If you caught someone breaking in to your house late at night, and you were confronted by this unarmed person,?

Eric P

shoot first ask questions later

shoot him.....it's dark how do I know he is unarmed?.......in my state I have the right to shoot.....where do you live that you don't have the right to defend yourself?

rickinnocal

What the law allows depends on State law, and you don't say where you are.

In *NO* State does the law require you to "take a beating".

In some States you have a legal duty to retreat if you safely can, in some you don't. In ALL States you have the right to defend yourself if necessary.

EDIT.....
I just noticed that you have posted on the UK site. UK law does NOT require you to "take a beating". You have a right to use reasonable force to defend yourself. Even if you kill someone, if your application of force was reasonable, it's still legal.

"Anyone can use reasonable force to protect themselves or others, or to carry out an arrest or to prevent crime. You are not expected to make fine judgements over the level of force you use in the heat of the moment. So long as you only do what you honestly and instinctively believe is necessary in the heat of the moment, that would be the strongest evidence of you acting lawfully and in self defence. This is still the case if you use something to hand as a weapon."

In the UK, also, unlike "some" US States, you are allowed to use reasonable force to recover stolen property or to prevent a thief leaving with it.

Here.... http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/docs/intruder_leaflet2005.pdf is a Crown leaflet summarizing UK self-defense laws.

Richard

Goblin

I would point my .44 at him and politely ask him to leave. If he did not leave, I would threaten to shoot him. If he still did not leave, I would shoot him.

MiZz RuBy

kick but t! my house my rule!

edit: UK LAW!
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090314/tuk-man-stabbed-burglar-to-death-6323e80.html

Robin C

By law you have the right to defend your property and your family. In no way is it following the law to take a beating. Most states allow you to shoot an intruder, armed or not.

Personally, the intruder would be dead before I got all the way out of bed. Then I'd sue his family for having to clean off the blood from my floor.

Scott

I would rather do time myself knowing that i have given the ba***rd a good kick in, at least that way when all these do gooders in government and court let them go with a slap on wrist deep down they will know that they got what they deserved

artist formally known as franke

It happened to me when i was a young father (19), it was about 2am when i heard noises coming from the living room and knowing my 4 month old daughter was asleep in her cot i just got up and ran through. i managed to floor one of them and the other jumped out the window. i grab the other and kick the **** out of him and flung him out the window too.

i contacted the police but they did nothing. i never slept for weeks after it.

We cant hold guns in the UK.

Common

Neither. I'd let my dog go after him. Then I'd make sure he fell down some stairs as I was helping him to the street so the police could arrest him.

stupid is as stupid does

what do you mean "obey" the law.if a person broke into my house,unarmed or not,he is not leaving.he's gonna read the fine print on my baseball bat.and he will definitely never get to walk again.

Mark B

I wouldn't kick his butt, I would probably shoot him.

namsaev

If they are in my house and I don't recognize them I'm going to drop them like a bad penny. And when asked why I'll say I wan't sure if I could defeat them hand to hand and I wasn't going to try and find out.

I'm old my bones are brittle and break easily. And I take a long time to mend. I just didn't want to take the chance.

In my state if someone breaks into your house you have the right to blow them away. I don't have to ask if they are armed. If they are armed I don't have to ask what kind of weapon. I don't have to ask them if they mean me bodily harm.

Moose

I live in Texas.

You've been castled!!!!!!

CrazyClyde

Once I identify its not a family member I would shoot then check for weapons.
Why would someone be in your house with good intentions.
Our State allows self defense and I would do it anyway no matter what the law says.
I say stay out of others Houses and you won't get hurt.

Gay Obama on the downlow

I shoot first check for weps later. If worse comes to worse I can always hand him a knife.

Marcus

I live in Texas. Figure it out.

Davos

doesn't matter if hes armed or not i will definitely hurt him.i wouldn't use a weapon though.

Greg

You can legally shoot this person. Right in the head. Then they will be DRT. Dead right there.

Curtis 1911

Easy,,,,,I would shoot them, then put a steak knife in his criminal hand.

electricpole

By virtue of them violating the most basic of my rights, they forfeit their own, anything goes. they would be stopped from performing their criminal act, and punished as well. Depending on how much they resisted, the problem would be solved for my family and for any future victims they may wish to create.

Pkr

Not sure where you get your facts from, I'm not aware of any law that says you have to take a beating from a person if they break into your house. It all depends on what you mean by confronted, but I would use reasonable force to incapictate the person and then call the Police, that would be perfectly legal, beating them to within an inch of their life when they are unarmed is not likely to be regarded as reasonable force and will land you in jail.

Mr finklestein

i would kill him, you can get away with it as long as you prepare your story well

- nokilleye -

I would offer the intruder something to drink or maybe even something to eat then ask what items he/she sought and if I had them, I would then help load them into his/her car (presuming he/she had a car). Asskicking is overrated and pointless. I don't know about the "taking a beating'. It sounds like (a) you are speaking about a law with which I am not familiar and/or (b) grossly exaggerating its meaning.

Alasdair m

throw something really heavy like a baseball bat or cricket bat at them. or chase them out the house screaming and yelling whilst your partner calls the police and if possible knock them to the floor and lock them up (its called citizens arrest!)

.::Reine::.

I'd have my husband pin him down and withstrain him while i called the police. I would try not to hurt the person but I wouldn't take a beating either.

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