Beady
Philosopher
How would the victim know the perp was unarmed?Any crime for which the criminal doesn't show up armed, is a good general rule, I think.
This signature is intended to irritate people.
How would the victim know the perp was unarmed?Any crime for which the criminal doesn't show up armed, is a good general rule, I think.
If they're carrying a knife, or brass knuckles, or anything short of a gun, some would have you believe.How would the victim know the perp was unarmed?
Good point. Maybe Dr. Keith has the right idea.How would the victim know the perp was unarmed?
Unless, I suppose, the brass knuckles are painted black, in which case they are "assault knuckles" and thus to be feared...If they're carrying a knife, or brass knuckles, or anything short of a gun, some would have you believe.
Good point. Maybe Dr. Keith has the right idea.
This!You know I'm going to frame that post and hang it in my office.
More seriously, you have to look at it from the shooter's point of view: did the shooter believe that the perpetrator was unlawfully presenting an imminent threat of serious bodily harm or death.
Three masked men breaking into your home seem to meet that criteria for most people even if you can't see their weapons.
And this!My only caveat is that if the turned tail and ran as soon as they saw me I would hesitate to pull the trigger. Not saying the law requires it, just saying I'm not going to be haunted by the death of an idiot if I don't have to be.
This!
And this!
Non sequitur? I was replying to your claim that carrying a knife was not going "armed" with a deadly weapon, which it is, as demonstrated in post 353, and others.
So, Vixen, once you've set the dinner table for the intruders and they announce their intention to rape and kill you once they're at arm's length, what do you do?
I'm not sure what it is that is silly about Argumemnon's question. It is not an unreasonable interpretation of your posts in this thread that you would presume that masked and armed intruders into your home mean you no harm until and unless they somehow convinced you otherwise. That being the case, at what point would you decide that a threat to your person does, in fact, exist and what action would you then take?Don't be silly.
Jack the Ripper broke into people's homes?
No, he tramped the streets trawling for prostitutes in the East End.
So a complete non sequitur.
Of course the UK has criminals and murderers. It is vanishingly rare for a homeowner to have to shoot dead intruders.
I would edit slightly, now that I reread it:
did the shooterbelievehave a reasonable belief that the perpetrator was unlawfully presenting an imminent threat of serious bodily harm or death.
Yeah, I find myself awake at night sometimes worrying about ********. I can't imagine ever falling to sleep again if I killed some idiot and believed that I didn't absolutely need to. I'm not going to let idiot like that screw up my life if I can avoid it.
How would the victim know the perp was unarmed?
This signature is intended to irritate people.
If I killed some idiot who broke into my house at the times idiots tend to, no I would have no feelings of guilt. Unless I could immediately see he had no weapons and was not in any condition to otherwise attack. Attacked's life worth more than attacker's (absent attacked being a dangerous criminal -which I am not (the criminal part anyway)).
And just to pin it to the wall,
2014 Oklahoma StatutesTry as you might, you'll not get a firm definition of "dangerous weapon" in OK, leaving it up to the court to decide by the looks of it.
Title 21. Crimes and Punishments
§21-1431. Burglary in first degree.
Universal Citation: 21 OK Stat § 21-1431 (2014)
Every person who breaks into and enters the dwelling house of another, in which there is at the time some human being, with intent to commit some crime therein, either:
1. By forcibly bursting or breaking the wall, or an outer door, window, or shutter of a window of such house or the lock or bolts of such door, or the fastening of such window or shutter; or
2. By breaking in any other manner, being armed with a dangerous weapon or being assisted or aided by one or more confederates then actually present; or
3. By unlocking an outer door by means of false keys or by picking the lock thereof, or by lifting a latch or opening a window, is guilty of burglary in the first degree.
R.L.1910, § 2611. Amended by Laws 1979, c. 43, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 1979.
All the legal links I can find seem to agree that both knives and brass knuckles will be regarded as dangerous/offensive (it seems to be interchangeable) weapons.
ETA. OK Unlawful Carry law defines both knives and brass knuckles as offensive weapons.
It shall be unlawful for any person to carry...
any dagger, bowie knife, dirk knife, switchblade knife, sword cane, knife having a blade which opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring, or other device in the handle of the knife, blackjack, loaded cane, billy, hand chain, metal knuckles, or any other offensive weapon, whether such weapon be concealed or unconcealed,
HTH
You know I'm going to frame that post and hang it in my office.
More seriously, you have to look at it from the shooter's point of view: did the shooter believe that the perpetrator was unlawfully presenting an imminent threat of serious bodily harm or death.
Three masked men breaking into your home seem to meet that criteria for most people even if you can't see their weapons.
My only caveat is that if the turned tail and ran as soon as they saw me I would hesitate to pull the trigger. Not saying the law requires it, just saying I'm not going to be haunted by the death of an idiot if I don't have to be.
It's obviously a law designed to give police officers options, which can be a good thing as long as their first instinct isn't to open fire when they see someone out LARPing with their friends.I suspect there are unofficial exceptions to the Knife law;otherwise you would have to arrest just about every costume Participant at a Renfair or SCA Event.....
Sure it is - dead intruders would have to be zombies!!!!!!!!!