Welcome to Aftermath, a portion of our First Line email newsletter where Attorney Anthony L. DeWitt walks you through a real-life self-defense incident and shares his key takeaways.
Who Was That Masked Man?
A Florida man learned a hard lesson about not locking your doors. The homeowner confronted an armed and masked intruder and exchanged gunfire with him, CBS Miami Channel 4 News reported. The homeowner was unhurt, but the masked gunman was killed. Fearing that the home invader might have accomplices, the homeowner left the premises, contacted police and returned home after the police told him the intruder had died from his wounds.
What did the man in this incident do right? What would you have done differently?
Door should have been locked… eliminated the immediate threat… being a former S.O.G. Soldier, I’m pretty sure I would of cleared my home, just in case my wife was coming home behind me… but , playing Monday Morning Quarter Back is so easy… We can all say “ I’d do this, or I’d have done that”… Truth is, we don’t know what we’d have done without being in the same position.
He was correct in killing the intruder. Too many times the intruder is wounded then Sue’s for his injuries and wins with these bleeding heart Ult-left waccos.
He should have not left the scene.
Lock your doors.
Will not retreat to another room unless absolutely necessary. Would not give him a chance to burn or loot premises. I have a right to stand my ground in my state.
Not locking doors - I agree - not good.
But:
I/He “Should Have” Retreated to his Safe Room First ??
Maybe - Maybe Not.
While that might be nice -
I can think of “many” reasons why I might need to take out the threat/s before going to my safe room.
Our State Castle Law does not require or even recommend I retreat to my Safe Room before
I can engage a Threat in “MY” home.
Left the home to tell Police, fearing there might be others?
So if you are not trained in House Clearing/CQB etc then ok leave and get Police.
Or go to your Safe Room and call them.
I "Might’ but :“Should have” - “Go to Safe Room” - It depends.
Unlock door was a stupid mistake just invites trouble. I would stand my ground, as long as my weapon of choice would allow extra shots. I would have my wife is a safe area calling police. I wouldn’t venture out of my secure place until the police arrive. that way all the holes will be in one room. But I think I would have lights or something outside to help them think otherwise. As the man said it is always easy to second guess a situation!
If I had concern of immediate and imminent danger remaining in my home, I would have gone next door to a neighbor’s house. If the courts looked at that as possibly running, then I’d say we are very much in need of a court model system overall.
I would NOT have left my home. If he was so concerned about an accomplice, you do not leave your security of your home. Retreat to a secure room, call police and stay on the line with them. Also consider requesting medical assistance for yourself and the victim. This diminishes the ability for others to sue you.
What he did right was defended himself and his property. He also called the police. However, I as a black man would never have thought of fleeing my home to call the police. I would not have gotten off. Not trying to make this about race, but the proof is always in the pudding. I would have been considered and found guilty. I’d still be in cross bar hotel. I would have sought shelter in another area within my home if I thought there were others, and called the police from there. Once cleared, I would then come from my location and face the music.
I believe the article read, “is often interpreted as a sign of guilt.” Not always, just often. That is an accurate statement and trust me the investigating officer WILL look at that. It is called gathering all the facts and evidence.
I completely understand your position, however, gun fights are high-risk situations where someone can get killed. If it happens to be you, your family must now pick up the pieces in your absence. Do what you have to, but consider the consequences and aftermath, too. Is it worth the risk. If yes, fire away and good luck.
One important fact which you did not include in your comment is whether or not you have actually shot someone before “going to the neighbors house.” Police look at everything in an attempt to learn exactly what happened. You leaving the premises is one of them as it should be. No accusation and nothing personal. Just examing the evidence and gathering the facts.
Well, as I stated, whether the firearm was drawn or not, fired or not, if my life was in immediate and imminent danger, the use or no use thereof has absolutely no bearing to me and is moot. My life comes before any man-made law that is so haphazardly designed to keep one in harms way for no other reason than letter of law technicalities and political correctness (and that’s exactly all that is).
The police can look at all they want, but the police don’t pass final judgments. I understand that it will most likely cause more stress and undo hardships in that kind of scenario, however, man has to act accordingly to his heart and his Creator’s rules above and beyond any man made law.
So again, as I stated, I personally stand firm my grounds that I have the absolute God Given Right and Constitutionally backed right in lieu of any man-made law or personal opinion(s) to do FIRST and foremost, whatever is necessary to protect my life. And if that means being involved in a shooting and then deciding that my life was STILL in immediate and imminent danger by remaining in my residence and my decision is to seek safety at a neighbors home, then if the law wants to convict me on such an irresponsible technicality, then that all the more goes toward proving my statement that the laws are many, many, many times unjust in this country and I am man enough and willing enough to stand my ground for that principle. Period.
For me, it is worth that extra legal maneuvering, headaches, heartaches and so-forth to be able to be a man of God and stand up for what is right, regardless of what man and man-made laws state to the contrary. If I’m going to go down by an unjust system, and the system IS unjust in MANY aspects, then I will go down as a man instead of a spineless jellyfish.
No accusations and nothing personal to you either, however, in this instance I need to correct your stance by stating that doing as I state is the way it should be, as dictated by God’s Laws.
Please remember anything you say online can be used against you in court if you ever have to legally defend your physical self-defense actions.
Comments like this will give be used against you to say you’re looking kill someone, not defend your life:
He was correct in killing the intruder.
The goal of self-defense is to protect your life, not to kill others. While we realize our shots may kill, it has to be our goal to stop the threat. Once the threat has stopped we must stop shooting, otherwise, we can be considered the aggressor and prosecuted as such.
Also, please check out the Community Guidelines, name-calling and personal attacks are not allowed in the Community - against anyone. I’m not asking you to agree with everyone, but I am asking you to be respectful in your disagreement.