A man ran into a Texas convenience store to get some snacks. As he walked back to his car, he saw another man attempting to steal his BMW. The armed citizen fired at the suspect, hitting him once in the leg and arm.
The wounded suspect was transported to the hospital to treat his non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to be charged with vehicle theft. It is also reported that there are no charges for the armed citizen.
I’ll note that this incident took place around 3 PM. In most states, you cannot use a firearm to defend property. Texas does have a law on the books that allows it, but it must be at night. So I’d say that the armed citizen will be lucky if he isn’t charged with anything.
We always recommend never to use a firearm to defend property. It just isn’t worth it. After being shot, the suspect wracked the BMW, so the car is likely totaled. So what would have been the difference between the car being stolen or what happened here? Now the armed citizen has to deal with the aftermath of shooting someone.
In North Carolina, the owner would have been charged with assault with a deadly weapon or attempted murder and most likely facing a lawsuit from the thief.
What about car jacking?
Or is it ok to stop someone from stealing property without using a gun/knife? Is any physical force ok?