't needed. (Of course, other DA's and ADA's did also, but I never miss an opportunity to point out Rosenthal.)
Chas.
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 1:00 pm
by stevie_d_64
Ah Ha!
http://www.click2houston.com/news/11259778/detail.html
Drugs were found!
But...
Remember...
News is not evidence...
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 1:21 pm
by Paladin
Re: Homeowner fights back against intruders
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 5:08 pm
by Skiprr
Charles L. Cotton wrote:Paladin wrote:Wow... great neighbors... with no evidence of wrongdoing, police feel it's justified, they blame the victim
Yep, and the scary part is these folks could well be the type of people any of us could have on a jury - criminal or civil. And Rosenthal's lead appellate attorney testified that SB378 simply wasn't needed. (Of course, other DA's and ADA's did also, but I never miss an opportunity to point out Rosenthal.)
As well you shouldn't. As a Harris County resident, I am extraordinarily disappointed with Rosenthal.
Am I mistaken, or do I, as a gun toter, simply not remember his tenure as DA: Wasn't Johnny Holmes a more level-headed DA? Not prone to wasting my tax dollars fighting State-level legislative issues? Not prone to ignore State legislation and interpret law as he chooses?
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 5:48 pm
by KD5NRH
If he's got the right political connections, they'll determine that the burglar brought the weed with him.
Re: Homeowner fights back against intruders
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 6:45 pm
by Charles L. Cotton
Skiprr wrote:Charles L. Cotton wrote:Paladin wrote:Wow... great neighbors... with no evidence of wrongdoing, police feel it's justified, they blame the victim
Yep, and the scary part is these folks could well be the type of people any of us could have on a jury - criminal or civil. And Rosenthal's lead appellate attorney testified that SB378 simply wasn't needed. (Of course, other DA's and ADA's did also, but I never miss an opportunity to point out Rosenthal.)
As well you shouldn't. As a Harris County resident, I am extraordinarily disappointed with Rosenthal.
Am I mistaken, or do I, as a gun toter, simply not remember his tenure as DA: Wasn't Johnny Holmes a more level-headed DA? Not prone to wasting my tax dollars fighting State-level legislative issues? Not prone to ignore State legislation and interpret law as he chooses?
Johnny Holmes was a great DA! I wish Harris County still had him.
Chas.
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:48 pm
by GlockenHammer
It is futile to attempt to debate the guilt or innocence of something we read about in a news story. We can all have our suspicions and biases as to what really happened, but they are just that.
Personally, I thought it smelled fishy from the start. Finding drugs reinforced that, but still don't 'make the case.' Sure, the homeowner is not an angel because he has several kilos of pot, but that doesn't make the dead guy a home invader, either. No way to tell from what we have been told by the media.
As I said, futile.
Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:39 am
by KBCraig
Okay, I'll wade in and point out the obvious: if you could stroll into your neighborhood 7-11 and buy a 12-pack of beer, lottery ticket, pack of cigarettes, and box of blunts pre-loaded with leafy cannabinoid substance, none of this would have happened.
Doesn't matter who was dealing nor who was buying: if this was over drugs, the obvious blame lies with the war on (some) drugs. We had violent shootouts over "illegal drugs" when the "illegal drug" was alcohol. The only reason we have violent shootouts over marijuana, is because it's illegal.
The "war on (some) drugs" is incompatible with Liberty. It has resulted in far greater harm to society than the drugs themselves ever could.
Kevin
Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:14 am
by Lodge2004
KBCraig wrote:We had violent shootouts over "illegal drugs" when the "illegal drug" was alcohol. The only reason we have violent shootouts over marijuana, is because it's illegal.
Isn't that similar to the logic used by certain groups to justify restrictions against firearms, i.e. the only reason we have violent shootouts is because guns are legal?
Violent shootouts happen, in my opinion, because at least one of the parties involved makes a personal choice to engage in violence. Removing objects (alcohol, drugs, guns) may change the immediate circumstances slightly but people still have free will.
Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:59 am
by HankB
Hmmmm . . . the story says 10 lbs of marijuana was found. That's not a heck of a lot . . . I wonder if it was in plain sight or if the local constabulary got a warrant to search through drawers & cabinets?
OK. OK, it was a crime scene so investigators have a lot of leeway to, well, investigate. But does this include a complete search of the premesis, including poking around in areas too small to hide a person?
This is a serious question - IANAL and frankly, I just don't know how far the police can go when they're investigating a residential shooting.
Can they go through dressers, search your attic, demand you open your gun safe, hand over keys to a safety deposit box, etc., without obtaining a warrant?