Owning Gun =/= You a Cop

[netsecurity]

My big problem with their actions was that it was apparently a bank-owned vacant house which was for sale. It isn't like their neighbors were on vacation and they knew no one was supposed to be there.

Bank owned properties which are for sale have tons of people, included but not limited to realtor, bank reps, HUD reps, potential buyers, and actual buyers, who legitimately belong there. You can't go pointing guns at them.

If this was an occupied house where you knew the owners, that is one thing. This on the otherhand was just stupid and dangerous IMO.

These two are going to be lucky not to come out of this as convicts.

Joe

No, the big problem was that they didn't stand down when the elderly couple surely told them they owned the house, and they continued on to criminal confinement. If they would've said, "Whoops, sorry" instead of keeping them at gunpoint until the police arrived, thinking they would get a reward or something, then they probably would not have been charged for just checking out something suspicious. Common sense.

 

[jon5212]

Those 2 clowns are lucky they weren't shot. What if your lock was just giving you problems when you are trying to open the door? I'll be damned if someone comes up on my back with a gun drawn on MY property, guaranteed ticket to be shot.

 

[Booya]

What a couple of dip$#!%s! Just call the police, you don't hold an elderly couple at gunpoint, especially when they told you they own the home. Did they think no one would ever own it again?

I see some of the points made about good neighbors and all, but these dudes are dumb, straight up.

 

[smitty12b]

Those 2 clowns are lucky they weren't shot. What if your lock was just giving you problems when you are trying to open the door? I'll be damned if someone comes up on my back with a gun drawn on MY property, guaranteed ticket to be shot.

Not to crap on your statement but if they or he " come up on your back with a gun drawn" you are screwed with a cherry on top.

 

[cobber]

Okay, maybe a few people here need to review the IC before they intervene in a possible break-in, or other situations as well.


Or don't. See how much slack the police and prosecutor cut you when you go charging in pointing guns in similar situations.


Check the IC, there is no defense entitled "Ignorance of the Law."

 

[Mad Anthony Wayne]

After the Zimmerman thing I would think these wanna be Clint Eastwoods would chill out a bit. Stupid just runs through the veins in some people

 

[cobber]

No, the big problem was that they didn't stand down when the elderly couple surely told them they owned the house, and they continued on to criminal confinement. If they would've said, "Whoops, sorry" instead of keeping them at gunpoint until the police arrived, thinking they would get a reward or something, then they probably would not have been charged for just checking out something suspicious. Common sense.

The big problem was that they were pointing firearms, that presumably were loaded (what idiot would point an unloaded gun in this situation). "Whoops" ain't gonna cut it. We're talking felony here.

Now they could have, but didn't, simply walked up carrying their guns, and politely enquired what was going on. Or they could have called 911. If they lived in the area, one would presume they knew the house was unoccupied, hence no imminent threat to human life.

They seem to be headed for butt-hurt. Figuratively speaking.

 

[smitty12b]

What a couple of dip$#!%s! Just call the police, you don't hold an elderly couple at gunpoint, especially when they told you they own the home. Did they think no one would ever own it again?

I see some of the points made about good neighbors and all, but these dudes are dumb, straight up.

So very true. If the gentleman in Florida had listened to the dispatcher, stayed in his vehicle and waited for the police, a young man would still be alive and he wouldn't be charged with murder.

 

[Wine Country]

Holy Canoles Freeman!

 

[Sylvain]

Well said once again Kirk.
Also I hear people say that they can do citizen arrests, that's just BS.
Yes there is such a thing as a citizen arrest but that doesn't make you a xop and you cant arrest "suspicious" people until the real police shows up.
You can go to jail for kidnapping if you do silly things like that.

 

[Kutnupe14]

From what I read the Canole's did not know the neighbors or that the house had been purchased. It said the "Thursday night" so I am assuming it was after sunset that the new owners parents went to change the locks. The Canole's heard the commotion, grabbed their guns and went to check it out, found two people they thought were trying to break into the house and held them there until police arrived. I do not see that they did anything wrong. Maybe some of you do not realize but forclosed homes are prime picking for thieves these days. I would think that although they may not appreciate what happened and how it happened they would at least appreciate that they have neighbors who are willing to look out for them. Sounds like something a handshake and cookout could fix real easy. If anybody is at fault it should be the police for arresting the parents and not trying to verify their story.

C'mon dude, really?

 

[Darral27]

They were trying to stop what they believed to be a break in into a forclosed home. Who goes to change locks on a house that was just purchased at night? I know of several empty homes in my area that have been completely stripped of all copper, counter tops, some even carpet and doors. I would say from the article apparently the police originally believed that the neighbors did the right thing. Like I said they certainly could have handled it better in hindsight. Do they deserve felonies and years of jail time though? Absolutely not. They made a honest mistake simply trying to do the right thing. Nobody was harmed.

 

[kjf40]

Yea i agree with Kirk.....call the five-O and sit yo *SS down.

Sounds like a couple of rambo wanna be's to me.

 

[mrjarrell]

They were trying to stop what they believed to be a break in into a forclosed home. Who goes to change locks on a house that was just purchased at night? I know of several empty homes in my area that have been completely stripped of all copper, counter tops, some even carpet and doors. I would say from the article apparently the police originally believed that the neighbors did the right thing. Like I said they certainly could have handled it better in hindsight. Do they deserve felonies and years of jail time though? Absolutely not. They made a honest mistake simply trying to do the right thing. Nobody was harmed.

Ya know..Georgia's a lot like Indiana in one regard. It doesn't get dark till 9 o'clock at night now. There was plenty of light out there to see for a quick thing like a lock job. It wasn't like they were changing these locks in the middle of the night. These yahoos deserve jail time. They were playing at being cops and now they're gonna get what they deserve.

 

[jon5212]

Not to crap on your statement but if they or he " come up on your back with a gun drawn" you are screwed with a cherry on top.

I'd be aware of someone walking onto my property... Situational awareness

 

[Denny347]

They were trying to stop what they believed to be a break in into a forclosed home. Who goes to change locks on a house that was just purchased at night? I know of several empty homes in my area that have been completely stripped of all copper, counter tops, some even carpet and doors. I would say from the article apparently the police originally believed that the neighbors did the right thing. Like I said they certainly could have handled it better in hindsight. Do they deserve felonies and years of jail time though? Absolutely not. They made a honest mistake simply trying to do the right thing. Nobody was harmed.

Be careful in who you point a loaded gun at to detain them. Stopping a felony is ok. However, you need to make sure the crime is a felony. If it is not, YOU could be slapped with the felonies. Breaking into a vacant house and leaving with property from inside is burglary (duh). However, just breaking into a vacant house is misdemeanor trespass. The house MUST be lived in for the charge of residential entry (felony) to be made. Also, finding owners to vacants is extremely difficult. For a charge to work, we must have the property owner. No owner=no charges.

 

[Fargo]

They were trying to stop what they believed to be a break in into a forclosed home. Who goes to change locks on a house that was just purchased at night? I know of several empty homes in my area that have been completely stripped of all copper, counter tops, some even carpet and doors. I would say from the article apparently the police originally believed that the neighbors did the right thing. Like I said they certainly could have handled it better in hindsight. Do they deserve felonies and years of jail time though? Absolutely not. They made a honest mistake simply trying to do the right thing. Nobody was harmed.

Um, the homeowners who were held against their will at gunpoint absolutely were harmed. They were further harmed when they were arrested and incarcerated for having the temerity to be one their own property.

Joe

 

[ATM]

I'd be aware of someone walking onto my property... Situational awareness

Right up until they snuck up and got the drop on you while you were busy trying to change a lock.

We all think our situational awareness is infallible until it clearly isn't.

 

[KG1]

What I wanna know is was there anyone wearing a hoodie?

 

[actaeon277]

They were trying to stop what they believed to be a break in into a forclosed home. Who goes to change locks on a house that was just purchased at night? I know of several empty homes in my area that have been completely stripped of all copper, counter tops, some even carpet and doors. I would say from the article apparently the police originally believed that the neighbors did the right thing. Like I said they certainly could have handled it better in hindsight. Do they deserve felonies and years of jail time though? Absolutely not. They made a honest mistake simply trying to do the right thing. Nobody was harmed.

Let's see.
Protecting someone's life. No.
Stopping a violent felony. No.
Protecting their house or curtelige (sp?). No.

So how did they do nothing wrong?