Should the Pasadena man who shot two illegal alien thieves be prosecuted?

biwagirl20a

Not only should he not be charged but he should be given the Medal of Valour.

What he did was what our own governemtn is failing to do. He excersized his rights to protect thsi country form INVADERS and protect himself.

The two people he shot were ILLEGAL INVADERS DOING AN ILLEGAL ACT and they deserve what they got.

GOD BLESS AMERICA AND GOD BLESS JOE HORN!

Yak Rider

No, of course not.

The fact that they were illegal aliens does not even matter. They were breaking into the house next door. When you're a theif getting killed in the act is a risk you take.

Seth D

no he should be given a medal

T.J.

Robbing houses is a dangerous business.

Dani

Texas law says you have the right to defend your property and your neighbor's property. It's often referred to as the
" castle law". When one of the robbers stepped forward with a tire tool in his hand, Horn opened up with that shotgun. He will be no billed by a grand jury.

And that, my friends, is how we do it in Texas. If you're not invited to come to our homes and onto our property, think twice. Most of us. like Horn, have guns.

Sherilynne B

I have no problem with him shooting criminals breaking in to a house. I'll bet the neighbors were really happy that he saved them from being robbed. I wouldn't mind living next door to someone like Mr. Horn.

rachel t

Let it be a lesson to the rest of them...

farmboy702003

Two words...castle law. He won't be charged. He had no idea those 2 were illegal aliens...if you listen to the whole 911 tape not just little pieces of it..he clearly states " move & your dead" . So what did they think would happen ? They got exactly what was due to them. Edit: do you really think a tire tool can"t be used as a deadly weapon?

DAR

We have law about this.

Whether they are illegally here or not isn't the issue when it comes to shooting someone.

You are allowed self defense. In California, you are allowed to PRESUME your life is in danger if someone breaks into your house and confronts you there. In California you are allowed to use reasonable force to defend another person, not yourself.

However, using deadly force to protect property only, when you or another person is not in danger is generally frowned on by the courts.

If the neighbor's child was home alone and the shooting neighbor was defending that child, you might have a case. Otherwise I think this is going to end up as manslaughter, unless the jury simply considers that outrageous.
--
Looking at some of the other answers, other people seem to know more about this story than your link tells. I only know what I read in your article.

Thank God Two less votes for HIllary. Nah give him a trip to Disney World.

45 auto

There should be more like him protecting themselves and neighbors>But he will probable be made a example of>Like the Border Patrol officers>

simm101

Pretty final but justice has been done, even if it were a bit severe.

Amy M welcomed twins 12-7-08

Good. Save us taxpayers some grief. Maybe it will be a deterrent next time for any kind of thief.

rizinoutlaw

no he shouldn't be charged. Illegal or not they were commiting crimes. He told them a couple times if they moved he would shoot. They brandished a tire iron, whose to say they didn't have a gun in there pocket, for all he knew. As far as the illegal aspect goes all it does is prove one thing, unlike what people are saying, illegals coming in are not good honest people. If they were we wouldn't be having these cases of them killing, robbing and other crimes. I say he represents the American public. Tired of the Politicians not doing there job, and the law helping illegals. Washington watch out, this is just the tip of the iceberg I bet....as megadeth says...Washington...Your next!

tennsmiles50

No, He should not be prosecuted, I say way to go Joe Horn!!!!!!!
Git-r-Done!

I'm gonna start another riot

No, he did the right thing.

Anne

Yes, but then given lifetime probation. Even if he knew they were illegal or not, and even if they were that doesn't give him the right to take the law in his own hands. I know that the crime rate is out of hand, but taking a life for property is just wrong. Property can be replaced not a life. These two illegals should have never been allowed to cross, and we need to hold our federal government accountable for their failure to protect us.

Jorge D

1) No! He gave the 2 tespassers fair warning before he shot them. 2) He was looking after his neighbor- heck of a good neighbor, though I would never ask anyone to put themselves at risk for me. 3) The trespassers chose to put up a fight and as I said, even though he unnecessarily put himself at risk, Mr Horn was already involved and shot in self defense once that happened, wether the law says he can only defend his house and not his neighbors (the police would not have made it in time til the damage was done). 4) The fact they are illegal aliens does not matter, they were up to no good, period! If they cared to stay in the country as such they shouldn't have called attention to themselves like that, which is not only immaterial, but it ended up being the least of their problems.

Ms.L.A.

No he should not be prosecuted. He was personally approached by two big men after breaking windows in his neighbors home. Definitely up to no good. The fact that they were illegals is just the icing on the cake. We all could use caring neighbors who look out for our interests and safety.

West of Encino

Prosecuted for what?
He did us a favor by eliminating forign skum from the world.
EOM

master

legal or not you want to break the law thats what happens now we dont have to waste paying for the courts and there jail stay

pantagruel

OK..HERE GOES.... A fearful,angry,fat,old white guy looks out his window,and sees two unfamiliar men leaving the neighbors house with a TV set,and other stuff. Even though he calls 911,and the operator repeatedly warns him not to go out,he does. He yells at them ,then shoots both. Except this time the two men were distant relatives,that were just retrieving stuff of theirs they had stored there. Or how 'bout this ...He shoots,and misses,killing an innocent child across the street.
That fat old racist idiot should,and will be convicted of FIRST DEGREE MURDER! He was told by the 911 operator several times ,not to leave the SAFETY of his house.He did and as he did he told the operator that he was gonna kill them. The guy should FRY!

beardog4314

This story doesn't make sense. How could he possibly have known they were illegal- did he check their ID's before shooting them? Would it have been wrong to shoot them if they were citizens?

Wow. Listen to all these people calling for blood. Let that be a lesson to the rest of them? That's not even human.

Merry Christmas folks.

Andy

Castle law or not, I doubt that statute authorizes the use of DEADLY force in defense of his property.

The illegals might be stepping forward with a tire tool, but in the context of self-defense, you are not allowed to use anymore force than what you are threatened with. So if the illegals come up with a gun and were about to shoot Joe Horn, then yes, it will probably be ok. A tire tool? Self-defense won't work if he uses deadly force because the use of the deadly force speaks to the intent to harm the thieves and that intent changes the nature of his act from self-defense to an offense.

Yes the case hinges on the use of a gun, a deadly weapon! This is a case where a private citizen takes the law in his own hands.

Pfo

You can't kill someone on the basis of their immigration status. The only way murder can go unpunished is self defense, and even then manslaughter is applicable. He could have shot to wound, clearly he didn't, that would have prevented them from leaving. At any rate he assaulted and killed them, that's a crime.

" The two were shot and killed by Joe Horn, a Pasadena man who thought they were burglarizing his neighborâ€™s home last month."

How can you "think" that someone is burglarizing your neighbor's home? Either you know they are or they aren't, and why would you shoot to kill someone that you think might be committing a crime? This is why the use of deadly force is reserved for self defense, or in the hands of law enforcement, because ordinary trigger happy citizens can't be trusted.

Mad Serb

@Andy: So, tyre iron... if they approach me with one, and if I don't have such tool, or can't get it quickly, I am screwed... Well, no. Screw them.

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