ID target or Shoot

[GottaBeAh.40]

Your home is dark, it's late and you hear someone inside your home. DO you try to ID the individual or do you use deadly force without issuing any commands or effort to ID?

[XD-Fender]

Is this a serious question? Because, frankly, even the most neophyte gun owner must know that identifying your target--at the very least to the extent that you are certain the target is a threat and not, say, your spouse or child, or favorite in-law whose car just broke down a block away--is one of the most basic rules of responsible gun ownership/use.

Not to mention that use of deadly force requires (depending on the individual state's laws) at least some reasonable fear of death or bodily harm. Blasting away at an unkown target "without...any...effort to ID" hardly seems to meet that standard.

[GottaBeAh.40]

Originally Posted by XD-Fender

Is this a serious question? Because, frankly, even the most neophyte gun owner must know that identifying your target--at the very least to the extent that you are certain the target is a threat and not, say, your spouse or child, or favorite in-law whose car just broke down a block away--is one of the most basic rules of responsible gun ownership/use.

Not to mention that use of deadly force requires (depending on the individual state's laws) at least some reasonable fear of death or bodily harm. Blasting away at an unkown target "without...any...effort to ID" hardly seems to meet that standard.

Yup it's a serious question.

I saw a similar thread on another site asking if you should shout a warning to an intruder or not. I was so surprised at how many folks responded with something like, NO warning, no ID, I'd shoot to kill. Needless to say I was amazed at the responses and just wondered how the responses from the folks at this site would be....

[Comp_sH00tEr24]

Ahhhh....get a damn flashlight and make sure of what youre shooting at.

[GottaBeAh.40]

Originally Posted by Comp_sH00tEr24

Ahhhh....get a damn flashlight and make sure of what youre shooting at.

Agreed. It was argued that, If you say anything or use a flash light you'll give your position away and would be shot. I could see their point, but for me, It's a risk I would have to take.

[HootmonSccy]

With just me and the wife at home.. Alarm set.. and the bedroom door locked.. I'm calling 911 1st.. if they try to attempt to get through the bedroom door.. that is their bad decision.
2:31am call came into 911 center
2:34am intruder shot
2:38am Police arrive..

I think it is open and shut case.

If the person leaves prior to the police showing up.. So be it.. it will be the intruders lucky day..

2:34am intruder shot
2:38am 911 called
2:45am Police arrive

In Florida, you are still probably open and shut case, but not as clear cut as the previous example.

[matthewaynelson]

Originally Posted by GottaBeAh.40

... its dark, you hear someone inside your home, do you use deadly force without issuing any commands or effort to ID?

Originally Posted by XD-Fender

... use of deadly force requires at least some reasonable fear of death or bodily harm. Blasting away at an unknown target "without...any...effort to ID" hardly seems to meet that standard.

Agreed! And, it's important to remember, whichever method of response you choose... (blindly blasting away, OR identifying the target and warning)… LEO's will be recording the facts of the scene in order to determine whether your actions were justified or not. That determination will come down to INTENT.

I would suggest it’s a good idea to have a phone near your weapon so that if time permits you can dial 911. If possible, let the 911 operator know someone has broken into your home, that you are armed and that you need police sent to your home promptly—but, even if you can't actually speak to the 911 operator, you now have a witness on the other end of the line recording the incident. Yell out to the intruder that you are armed, that the police are on the way and that you want them to leave now! If they do not leave and you must confront and ultimately are required to shoot, yell, “STOP! STOP!” prior to your first shot fired. Yelling stop is both a warning to 1) possibly scare of your attacker, and 2) CYA: COVER YOUR ASS! By giving these verbal warnings and yelling STOP you have demonstrated your only desire was to simply STOP the threat.

This is a smart practice to employ in any exercise of deadly force. INTENT! INTENT! INTENT! YOU NEVER SHOOT TO KILL!! You ARE NOT allowed to shoot to kill. You ARE allowed to shoot to STOP a THREAT!

ID and warn the attacker/intruder. That warning will go a long way to proving you were justified in your exercise of deadly force!

[GeneralSumter]

Hmmm... I can totally see both sides of the story. I'm an advocate of PID (positive identification). However, in a castle doctrine state (like SC), if I hear a bump in the night, I feel the wife beside me, grab the XD, peek in on my daughter, I can shoot whatever is moving because it is in my castle illegally. While that's not ethically correct, I'm protected by law.

Having said that, yes the flashlight comes with me. I will hear the general area of the intruder and not turn on the light until I feel it will be time to shoot. Bang! I win.

[kelcarry]

Hey HootmonSccy: You are my kind of guy. Right now it is just my wife and myself (we are retired). I lock my bedroom door, I have a cell phone in the bedroom, I have a 38 behind my bed and a 12g in a closet about 2 sec from my bed, and I have a bright LED flashlight. If someone is rummaging around in the house, I will call the police first and wait. Anything in my house that is worth anything is insured so if they take something and run so be it. BUT if they try that bedroom door I will have a bright LED light on the door, I will let them know that the police have been called, I have a pump 12g that I then let them hear when I pump load into the chamber, and I will position myself to the opening side of the door at an angle from the light and my initial notice. I have a throw rug on the floor such that if they even break the lock, the door will be forced into a partial open position and I will let then let them know what 00 buck feels like. If they come in thru my sliding doors off the bedroom, I will reach for the 38, laser them, and let them know what hollowpoints feel like. Some people have bigger problems like children in other areas of the home--this is considerably more difficult and I wish them well.

[maybejim]

Originally Posted by XD-Fender

Is this a serious question? Because, frankly, even the most neophyte gun owner must know that identifying your target--at the very least to the extent that you are certain the target is a threat and not, say, your spouse or child, or favorite in-law whose car just broke down a block away--is one of the most basic rules of responsible gun ownership/use.

Not to mention that use of deadly force requires (depending on the individual state's laws) at least some reasonable fear of death or bodily harm. Blasting away at an unkown target "without...any...effort to ID" hardly seems to meet that standard.

My outer doors are locked. There are only my wife and I in the house. If she's next to me, anyone else in the house is an intruder and will be treated as such.