Police: Sac(ramento) Homeowner Fires Shot To Scare Intruder

[shadowrider]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. --
An elderly Sacramento homeowner fired a warning shot early Tuesday after someone tried to break into his garage, police say.

Officers were called at about 5:15 a.m. after the shooting occurred near the intersection of Lissetta and 14th avenues.

The 85-year-old resident grabbed his historic handgun to frighten the would-be burglar, who then fled. The burglar was not hit.

Police said the resident will not face any charges for firing the weapon, but officers urged him to call 911 before taking the law into his own hands.

My comment: When seconds count, the police are minutes away

http://www.kcra.com/mostpopular/22917704/detail.html

[cowman]

1. Well let's see

how long before calbluedem posts comment

[baldguy]

2. Never mind the innocent neighbor kid he might've killed.

[cowman]

3. didn't take long

for the naysayers to come out did it?

[pocoloco]

4. In the woodwork...

waiting to pounce......

[cowman]

5. Pounce? On what?

The home owner fired a shot to frighten the intruder and right away certain people assume he fired a shot in the air, how do they know he didn't fire it into the ground?

Bottom line is he prevented what could have been a tragic incident without anyone getting hurt

[shadowrider]

7. No sir, it didn't take long at all

[GreenStormCloud]

6. But didn't.

To fire a warning shot, with no danger to anyone, shoot it down into the dirt, pointed about three feet in front of your own feet. That way the bullet goes directly into the dirt.

The article does not say exactly how he fired the warning shot, so you can't automatically assume that he fired into the air.

[baldguy]

11. Only by sheer luck.

Most innocent bystanders aren't so lucky - which is the very reason why many cities restrict the ownership of firearms.

[GreenStormCloud]

12. That restriction will soon be crushed.

BTW - Only a few cities restrict the ownership of firearms. Most have no extra restrictions beyond those of state and federal law.

[hex29a]

14. I'd love to live in one of those cities...where no bad guys have guns

Can you post a list of them?
\

[Pavulon]

17. Not for long. Bet on that (nt)

[PavePusher]

21. I pulled my car into traffic today.

Only by sheer luck did I not hit innocent bystanders.

[hex29a]

13. Innocent people break into garages?

Wow, it's Alice in Brave New Worldland.
\

[hex29a]

15. Is that the same kid who might have been hit by a falling meteorite?

Or a different one...

[proteus_lives]

18. How dare he stop that poor felon!

He should have been thinking about the hypothetical children!

[TheCowsCameHome]

8. Good for Gramps

I wonder what he did hit.

[cowman]

9. Probably the ground

[hex29a]

16. An innocent earthworm was assassinated.

:eyes:

[PavePusher]

10. Why do so many people...

including an unfortunate number of police, wrongly equate self-defense with "taking the law into his own hands"?

Those officers should be slapped senseful.

[oneshooter]

19. I am just curious about this line

"The 85-year-old resident grabbed his historic handgun" Historic handgun?

Oneshooter
Armed and Livin in Texas

[mvccd1000]

20. "Historic Handgun"

One he bought when he was young. :)

[SteveM]

22. Smoke's still hanging in the air, I bet.

[slackmaster]

23. The gentleman is lucky the police were so understanding

They could have arrested him for an unlawful discharge. The fine is something like $50.