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scarface
MemberPosts: 263 Member
Guns in the news............Warning shots fired
scarface
MemberPosts: 263 Member
I was just watching the local news here in Pittsburgh and came across this story:
http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2011/11/22/air-conditioner-thieves-sought-in-troy-hill/
TROY HILL (KDKA) – Police questioned two people Tuesday morning following two more attempted air conditioner thefts in Troy Hill.
No arrests have been made, but the neighborhood is on high alert after businesses and homes had their air conditioners ripped apart in the past week.
With little more than pipes left, the Kardells said this is the third time someone has come to their house in recent days, trying to steal parts and copper from their air conditioner.
Last night, they didn’t let the suspect go without a fight.
“I [saw] him kneeling there and I told him, ‘Don’t move, don’t move, don’t move,’” Kardell said.
Steve Kardell was tired of being a victim.
He grabbed his handgun and confronted a man trying to steal the remaining pipes from what was left of his air conditioner.
“He was working on it. You can see the teeth marks,” Kardell said.
Steve fired two shots into the ground to scare the suspect who was described as wearing a dark, hooded-sweatshirt and possibly in his early 20s.
The two then got into a scuffle as Kardell tried to hold the man until police arrived. His wife, Pat, nervously watched from inside the house.
“Steve came down and had a confrontation with him. He was holding him, but he kept struggling and the young man did get away,” Pat Kardell said.
Earlier, around 2 a.m., there was another attempted air conditioner theft just a few blocks away.
A similar suspect description was given to police
According to police, they did recover a tool at the Kardells’ home, which was possibly used by the suspect. It’s currently being processed.
Police said they are actively talking with local scrap yards to see if anything has been turned in in recent days.
It is believed that the air conditioning units are being targeted because of the copper inside.
http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2011/11/22/air-conditioner-thieves-sought-in-troy-hill/
TROY HILL (KDKA) – Police questioned two people Tuesday morning following two more attempted air conditioner thefts in Troy Hill.
No arrests have been made, but the neighborhood is on high alert after businesses and homes had their air conditioners ripped apart in the past week.
With little more than pipes left, the Kardells said this is the third time someone has come to their house in recent days, trying to steal parts and copper from their air conditioner.
Last night, they didn’t let the suspect go without a fight.
“I [saw] him kneeling there and I told him, ‘Don’t move, don’t move, don’t move,’” Kardell said.
Steve Kardell was tired of being a victim.
He grabbed his handgun and confronted a man trying to steal the remaining pipes from what was left of his air conditioner.
“He was working on it. You can see the teeth marks,” Kardell said.
Steve fired two shots into the ground to scare the suspect who was described as wearing a dark, hooded-sweatshirt and possibly in his early 20s.
The two then got into a scuffle as Kardell tried to hold the man until police arrived. His wife, Pat, nervously watched from inside the house.
“Steve came down and had a confrontation with him. He was holding him, but he kept struggling and the young man did get away,” Pat Kardell said.
Earlier, around 2 a.m., there was another attempted air conditioner theft just a few blocks away.
A similar suspect description was given to police
According to police, they did recover a tool at the Kardells’ home, which was possibly used by the suspect. It’s currently being processed.
Police said they are actively talking with local scrap yards to see if anything has been turned in in recent days.
It is believed that the air conditioning units are being targeted because of the copper inside.
Replies
As I moved my family from southeastern Michigan to northern Indiana 4+ years ago, our rental home was hit the night we moved out. They broke out a window pane in the door to the basement in the middle of the night. Our next-door neighbor heard something, looked out to see a beat-up pickup backing out of our driveway. I figured the joke's on the would-be thief - all that work and all the piping in the house was the older steel/cast iron, much harder to yank out in a hurry than copper and far less return on the effort. They probably glanced around with a flashlight, found no copper to be had, debated shortly about trying for the heavy-duty iron, and decided to find easier pickings elsewhere.
Had they tried this while we were at home, I wouldn't be asking the idiot if his intentions were against my family or my home's interior. The response would have been the same.
Yep....warning shots are never a good idea...
Jerry
Good thought. Crook could probably tell the homeowner used up his resolve in plugging the ground a couple times, and was willing to exert some energy in fighting and getting away.
Sort of the "stay silent and let others think you're a fool, speak and remove all doubt" idea - be ready and committed to shoot if you are in danger, but a solid stance and firm determination to back up the gun in your hands is worth far more than the noise of a warning shot.
http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_19397339?source=most_viewed
Thanks. Great movie.........
"Jody: Now, remember: you don't aim a gun at a man unless you intend to shoot him. And, you don't shoot a man unless you intend to kill him. No warning shots. Hey, you listening to me? No warning shots. Warning shots are bull. You shoot to kill, or you don't shoot at all."
Agreed. Nobody, repeat nobody who taught me shooting in my entire life has ever advocated or recommended warning shots. And (although there may be books that say otherwise) I've never read a self defense book that suggested warning shots either.
I was always taught: If you have no legal or moral reason to "produce" a firearm, that gun should stay put away. If you DO have justification, you must be prepared to shoot the person, period. Not saying that, on some occasions, displaying a firearm may be sufficient. It may. But if you do fire, it should be at the assailant.
One handgun instructor told me "The first time the bad guy knows that you have a gun is when he sees the muzzle flash." I think that's a bit over the top but I got his point.
It's in his blood...