Check out this 911 tape

[tularetom]

This guy in Pasadena TX shot and killed two burglars who broke in his neighbors house. He's probably in deep shit but after all this is Texas and maybe it's OK.

Before you judge him read the link.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/17/national/main3517564.shtml?source=mostpop_story

[karlrschneider]

1. He got rid of a couple of scum felons. Good for him.

Good riddance to bad garbage.

[MrCoffee]

3. right on

what do we need judges, juries, trials and laws for? we've got shotguns!

[TomInTib]

4. Good for Mr Horn

A few years back, my brother shot a guy who was fleeing a botched home invasion.

I am all for neighborhood protection.

[Flabbergasted]

5. I was wondering if you'd chime in on this one. nt

[TomInTib]

12. Hell, yes.

In 1986, we were living in a log house deep in the woods northwest of Houston.

I'd had constant run-ins with this meth-head punk whose family live down the road. The road was three miles long and had only five houses along it.

Loooonnngg story short...

My cockehead neighbor and I broke up a car theft ring (methboy and his crazy cousin) by running the guys off the road and holding them facedown at gunpoint while waiting for the sheriff.

Well, it was SuperBowl Sunday and we were in the street (methboy and cousin face-down) directly in front of methboy's parents' house with about twenty cars parked in the driveway.

All of a sudden, there was this commotion and about ten people with firearms were running at us from the house. All drunk and shouting and weaving.

I fired a couple of shots (Winchester 1300 Defender12) over their heads and they dropped their guns and got down on the ground maybe twenty yards away.

There was just the two of us holding all those crazy people and the sheriff took forevevr to show up.

And they tried to charge us with kidnapping.

[rAVES]

10. Seems strange to shoot a man whos fleeing.. isnt that shooting him in the back?

[TomInTib]

13. It was one of the home invaders...

who was running from the Houston cops (who "surrounded" the invaded house, but failed to secure the rear entrance).

He ran through the leaded glass beside my brother's front door.

Big, big mistake.

[muriel_volestrangler]

19. But, that is still shooting someone in the back, isn't it?

Not to prevent a crime, but to prevent someone getting away from a crime. Sort of like a death sentence, except just one person decided on it, with no right of appeal, or making their defence.

[TomInTib]

28. No, my brother shot him right between the eyes.

He is a great shot.

And I, personally, would have no problem protecting my neighbors' property.

[LisaL]

31. Well, in your case, if he was in your brothers' home, then your

brother would have reasons to fear for his life and shoot him.
It's different here, as the guy was told by 911 operator not to go outside and shoot them, but he did it anyway.
Obviously if after they burglarized the neighbor's house, they went into this guy's house, it would have been a whole different story.

[DaveJ]

11. You're being sarcastic, right?

I saw a couple 'scumbags' shoplifting at Walmart once. Over a certain amount of money (I believe just a couple hundred dollars), such theft is considered a felony. Does that give me the right to murder them?

[karlrschneider]

15. I'm a little surprised you think shoplifting is equivalent to breaking into a home at night.

Maybe I shouldn't be.

[wicket]

33. Bless your heart

[WillParkinson]

2. This line has me wondering...

"Under Texas law, people may use deadly force to protect their own property or to stop arson, burglary, robbery, theft or criminal mischief at night."

Criminal mischief? What does that entail? You can kill someone who is TP'ing your house?

[mcscajun]

6. If he had stayed in his house, not picked up the shotgun, and done

what the dispatcher told him to do, he'd have broken no law, and two thieves would be alive to face the courts. Neither his life nor his property were at risk until he stepped outside his house, defying the police dispatcher. He murdered two men, plain and simple. Or, maybe not so simple: the men were Hispanic.

Under Texas law, people may use deadly force to protect their own property or to stop arson, burglary, robbery, theft or criminal mischief at night.

But the legislator who authored the "castle doctrine" bill told the Chronicle it was never intended to apply to a neighbor's property, to prompt a "'Law West of the Pecos' mentality or action," said Republican Sen. Jeff Wentworth. "You're supposed to be able to defend your own home, your own family, in your house, your place of business or your motor vehicle."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/17/national/main3517564.shtml?source=mostpop_story

I'm a legal gun owner, and if I have to use my weapon to defend myself or my home, that's one thing. But you won't find me carrying it outside to "play cop".

[karlrschneider]

9. But if the 2 burglars had stayed home, the whole situation would have been avoided.

See how easy it is? Just don't fucking steal.
:eyes:

[mcscajun]

17. Death isn't, and shouldn't be, a punishment for theft/burglary.

At least, not in any civilized country. Nor is vigilante justice, justice.

[Bluebear]

18. Some people's views just aren't civilized, plain and simple.

[karlrschneider]

27. It shouldn't be "punishment" for driving a car, which isn't even a CRIME, but sometimes

it is.

[Ravy]

20. If that is a correct interpretation of the law, he may not have broken it.

"protect your own property OR to stop arson, BURGLARY, robbery, theft or criminal mischief at night".

Sounds like it rests on the time of day/night.

What a stupid law.

[mcscajun]

25. Don't know if it does or does not rest on time of day/night, but this was daytime.

:(

[LisaL]

30. This was during the day. He even says on 911 tape that

he can't believe something like this can go on in his neighborhood during the broad daylight.

[texastoast]

7. Oh yippee

Killing people over stuff. First, it's your neighbor's house. Next it's the Iraqi oilfield. But it's still about stuff.


We've come a long way, baby.


:puke:

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. "My thoughts go out to the loved ones of the deceased.” What a bunch of bullshit

He executed 2 men for stealing. He was repeatedly told not to do it. I don't believe for a moment 'his heart went out to the loved ones'. He did what he wanted to - he killed the men.

[icymist]

14. After being told repeatedly to stay in the house because the dispatcher knew that there

were plain clothes police in the neighborhood:
<snip>
Dispatcher: "I got ultras coming out there. I don't want you to go outside that house. And I don't want you to have that gun in your hand when those officers are poking around out there."
<snip>
Dispatcher: "Did you shoot somebody?

Horn: "Yes, I did, the cops are here right now."

Dispatcher: "Where are you right now?"

Horn: "I'm inside the house. ..."

Dispatcher: "Mister Horn, put that gun down before you shoot an officer of mine. I've got several officers out there without uniforms on."

Horn: "I am in the front yard right now. I am ..."

Dispatcher: "Put that gun down! There's officers out there without uniforms on. Do not shoot anybody else, do you understand me? I've got police out there..."

By failing to follow the 911 operator's instructions, Mr. Horn not only endanered his own life by running outside with a shotgun, but those police officers as well.

[fascisthunter]

16. Well... What a Brave Man

Maybe he'll get to prove himself in jail without a weapon this time. Killing someone for stealing? We do have law in this country, do we not? Self-righteousness went right to this guy's head by taking their lives. They committed a felony and now he'll be going to jail. DUMB!

[Tarc]

21. Bull Shit

A person comes into my house with he intent to commit a crime, that is a threat to my own safety and the safety of my family. I will put a bullet in such a person's head to protect us, no questions asked.

[Bluebear]

22. They did NOT come into this man's house.

[Tarc]

23. Neighbor's house, then

Works for me, too.

[Richard Steele]

24. Which has NOTHING to do with this. They were never on the shooter's property. nm

[Tarc]

32. Yes, they were

Did you read the transcript?

"Get the law over here quick. I've now, get, one of them's in the front yard over there, he's down, he almost run down the street. I had no choice. They came in the front yard with me, man, I had no choice! ... Get somebody over here quick, man."

They robbed the neighbor's house, he went out with a gun, they approached him on his property. I call that a threat.

[fascisthunter]

26. Not His or Your House Though. Was it yours? Why so "angry"?

You personalized this situation so much so, you changed the story and replaced it with your own hypothetical fear. This guy over-reacted, two people are dead and the police officers were placed in more danger because of this fool.

Also, life isn't Hollywood. Stuff does not happen as it does in your imagination, it just happens and you have split seconds to REACT! BAM, BAM, BAM.... oooops. To late! That's why professional police officers who are payed by our taxes are trained to walk the streets with badges and even they sometimes tragically screw up. What makes you think you'll react the right way? This story should be an eye-opener to those who believe they'll know how to react when the time comes. In fact, that's exactly what happened here. He OVER-REACTED! I bet he once said what you just did.

Also: do you believe theft should be punished by death?

[blues90]

29. Sorry , Mr Horn is an out of control maniac

He had no right to kill anyone unless his own life were in danger and this was a robbery and he was told not to do anything or to go out to see what was going on .

From the 911 call he had it in his stupid head from the start he was going to shoot .

Now he thinks he's a hero or something or above the law . I hope he can live with what he has done .

I would not want him as my neighbor because by doing what he did he brought his actions on his neighbors too .

[CT_Progressive]

34. This is the 4th duplicate thread on this issue.