Unless you live on another planet, you’ve no doubt heard the story of the 18-year-old Oklahoma woman who killed a home intruder with a shotgun, protecting not only herself but her baby.
Now, the most important thing going for this woman was that she had a gun for home defense purposes. Better yet, she had a shotgun, which is by far the best gun for home protection.
However, after hearing the 911 call and watching the news about this woman, something jumped out at me. If you listen to the call you, hear the woman ask “I’ve got two guns in my hand. Is it OK to shoot him if he comes in this door?”
Thankfully, she didn’t hesitate and did end up shooting the guy…
However, if you have a gun in your home you need to know the law pertaining to deadly force. You don’t want to be on the phone having to ask if you’re allowed to shoot someone, because unlike the woman, you may hesitate and it may cost you your life if you don’t know the laws.
For example, when you were 16 and got your driver’s license they didn’t just hand you the keys and say “have fun,” as much as we wished that had been the case. Instead, you had to go through driver training and learn all of the laws of the road such as speed limits, using your signals, and other laws so you didn’t get yourself or others killed.
Well, the gun is the same way.
Don’t just go to the gun shop, get a gun, and then take it home and store it in your bedroom. Before, or immediately after, you get that gun you need to know the laws regarding when you’re allowed to use it.
I do realize that deadly force law may not be the most exciting topic, but I think it’s exciting enough, because if you don’t know the law you could end up in jail like the Oklahoma pharmacist who made a huge mistake and is now spending the next 38 years behind bars.
The good news is, the law is very easy to learn and it’s mostly common sense. Of course, you can go to your state’s website or look on this site for information. However, I ended speaking with a self-defense lawyer (who used to work for the NRA) just to be 100% sure what I was and was not allowed to do. (Yes, it did cost me several hundred bucks, but for a one-time “purchase,” it’s worth it to me since not only do I have my home defense guns, but because I carry concealed too.)
So, if you happen to be one of the lucky people who got a new gun for Christmas, I’d encourage you to make sure you understand your state’s laws for when you’re allowed to use your gun if you should ever have a home intruder.
