Joe Horn's Mistake

Today Joe Horn was cleared by a grand jury in the shooting deaths of two people burgling his neighbor's home. The Houston Chronicle has more details but the essence is pretty simple, Mr Horn was in his home when he heard breaking glass, saw two men entering his neighbor's home and called 911. While conversing with the operator about going to see what he could do carrying a shotgun and being dissuaded by the operator he saw the men exiting and went out. He called out to them "...move! you're dead." and shot them.

The thing that saved Horn was that the men crossed onto his property where he was and came close to him, apparently causing him to fear for his safety and he called a warning. Texas law is not the same as it is in all states so not too much should be taken into account anywhere else. Horn was sufficiently in the legal right to stay out of court but he is said to be terribly affected and would next time stay inside.

Horn's actions were mistakes on many levels and he will have to live with that. It is impossible to state whether a police officer might have shot one or both, since that's not what happened, but Horn did. Mr Horn had the right to go outside, but doing so placed him in imminent danger from someone committing a crime. He had no knowledge of what risks he was placing himself in the way of to do something about a property crime. He could easily have gone out there and been shot by them for his trouble, over a bag of stuff. He could also have walked into police officers already in a stressful position with a shotgun and have provoked a shooting that way or have distracted officers from the criminals. What he did do was make this particular burglary a capital crime, the offenders died for it.

Theft is an infuriating crime that seldom gets prosecuted because the thieves are seldom caught. People are rightfully upset to have their stuff taken, just because it can be, after they've put work into the getting of it. That doesn't change the fact that it is just stuff, some hours worth of work to be replaced versus life that cannot be gotten back. These two illegal alien thieves are not disposable because of that, people have been known to change their lives and that cannot happen when they're dead. Maybe they never would have amounted to more than a waste of air, that judgement really shouldn't have been made in this case or forced to have been made.

Police are paid to know what to do and how to do it and particularly to keep citizens from having to do it. It is dangerous and foolish to try to do what professionals are paid to do. Had Mr Horn been in his own home and shot them in there I wouldn't have any criticism of his behavior, that is not what happened.

I have to admit that if I saw someone breaking into my work truck I'd be really torn about not stopping it. I'm pretty sure I'd make the 911 call and at the least shout out the door to try to short circuit my loss. What I am sure of is that I wouldn't go outside at the risk of my life so I'd have to take a gun and that immediately makes my stuff worth killing for. As important as my tools are to making a living they're not a life and death matter.

Please note, I do not know your state laws and you should if you have a weapon.