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U T
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What to do if you catch young vandals?

http://news.yahoo.com/ny-man-says-4-kids-vandalized-home-charged-181132470.html
This guy catches 4 kids doing $40,000 worth of damage to house. Puts them in closet and calls police. Now everyone is charged.
Kids with burglary, vandalism. The guy who catches them charged with child endangerment.
I'm not sure what is right, but I don't know that he endangered them? Hopefully he scared them enough that they don't want to risk this type of behavior again? Kid's father said that the man knew who they were and should have let them go home, but who knows, and much harder to prove once they've gone home and then deny ever being there? Seems like the laws protect the criminals, especially the young ones?
Being a victim sucks, but then being charged for apprehending/holding them for police seems to suck worse!
This guy catches 4 kids doing $40,000 worth of damage to house. Puts them in closet and calls police. Now everyone is charged.
Kids with burglary, vandalism. The guy who catches them charged with child endangerment.
I'm not sure what is right, but I don't know that he endangered them? Hopefully he scared them enough that they don't want to risk this type of behavior again? Kid's father said that the man knew who they were and should have let them go home, but who knows, and much harder to prove once they've gone home and then deny ever being there? Seems like the laws protect the criminals, especially the young ones?
Being a victim sucks, but then being charged for apprehending/holding them for police seems to suck worse!
Replies
NRA Endowment Member
My father would have drug my to the police station, and made me beg for forgiveness from the owner.
I dont know what i would have done except call 911 and hope for the best, not much you can do without getting apprehended youself, than getting sued by the parents.
JAY
Would Joe Biden's double-barrel shotgun-fired-in-the-air advice be applicable here?
(I did have more written, but self-edited as the content was related to my job... didn't want to get caught sharing any sensitive information, even in general.)
If you'd locked them your closet, where they'd been exposed to.......uh...........well.....we just won't go there.
I will fear no evil: For I carry a .308 and not a .270
Not an ideal solution but probably the safest for the homeowner, especially in a rustbelt liberal-pure state like NY.
Yesterday here in Houston we had a near-fatal shooting of a guy in a home, but the situation is complex, not straightforward. It seems (not yet revealed to the press or verified) that the shot person is the son of the shooter. So there's a potentially serious overtone here.
Also, and this was shown on TV, the homeowner had signs posted in his windows: "No Trespassing / Trespassers will be shot / Those still alive will be shot again".
That is just asking for trouble, as I see it. Shooting a trespasser is situational, as we all pretty much agree. but it's ill advised to post such explicit warning signs (even in Texas) -- warnings of this type are predicting an outcome prior to the event, and that's not something we're taught in armed self defense. Even in Texas, where it's technically legal to use deadly force (only after dark for some reason) to prevent someone from stealing property. As I see it, that's on the very outer edge of "self defense" and I'm not certain whether I'd shoot somebody who was fleeing after a theft, regardless of whether I would be under the law by doing so. Now, someone fleeing after a vicious assault on another person, rape or physical attack, then fleeing? Maybe then. But running away with someone's TV? No, not me.
re. "endangering", I agree that these kids weren't actually endangered, but in a liberal-mentality environment, it's not wise to tempt the over-eager law.
Jerry
Dang, I reckon he was a Son-Of-A-Gun :jester:
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
This!
As no life is in danger don't confront them until you get a video camera trained on them, the one on your phone works, ideally you can get someone else to help you with this part. Call the police and then confront them from a safe place, ideally they will lie on the floor at your command where they are, do not move them into your house etc..
You are asking them to lie down due to their number and destructive behavior which makes you worry about your SAFETY.
If they comply while the police gets there and the video camera runs, ask their names, where they live, who are their parents, what school they go to, etc. get their car platesif they drive away, whatever so they can be identified if they choose a some moment to run away.
I make copies of the video for myself and my attorney before I even mention to the police that you have such a thing, make a cpy for them as well.
Cooperate and let the police do whatever they will do but have the very nasty attorney take their parents (if minors) to court and make them pay for the damages.
Their parents will not find funny or entitlement worthy any action by their kids that affects their bank account, more so at the tune of $40 grand!
FINALLY, some common sense.
Then you become a double victim. In other words you're damned if you do and damned if you don't!!!
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
Doesn't he know anything? That's the point where you start chopping them into tiny little pieces which you feed down the garbage disposal followed by a gallon of bleach and they're never heard from again.
(Kidding! Kidding!)
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
You are one of them.