Vigilante Gun Owner Opens Fire On Shoplifter In Home Depot Parking Lot

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Vigilante Gun Owner Opens Fire On Shoplifter In Home Depot Parking Lot

BY IAN MILLHISER OCT 7, 2015 4:35PM

The only thing that stops a shoplifter is a vigilante bystander with a gun. Or, at least, thats what an unidentified woman apparently decided shortly before she opened fire on an SUV carrying a man who was fleeing the nearby Home Depot.

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The incident occurred Tuesday afternoon at a Home Depot parking lot in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Store security chased the alleged shoplifter as he jumped into an SUV that was waiting to help him flee. According to the Detroit Free Press, thats when a 48 year-old woman drew a gun and began firing shots at the vehicle.

The woman, who has a license to carry a concealed firearm, is reportedly cooperating with police.

If this wannabe Dirty Harry were an actual cop, she almost certainly would have violated the Constitution. Under the Supreme Courts decision in Tennessee v. Garner, law enforcement may not use deadly force unless it is necessary to prevent the escape and the officer has probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others.

Based on publicly available information, theres no indication that the fleeing man, who allegedly stole power tools and welding equipment, presented a sufficient threat to the public to justify the use of deadly force.

The vigilante shooter may face criminal charges. Among other things, Michigan law provides that anyone who because of carelessness, recklessness or negligence . . . shall cause or allow any firearm under his control to be discharged so as to destroy or injure the property of another may be sentenced to up to 90 days in jail. Depending on the womans intent at the time of the crime, she could potentially face much more serious charges including attempted murder.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/10/07/3710275/vigilante-gun-owner-opens-fire-on-shoplifter-in-home-depot-parking-lot/

[TBoneTX 45,266]

It will be interesting to see the possible charges and their outcome.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Hopefully she is charged. What an idiot.

[Teddy B 17,252]

Thank God for folks who ccw! We need more heros!

[Dakine10 5,452]

It's a shame the founding fathers wrote the second amendment apparently without accounting for the relative stupidity of the average American. It seems a bit irresponsible.

[Teddy B 17,252]

It's a shame the founding fathers wrote the second amendment apparently without accounting for the relative stupidity of the average American. It seems a bit irresponsible.

No matter how intelligent the founding fathers were for their time, they couldn't have possibly predicted what the world would be like more than 200 years later. I think it's ridiculous not to make changes to the constitution as time goes by and circumstances change. It should not require the equivalent of parting the Red Sea to make these changes, there should be periodical reviews of the constitution and potential changes should be voted on by the people.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

It's a shame the founding fathers wrote the second amendment apparently without accounting for the relative stupidity of the average American. It seems a bit irresponsible.

I don't understand why the second amendment hadn't kept pace with technology. Back in the day the average dude had the same firepower as the army. Not anymore.

Where are the miniguns, rocket launchers and anti aircraft cannon?

[Teddy B 17,252]

I don't understand why the second amendment hadn't kept pace with technology. Back in the day the average dude had the same firepower as the army. Not anymore.

Where are the miniguns, rocket launchers and anti aircraft cannon?

Because it takes 2/3 majority vote of Congress to change the constitution. That is nearly impossible in modern day politics.

[decocker 7,198]

is home depot okay? i'm sure their asset protection department is in a frenzy.

[Dakine10 5,452]

No matter how intelligent the founding fathers were for their time, they couldn't have possibly predicted what the world would be like more than 200 years later. I think it's ridiculous not to make changes to the constitution as time goes by and circumstances change. It should not require the equivalent of parting the Red Sea to make these changes, there should be periodical reviews of the constitution and potential changes should be voted on by the people.

Public school for everyone was a relatively new concept at that time. The founding fathers probably expected future generations to be better educated. I don't think they could foresee that people would get dumber.

[Darnell 8,478]

It's a shame the founding fathers wrote the second amendment apparently without accounting for the relative stupidity of the average American. It seems a bit irresponsible.

alas, you can chart the beginning of this growth of stupidity all the way back to the day that dueling was outlawed.

[Sousuke 1,214]

I contend that the founding fathers were well aware of firearm advancements. Whereas the standard arm at the time of the constitution was 3 shots per minute, there were breach loaders available that would have tripled that rate. They were expensive but available. I'm sure many lived long enough to see the revolver and repeater.

I've mentioned this in the past, firearms technology as we know it pretty much peaked at the end of ww1 in terms of range and rate of fire. Over the last 100 years advancements have been in lighter firearms and ammo.

Edited October 9, 2015 by Sousuke

[Dakine10 5,452]

alas, you can chart the beginning of this growth of stupidity all the way back to the day that dueling was outlawed.

Feb 20th, 1839? Sounds about right. I would have guessed the invention of TV started the decline but who knows.

Actually average IQ has dropped 14 points over the last 100 years. If you were writing the constitution today, you would have to think twice about giving people the right to own a pair of scissors.

[decocker 7,198]

No matter how intelligent the founding fathers were for their time, they couldn't have possibly predicted what the world would be like more than 200 years later. I think it's ridiculous not to make changes to the constitution as time goes by and circumstances change. It should not require the equivalent of parting the Red Sea to make these changes, there should be periodical reviews of the constitution and potential changes should be voted on by the people.

yes.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

In a couple hundred years, you can just imagine the court cases will continue - over how the founding fathers intended middle America to have access to black hole guns and nuclear grenades.