As reported, two females and one male broke into David Massey Yuba City, CA home. Massey reportedly discovered one of the female home invaders in his kitchen, grabbed his gun, and chased the suspects from his home. The suspects are said to have gotten into to a Ford Explorer parked in Massey’s circular driveway, then driven the vehicle towards Massey, prompting him to fire into the vehicle in an attempt to stop it and save himself. The explorer rolled on its side, and the suspects fled on foot through a nearby prune orchard. Police reportedly arrested 3 suspects nearby a short while later. Detectives are said to have discovered jewelry boxes and other suspected stolen items in the crashed vehicle, and are investigating whether the suspects were involved in multiple burglaries. Massey was unharmed, while the two female suspects were treated at a local hospital for injuries believed to have been sustained when the SUV crashed, according to police.
It turns out that Mr. Massey’s last encounter with home invaders also ended with a self defense gun use. On July 2nd, 2008, Massey reportedly fired his handgun at a suspected burglar fleeing in a pickup truck, and also held another alleged burglar at gunpoint until police arrived.
Once again, gun ownership has allowed a homeowner to defend himself against numerically superior alleged attackers. Had Mr. Massey not been armed, He may have been harmed in his own home, or run down by an SUV in his own driveway. Luckily, Mr. Massey was armed, and managed to eject 3 intruders from his home and avoid being run down in his driveway. Society also seems to have benefited from his self defense, since 3 alleged home invading robbers and a suspected getaway vehicle are now in police custody. Armed self defense works, plain and simple.
I noticed the line about him previously fleeing at a suspected burglar. Is that still considered self defense? Is it legal to kill or injure a person to prevent them from escaping with your property? Or is it the slim possibility that they may still be a threat to you even though they appear to be leaving?
What are the legalities in a situation like that?
Sorry, typo above. Should have read: "previously firing at a suspected burgular"
John,
Laws vary by jurisdiction, and that can be a complex question.
However I would argue that a "fleeing" criminal may not actually be fleeing, but could instead by pretending to retreat only to attack again in a few seconds.
This article discusses the issue in much greater detail: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-18149-SelfDefe…