Carwash Attempted Carjacking

[searpinski]

I just saw this on CNN. I don't think this has been posted yet. Summary for those who don't want to watch the video (I hate watching news videos): A teen tried to steal a woman's car. She jumped on the hood while he was trying to drive it away. An armed citizen shot the thief in the shoulder and the thief ceased attempting to steal the vehicle. Anyway, what are your thoughts on this? Should the armed citizen have shot the person stealing a vehicle that wasn't his? What are the legal ramifications of what he did?

Gun-toting witness thwarts carjacking attempt - CNN Video

 

[printcraft]

Armed carjackers get shot while attempting grand theft auto and felonious assault of the car owner who was moments away from being ran over by her own car and killed..... yeah, good shoot.

 

[eldirector]

Violent felony? Check.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

 

[Sylvain]

To me it looks like he wasn't trying to stop that guy from stealing the car.
He probably did it to save that woman from being ran over by her own car.
He saved her life, not her car.

I'm not sure I would shoot someone just to defend property (mine or someone else's) but it that case it looks like her life was at stake.
As far as legal ramifications I'm not a lawyer.

 

[Mark 1911]

My only reservation would have been the woman possibly being in the line of fire. Couldn't tell from the video. So assuming he had a clean shot at the thief without endangering anyone else, then good job!

 

[BiscuitNaBasket]

To me it looks like he wasn't trying to stop that guy from stealing the car.
He probably did it to save that woman from being ran over by her own car.
He saved her life, not her car.

I'm not sure I would shoot someone just to defend property (mine or someone else's) but it that case it looks like her life was at stake.
As far as legal ramifications I'm not a lawyer.

This ^

 

[snorko]

Saw this on the morning news. When talking about the incident the Today Show folks kept stressing the responder was a "City Employee" as if that changes it from a private citizen using arms to stop a crime.

 

[printcraft]

ALSO: The first person that blames the victim in this, the woman jumping on her car,
for causing this problem and not the carjacker gets negative repped and made fun of from here on out.
So sayth printcraft.

 

[tcecil88]

Make fun and negative rep all you want. I would not have jumped on the car. Hit the brakes, you fly right off. The armed citizen did her a huge service by shooting the BG to save the woman, but it was stupid of her to jump on the hood. You can get a new car, not a new life.

 

[searpinski]

Thanks for the replies fellow citizens. I would haved loved to hear the audio from this, but I bet that camera doesn't record audio. I think what the armed citizen did was great, I just wonder if he'll get in any trouble. I also wonder how many times he shot at the thief-to-be.

Saw this on the morning news. When talking about the incident the Today Show folks kept stressing the responder was a "City Employee" as if that changes it from a private citizen using arms to stop a crime.

That annoyed me too. Does the responder being a city employee somehow qualify him more to use a firearm or affect how I should feel about him using a firearm?

 

[tcecil88]

I am sure the armed citizen will get sued for something by the family of the BG. No good deed goes unpunished anymore.

 

[Sylvain]

I saw this at lunch. That was a big girl. I would not have jumped on the car. Hit the brakes, you fly right off. The armed citizen did her a huge service by shooting the BG to save the woman, but it was stupid of her to jump on the hood.

She probably just panicked and wanted to get people's attention.
That worked.
Maybe she also assumed the thief would stop right away if she jumped on the hood.
Jumped on the hood of your car to stop it is not a good plan, no matter if you're a "big girl" or a fit man (unless maybe if you're a trained Hollywood stuntman and you can break a windshield with your elbow).

 

[Sylvain]

Thanks for the replies fellow citizens. I would haved loved to hear the audio from this, but I bet that camera doesn't record audio. I think what the armed citizen did was great, I just wonder if he'll get in any trouble. I also wonder how many times he shot at the thief-to-be.

 

[singlesix]

"Gun-Toting" has a negative connotation.

 

[Drail]

It depends totally on the laws of the State where it happens. And there are a lot of variations from State to State. As previously said, even if you have not violated any criminal code - you can expect to be taken to a civil court for damages by the family. As far as I can read in the Indiana codes you ARE permitted to use lethal force to protect property. Read up on it and see what you think.

 

[printcraft]

Make fun and negative rep all you want. I would not have jumped on the car. Hit the brakes, you fly right off. The armed citizen did her a huge service by shooting the BG to save the woman, but it was stupid of her to jump on the hood. You can get a new car, not a new life.

Yes, let's blame the victim instead of the ****ing criminals.... good plan.

 

[Sylvain]

It depends totally on the laws of the State where it happens. And there are a lot of variations from State to State. As previously said, even if you have not violated any criminal code - you can expect to be taken to a civil court for damages by the family. As far as I can read in the Indiana codes you ARE permitted to use lethal force to protect property. Read up on it and see what you think.

Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's morally right.
I wouldn't kill someone to save my VCR (who still uses those anyway?).
Like I said I wouldn't shoot anyone to protect property but in that case it looks like he shot to protect that woman's life.Not her car.

 

[Kutnupe14]

good shoot

 

[tcecil88]

Yes, let's blame the victim instead of the ****ing criminals.... good plan.

Please don't misunderstand, the criminal is going to be punished twice. First, he got shot. Next he has to face jail time. He is getting a well deserved double punishment for being a dirt bag. The car owner did not deserve to have her car stolen here at all.
However, when the owner jumped on the hood, she not only placed herself in mortal danger, but also any bystanders in the way of this car as it tries to flee with someone blocking the view through the windshield.
Then she puts the good Samaritan armed citizen in a trick bag. It's a shoot/don't shoot for him.
He shoots BG to save life of woman on the hood of a MOVING car. So many "what ifs" come to mind here. What if he missed and the bullet struck the car owner or a bystander, or some little kid in the back of the car, wounding or killing them? Jail time and/or civil lawsuit. What if wounded guy crashed the car into bystanders and injured or killed them. Jail time and/or civil lawsuit. Just the act of taking the shot is going to result in a whole lot of headaches for the Samaritan in dealing with the Police. If they decide not to file charges, and I feel NONE are warranted here, then I would bet good money that the BG and/or his family will file a civil suit.
Then there is the side of whether or not you, as the good Samaritan, knows the whole story of what events led up to what we see in the video. How do we, as a person witnessing this event unfold, know that the person on the hood is the good guy or bad guy. You shoot the driver to save the person on the hood, who turns out to be the BG. Guess what your prize is? Jail time/ civil lawsuit.
Now for the Morals/Conscience part of the trick bag. If the Good Samaritan had seen the lady jumping on the hood of the car and did not act, and that in-action resulted in the injury or death of the car owner or bystanders, now he has to live with his conscience knowing if he had stepped in, the outcome might have been different.
Just because we have a gun, does not mean we should use it in every situation that may arise. My first duty is to my family and myself. That means that I have to think of my family and myself before other people. If I would have seen this situation develop in front of me, I probably would not have taken a shot, nor even drawn my gun. I would have let it play out, and told the responding Police Officers what I saw.
JM2C, YMMV.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Please don't misunderstand, the criminal is going to be punished twice. First, he got shot. Next he has to face jail time. He is getting a well deserved double punishment for being a dirt bag. The car owner did not deserve to have her car stolen here at all.
However, when the owner jumped on the hood, she not only placed herself in mortal danger, but also any bystanders in the way of this car as it tries to flee with someone blocking the view through the windshield.
Then she puts the good Samaritan armed citizen in a trick bag. It's a shoot/don't shoot for him.
He shoots BG to save life of woman on the hood of a MOVING car. So many "what ifs" come to mind here. What if he missed and the bullet struck the car owner or a bystander, or some little kid in the back of the car, wounding or killing them? Jail time and/or civil lawsuit. What if wounded guy crashed the car into bystanders and injured or killed them. Jail time and/or civil lawsuit. Just the act of taking the shot is going to result in a whole lot of headaches for the Samaritan in dealing with the Police. If they decide not to file charges, and I feel NONE are warranted here, then I would bet good money that the BG and/or his family will file a civil suit.
Then there is the side of whether or not you, as the good Samaritan, knows the whole story of what events led up to what we see in the video. How do we, as a person witnessing this event unfold, know that the person on the hood is the good guy or bad guy. You shoot the driver to save the person on the hood, who turns out to be the BG. Guess what your prize is? Jail time/ civil lawsuit.
Now for the Morals/Conscience part of the trick bag. If the Good Samaritan had seen the lady jumping on the hood of the car and did not act, and that in-action resulted in the injury or death of the car owner or bystanders, now he has to live with his conscience knowing if he had stepped in, the outcome might have been different.
Just because we have a gun, does not mean we should use it in every situation that may arise. My first duty is to my family and myself. That means that I have to think of my family and myself before other people. If I would have seen this situation develop in front of me, I probably would not have taken a shot, nor even drawn my gun. I would have let it play out, and told the responding Police Officers what I saw.
JM2C, YMMV.

Me and mine **** everybody else, blah, huge mass of unreadable text, blah.