Johns Hopkins student kills intruder with katana

[Wuyizidi]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryla ... ?track=rss

[Michael]

Was Count Dante involved?

[Bär]

All N. American lineages can be traced back to the Count.

[cerebus]

Crime. It's a dangerous profession...

[Ron Panunto]

Crime. It's a dangerous profession...

But it does pay well.

[Dmitri]

Excellent.

"had just been released Saturday from a Baltimore County facility" -- well, I guess a katana is a lot more effective way to prevent repeated offenses, compared to prison...

[zenman]

Swords don't kill people; people kill people.

Better buy up edged weapons while you can!

[count]

All N. American lineages can be traced back to the Count.

Actually do love this story. I hope they don't charge the guy. They'd have to pry my sword from my cold, dead hands.

[Wuyizidi]

More details: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090915/ap_ ... word_death

Actually depending on which state you reside in, you could get into serious trouble. We're just talking what's in the law here, not common sense: he went outside his house to confront the burglar. So in the beginning there is no 'close proximity', no 'threat to his life', and no 'immediacy'. Here it is his actions that caused those factors to come into play.

My friend whose cousins are police said the law also looks suspiciously on you when you use anything other than a gun. We do live in the 21st century, so swords, crossbow, axe, etc are considered strange, exotic weapons. And the general public wander about anyone who play with those things. With gun it's deadly force or nothing. With other weapons, there's a presumption you have some control: how hard you hit, etc. So the charge of 'excessive force' may come into play also.

The data that sticks out is how clean the cut to the hand is (hanging by a thread). That seem to suggest the cut went through at the base of the hand perfectly. I wonder what angle the blade and hand has to be for that cut.

Oh well, let's wait to see what other details come out...

[edededed]

Sigh. It's tough - there is an intruder on your property, and he "seems" unarmed - but he is bigger than you. What do you do?

1. Take your chances and try to take him out with your fists (30% chance or so to come out on top?)
2. Play it safe and take a weapon to improve the odds (70% or so to come out on top?)

Obviously, if you are a supreme martial artist with awesome control, you have more choices here...

[Wuyizidi]

Sigh. It's tough - there is an intruder on your property, and he "seems" unarmed - but he is bigger than you. What do you do?

1. Take your chances and try to take him out with your fists (30% chance or so to come out on top?)
2. Play it safe and take a weapon to improve the odds (70% or so to come out on top?)

Obviously, if you are a supreme martial artist with awesome control, you have more choices here...

In this country, the law wants you to avoid contact (lock up in secure location or run away) and contact the police. I would under no circumstances, confront the intruder unarmed if I had a choice. This is not about a fair contest of skill. Only thing that matters is who survives. According to Baltimore's AG himself "A man can reasonably be in fear for his life when confronted by an unarmed intruder." So shooting an unarmed intruder doesn't automatically put you in trouble.

I've been told that if you shoot, either shot once, or empty the clip. Anything in between and police will again question if you have some level of control, so excessive force may come into play. Any jury would understand an untrained civilian (not military, police) who panic and shoot the intruder (even if he's unarmed) either once (it just went off, I don't know what happened) or empty the clip (I was scared, the adrenalin....)

[Muad'dib]

In this country, the law wants you to avoid contact (lock up in secure location or run away) and contact the police.

This is not correct. It's state by state.

[Michael]

You have a right to protect your life and property. It's ridiculous how this gets spun around about the home-owner's intentions when his intention is obviously to protect his life and property. Luckily in Texas this has been codified more than once.

[Darth Rock&Roll]

the guy was in his garage.

is property worth more than life? even a confused life in need of structure and guidance?

the guy was a petty thief apparently. Not a home invader.
If we as a society condone the killing of people for mere property crimes, then we are indeed sinking into savagery.

[wiesiek]

In Poland-
very hard case to deffend,
it will go as "exscessive use of force"
particullary if intruder was unarmed

Darth,
you have a point
but
you never know what he has in his pocket,
adrenalin pumps up
and
katana is usually sharp...