Shooting near where I live. What would you have done

[theblakester]

Officer-involved shooting leaves one dead in Southeast Austin | kvue.com Austin

This happened at an apartment complex near where I live a week ago...
A man was angry over a breakup with his girlfriend. She first called police just before 9:30 Sunday night, telling them her ex-boyfriend was at her apartment complex. She later called back and told them he had left. However, the man came back, this time, with a gun and repeatedly shot the door of the apartment where his ex-girlfriend lived (w/ her family and a 2 yr old child), trying to force his way inside. A family member called police at 1 a.m. and it took them just minutes to arrive and confront the suspect. When confronted by the officers and ordered to drop the weapon, the suspect actually pointed the weapon in a menacing and threatening manner toward the officers. An officer shot the man w/ his shotgun and killed him.
The woman involved had filed a terrorist threat report against her ex-boyfriend on April 22. She said she was scared and he had been harassing her. A neighbor heard the gunshots. Thinking it was fireworks, the neighbor stepped outside and saw the man shooting so she ran back inside. She called him a "lunatic"
More details here ---> Officer-involved shooting leaves one dead in Southeast Austin | kvue.com Austin
My question is, what would you have done if you were the next door neighbor knowing that there was a family w/ children there who you knew very well. The reason that Im asking is because I live in a duplex and there is a very nice family living next door to me. Regardless of legality, I'm trying to figure out what I would do morally/ ethically. Grab a gun, call 9-1-1 and barricade myself in my bed room? Grab a gun, call 9-1-1 check the peep hole? grab a gun, call 9-1-1, and confront the guy who is shooting up my next door neighbor's/friends front door trying to get in, risking my own life? Grab a gun, call 9-1-1, and shoot the guy??? BTW Im single w/ no kids
Scenario: You're on your couch watching TV after midnight/before bed and suddenly some crazy guy starts yellling and gunshots start goin off right outside your door and theres a guy trying to get into your next door neighbor's home. What would you do???

 

[lalonguecarabine]

Scenario: You're on your couch watching TV after midnight/before bed and suddenly some crazy guy starts yellling and gunshots start goin off right outside your door and theres a guy trying to get into your next door neighbor's home. What would you do???

House to the right? I'd laugh hysterically, as it's vacant.
The one to the left? Long time neighbors - good people - have children.
I suppose I'd pop him if I thought he stood some chance of getting in right away.
I know I hope I never have to be put in that position.
It just seems like no matter how right you may be, you may never come out on the right side of public opinion.

 

[Clockwork]

It just seems like no matter how right you may be, you may never come out on the right side of public opinion.

This is true. You can't please both sides of the spectrum. One side will be saying "I'm so glad that this good samaritan stuck his neck out there to defend his neighbors. That's what still makes America a great country," while others will be saying, "This is vigilante justice and it's a slippery slope."

Ultimately YOU are the one that has to be comfortable with the consequences of your decision to act or not act.

 

[TangoUniform]

Scenario: You're on your couch watching TV after midnight/before bed and suddenly some crazy guy starts yellling and gunshots start goin off right outside your door and theres a guy trying to get into your next door neighbor's home. What would you do???

If the neighbor is a butt head he’s on his own. If the guy is just taking care of some cockroaches on his front door …. well he may have other problems.

Under this situation I really don’t think public opinion matters worth a damn because you’re covered under the penal code:


[FONT]“Sec. 9.33. DEFENSE OF THIRD PERSON. A person is justified in using force or deadly force against another to protect a third person if:[/FONT]
[FONT](1) under the circumstances as the actor reasonably believes them to be, the actor would be justified under Section 9.31 or 9.32 in using force or deadly force to protect himself against the unlawful force or unlawful deadly force he reasonably believes to be threatening the third person he seeks to protect; and[/FONT]
[FONT](2) the actor reasonably believes that his intervention is immediately necessary to protect the third person.[/FONT]

 

[Clockwork]

Heh. "Penal."

 

[lalonguecarabine]

If the neighbor is a butt head he’s on his own. If the guy is just taking care of some cockroaches on his front door …. well he may have other problems.

Under this situation I really don’t think public opinion matters worth a damn because you’re covered under the penal code:


[FONT]“Sec. 9.33. DEFENSE OF THIRD PERSON. A person is justified in using force or deadly force against another to protect a third person if:[/FONT]
[FONT](1) under the circumstances as the actor reasonably believes them to be, the actor would be justified under Section 9.31 or 9.32 in using force or deadly force to protect himself against the unlawful force or unlawful deadly force he reasonably believes to be threatening the third person he seeks to protect; and[/FONT]
[FONT](2) the actor reasonably believes that his intervention is immediately necessary to protect the third person.[/FONT]

Oh yes. I already know.
That's why I said "I know I hope I never have to be put in that position".
I already know what I'd do and what laws are on my side.

 

[lalonguecarabine]

Heh. "Penal."

Perv!

 

[Dawico]

If he is shooting up your neighbors door, you are in the danger zone. React appropriately, because he is shooting at you. I would return fire, but your opinion may differ. I take getting shot at very personal.

 

[Dawico]

Heh. "Penal."

And the downfall of the thread begins...................

 

[lalonguecarabine]

And the downfall of the thread begins...................

And for once, it wasn't me!

 

[TangoUniform]

Heh. "Penal."

You would use your penal gun??

 

[mcfroggin]

If he is shooting up your neighbors door, you are in the danger zone. React appropriately, because he is shooting at you. I would return fire, but your opinion may differ. I take getting shot at very personal.

Shooting at someone at your neighbor's house could be tricky. Is it your neighbor's drunk son? How well could you I.D. everyone involved before taking a shot? Would you be shooting toward your neighbor's house/windows? Unless I know the neighbor real well and everything is WELL lit, I'd stay out of it. It's easy to say I'd want to help but can I do so safely?

 

[matefrio]

I've sat outside armed and watched an angry ex try and kick down the door of a home with kids in it while police were on their way. I'd gotten there at the request of the tenant of the home who'd already called the cops.

The ex had threaten her safety over the phone and I got there before he did and setup close but out of the way. The ex had no idea I was there. I told myself if he'd made it passed the door I'd have acted.

Lucky for everyone the door held up to the kicking and pounding. The cops... 20 min after the first call and 15 after he started kicking the door arrived. Cops never knew I was there either.

My experience is that domestic disputes are like knife fights. Step in the middle of one and you'll get cut so it'd better be worth it.

 

[Dawico]

Shooting at someone at your neighbor's house could be tricky. Is it your neighbor's drunk son? How well could you I.D. everyone involved before taking a shot? Would you be shooting toward your neighbor's house/windows? Unless I know the neighbor real well and everything is WELL lit, I'd stay out of it. It's easy to say I'd want to help but can I do so safely?

In this particular case, it is at an apartment complex. If you are neighbors, then the gunman is only feet away from your door. That information is the basis for my answer. If it is happening down the street in a neighborhood, then yes, it is a totally different situation.

 

[M. Sage]

In this particular case, it is at an apartment complex. If you are neighbors, then the gunman is only feet away from your door. That information is the basis for my answer. If it is happening down the street in a neighborhood, then yes, it is a totally different situation.

No different for me. I'm not going to live with the knowledge that I could have done something to keep a neighbor (or any other innocent person) from getting planted.

I've got a rifle loaded and ready to use. That's my answer.

 

[Dawico]

No different for me. I'm not going to live with the knowledge that I could have done something to keep a neighbor (or any other innocent person) from getting planted.

I've got a rifle loaded and ready to use. That's my answer.

I totally agree, but it is a different situation. I would get involved either way, but in different ways. An attack at a next door neighbor's appartment takes different tactical manuevers than an attack at a house across the street.

 

[theblakester]

Im in a duplex so my neighbor's and my front doors are right next to eachother. His stray bullets would be a definite concern for me, and yes, my front porch light lights up our shared front porch every night. If someone was shooting up the home just on the opposite side of my wall with a nice family in it, right on my front porch, it 'd be hard for me not to do something.
scenario: grab a shotgun (or whatever your personal choice is) and confront him right there on the front porch. = higher probability of getting shot yourself.
scenario: grab a shotgun (or whatever your personal choice is) and go around the side of the house and come up behind him. = if necessary, you'd possibly be shooting toward the inside of the neighbors home if you miss, but probably less likely that you'd get shot.
WWYD??

 

[M. Sage]

Im in a duplex so my neighbor's and my front doors are right next to eachother. His stray bullets would be a definite concern for me, and yes, my front porch light lights up our shared front porch every night. If someone was shooting up the home just on the opposite side of my wall with a nice family in it, right on my front porch, it 'd be hard for me not to do something.
scenario: grab a shotgun (or whatever your personal choice is) and confront him right there on the front porch. = higher probability of getting shot yourself.
scenario: grab a shotgun (or whatever your personal choice is) and go around the side of the house and come up behind him. = if necessary, you'd possibly be shooting toward the inside of the neighbors home if you miss, but probably less likely that you'd get shot.
WWYD??

Depends on the layout. But if it can be avoided, I'm not going to go outside and "confront" someone. I'll shoot through a window if I can. If I have to, I'll crack the door open and shoot through the opening, but I'm not stepping outside if I can help it.

I see "confronting" someone as having words and telling them to knock off what they're doing. Lead does that just fine, with a lot less risk to yourself...

 

[Dawico]

Depends on the layout. But if it can be avoided, I'm not going to go outside and "confront" someone. I'll shoot through a window if I can. If I have to, I'll crack the door open and shoot through the opening, but I'm not stepping outside if I can help it.

I see "confronting" someone as having words and telling them to knock off what they're doing. Lead does that just fine, with a lot less risk to yourself...

That is what I was thinking. I would also consider shooting through my own door if I felt it was necessary.

 

[SIG_Fiend]

This is how I look at it. You don't want to go looking for a fight. Avoidance is always the best tactic, as they say. That being said, if the situation warranted, yes I would step in. I would not feel right sitting in my home doing nothing if I could clearly tell there is some screwed up person shooting at my neighbor's home and trying to get in and kill them. I wouldn't go running into such a situation head first without at least trying to take a step back and see what's going on. You want to try and discern whether it's really a nutjob, or if it's actually the police serving a warrant, etc. So like I said, I wouldn't go looking for a fight. Though if there is someone innocent in my immediate vicinity that is in trouble and someone is trying to harm them, my personal feeling for myself is that it is my duty as a good person to try and help them out. That, IMO, does not constitute "looking for a fight". The way I see it, there's not necessarily a right or wrong choice in many of those situations, it's really just a personal matter of what you are comfortable with. I'm not comfortable with sitting around and letting someone get seriously injured or killed, knowing I could have done something.