Go ahead and make my day

[Lady Di]

Why Make My Day laws make sense:

http://www.miaminewsrecord.com/articles/2007/11/02/news/news1.txt

[Bill of Rights]

While I applaud Mr. Doughty's defense of himself and his home, some thinge really jumped out at me about this.

The news report:"...man who fatally shot a 17-year-old..."

Why does his age matter? How about "... man who fatally shot a criminal intruder in his home..."? Hmm? Is that too much to ask?

"Jack Doughty, 62, stood accused of shooting David Gudde in the early morning hours of July 1.

... Doughty told authorities that he was awakened around 4 a.m. on July 1, by what he believed to be intruders.

Gudde and 18-year-old Lance Stick were reportedly in Doughty's home and were opening an inside door when Doughty fired a shot in the direction of the door with a .22 caliber rifle.

Doughty told investigators that he chased the intruders as they ran outside, firing two more shots to “alert neighbors”."

Gudde and 18-year-old Lance Stick were reportedly in Doughty's home and were opening an inside door when Doughty fired a shot in the direction of the door with a .22 caliber rifle.

He didn't "stand accused", as if he was a criminal, he admitted to using his rifle to defend his home, property, and self. Time was, we called these people "upstanding citizens".

It doesn't sound like it was the DA's wording, but that of the reporter, though:
“With the number of residential burglaries, I am really surprised more people don't get shot for breaking into people's houses with this law on the book,” Wyant said. “I hope people realize the risk they put themselves into when they unlawfully enter someone's house.”

Stick was charged July 30, with first-degree burglary and is currently in Delaware County Jail on a $20,000 bond.

As he should be. And da*n lucky he's not looking at the bottom side of the daisies.

Last year, legislators passed a law in accordance with the “Make My Day” law. The “Stand My Ground” law protects people from prosecution if they use deadly force in other locations, such as their vehicle, when they reasonably feel their life is in danger.

I don't know about OK's law, but my understanding of "Stand Your Ground" legislation is that it provides that the law-abiding citizen has no duty to retreat from places he or she has every right to be, whether it's his/her own home, that of a friend or family member, in his/her car, or walking down the public street.

All of that said, however, this disturbs me:

Gudde and 18-year-old Lance Stick were reportedly in Doughty's home and were opening an inside door when Doughty fired a shot in the direction of the door with a .22 caliber rifle.

Rule #1: All guns are always loaded.
Rule #2: Never point a gun at anything you don't want to destroy.
Rule #3: Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on target.
Rule #4: Know your target and what's behind it.

When he shot in the direction of the door, how did he know it wasn't someone drunk, lost, or God forbid, unexpected family?

Granted, maybe he lived alone and had no family. Maybe he locked all his doors and windows religiously. I'll even go so far as to say that some accidents WILL happen, and that it's possible he heard the two perps talking and knew they were up to no good, but I think I'd be hard pressed to justify firing "in the direction" of something if my eyes were not directly on the target at which I was firing.

I truly hope that this phrasing is only another example of poor phrasing on the part of the obviously anti-gun reporter

Once again, I do applaud the man for armed self-defense; he saved the taxpayers the cost of at least one trial and the cost of supporting another criminal.

Blessings,
M

[VegasGeorge]

I too suspected that the reporter here was making descriptions up as she went along. Somehow I doubt that she was told that shots were fired outside "to alert neighbors." Or, maybe they had an understanding in that particular neighborhood: "If'n ya hear a shoot'n, then come a run'n!" Or something similar to that. :roll:

[Bill of Rights]

George, when you say that, I start hearing banjo music.


Blessings,
M (who's not getting out of the canoe!)

[nodaywithout]

see the law will back us up Most of the time

[lildobe]

Somehow I doubt that she was told that shots were fired outside "to alert neighbors." Or, maybe they had an understanding in that particular neighborhood: "If'n ya hear a shoot'n, then come a run'n!"

LOL... yeah... the "pop pop pop" from a .22 rifle will alert the neighbors... I used to have a .22 when I was 12 to "play" with (My mother wanted to get me a BB gun, my grandfather gave me the .22 because it "afforded more learning opportunities") and I know I never needed ear protection with it, and half the time my mother never heard it fired from the back yard ! :D (I lived in a rural area, and we had a huge wood pile that I used as a shooting backdrop)

It sounds to me like the reporter was just trying to "spice up" the story.