Were the police right to shoot the homeowner with the gun?

@wlee9696 (595)
United States
October 8, 2009 1:37pm CST
In the headlines today. A man broke into a home with the family still there. The husband grabbed his gun and subdued the thief - he held the man at gun point while his family got out safely. He was talking to 911 while holding the gun on the crook and waiting on the police. The police arrive - the wife states her husband is the one with the gun, please don't shoot. Police enter the house and shoot the homeowner 6 times. They played the 911 tapes and you hear the man shouting - I'm the homeowner, I'm the homeowner. The policeman was judge to have done nothing wrong and no action was taken. The family is know suing the department. So what's your take? Who was right and who was wrong?
3 people like this
4 responses
@jb78000 (15139)
8 Oct 09
in some cases you have to take into account that the police are acting under pressure and in dangerous conditions. however here it does look like the police were thoroughly in the wrong and this should have led to disciplinary action and more importantly to providing better training for the police in the first place. do you have a link to an article on this one?
@wlee9696 (595)
• United States
8 Oct 09
I agree jb that there is a lot of pressure and the situation is dangerous. My daughter is a criminal justice graduate so I understand about the training. I am pro police but this situation just didn't seem right. The piece I heard was on the tv this morning. It was an interview with the wife I will see if I can find a link. The story was on Fox news.
@jb78000 (15139)
9 Oct 09
police are necessary but they have to be controlled (and trained) properly. compliants are taken very seriously over here - it's pretty awful that that woman has to sue the police to get a response in this case.
@inutme (372)
• Philippines
9 Oct 09
The police is wrong since the homeowner has identified himself. And shouldn't the police try to talk to the suspect first and try to calm them down with the hopes that they don't shoot? Or are those in the movies only? lol.
@dlr297 (5409)
• United States
8 Oct 09
We have the right to bear arms here in the United States, and we have the right to protect ourselves and to protect our family. I think that the police were in the wrong in this instance. and they should not have gotten off with nothing.
• United States
9 Oct 09
wow, do my eyes deceive me, am i reading this right? Let me get this straight. An organization, created by the united states government, to serve the public and protect the people. That was given the power to do as they wish whenever they want, with little or no consequence. Was called into action, to do their job, by protecting a family that was being robbed. Had shown up to do their job, IE: protect the family and remove the offender. Did it wrong. By shooting the home owner, who called them in the first place because him and his family were in danger, and was acting on his constitutional right to own a fire arm, and had already subdued the actual criminal in the situation. The home owner stated above, was shot by said organization, and said organization, was not punished for that action. This is utterly disgusting, and it goes to show what people can get away with, but all i can say is. Welcome to the United States of America.