Texas man cleared of shooting two burglars in the back

I apologize if this has been discussed here, but I've had limited internet access the last few days, and my search found nothing.

A Texas man saw two burglars leaving his neighbor's house and called 911. The 911 operator told him that the police were on the way, and he should stay in his house. The man took his shotgun, went out in his yard, and shot the two unarmed men in the back, killing them. A grand jury declined to charge him with any crime.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,374223,00.html

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I wouldn't have charged him either.

Do I think he should have shot them? No.

But, they were burglars, and after he told them not to move until the cops came, they charged at him, so he was defending himself.

So to charge someone with a crime for defending themself from two people who were committing a crime seems unnecessary to me.

And he does sound repentant.

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I didn't read the Fox News article, but the article in the newspaper I read this morning said he confronted them as he was coming out of the window, showed them the gun and told them not to move, then they charged at him, so he fired.

I didn't know where they got shot, so if it was in the back maybe his story about them charging wasn't true.

But I just re-read this part: "Mr. Horn called 911 when he saw the men but ignored the dispatcher's repeated warning that he could get shot if he went outside. Mr. Horn told the dispatcher, "You wanna make a bet? I'm gonna kill 'em," before confronting the men with a 12-gauge shotgun."

...which I think I skipped over when I first read the article. If he went outside with the intent of shooting at them, then that is different then shooting them to defend himself, which I was assuming he did.
DMN article

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The reason he wasn't charged, is because Texas has a law that allows for exactly what he did. You're allowed to shoot people who are robbing you or your neighbors, which is what was happening and what he did.

"The reason he wasn't charged, is because Texas has a law that allows for exactly what he did. You're allowed to shoot people who are robbing you or your neighbors, which is what was happening and what he did."

Texas law allows you to use lethal force to defend your home and property, but only extends that to neighbors if that neighbor has explicitly asked you to watch their property in their absence.

I find it interesting that the SCOTUS declared capital punishment cruel and unusual for the rape of a child, but Texas seems to find it acceptable punishment for burglary.

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It's disgusting.

Neither the man or his neighbor was in danger. He went outside to kill some burglars - he was told by the cops not to go outside - he should be charged.

Texas is so ass backwards.

I don't have any problem with anyone shooting criminals caught in the act.

I'm thinking he could have fired a warning shot instead but, in a residential neighborhood, there may have been no safe place to do that.

On the other hand, maybe he could have just "shot to wound". If he got them in the legs or something, they would not have been able to move.

But, as we all know, situations like this are not black and white. I'm sure that guy was filled with all sorts of crazed emotions at the time. I know I would have been.

Yeaaaaaaaaaaay! Do I win something?

Usually I'm against non-movie vigilante justice. I've never been one to distrust the police and other law enforcement but do know that they are human and, thus, not perfect. So sometimes a little vigilante justice is needed.

tough to just wing a person at that distance with a 12 gauge. depending on what kinda loads he was shooting, a hit to any appendage would most likely have been lethal as the chances are that a major artery would have been severed.

life isn't like in the movies. if you're to the point that you're going to shoot someone, you don't shoot for their legs or try to wound them. doing that will generally end up with the person you were trying to shoot holding your weapon and looking down at your corpse. even trained cops miss most of their shots. a twitch, a breath, a spasm - and if you're to the point where you are preparing to shoot another human being, you're breathing heavy and your heart is racing - and your shot ends up anywhere from a foot to a mile from where you were aiming. it's not that easy to hit a moving target even if they're close to you.

nope, in this situation, if you're gonna shoot you aim for center mass and shoot til they stop moving.

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