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And has all his weapons seized by the police. I guess he should have just handed the burgler his gun so as not to upset him. Can't have any bullying at robbery scenes anymore as somebody might get upset. What kind of complete insanity has taken over this country???
"Dennis Fleming, 61, of Farmington, was arrested for reckless conduct after the Saturday incident at his 19th century farmhouse. The single grandfather had returned home to find that his home had been burglarized and spotted Joseph Hebert, 27, climbing out of a window at a neighbor's home. Fleming said he yelled "Freeze!" before firing his gun into the ground, then held Hebert at gunpoint until police arrived.
"I didn't think I could handle this guy physically, so I fired into the ground," Fleming told FoxNews.com. "He stopped. He knew I was serious. I was angry … and I was worried that this guy was going to come after me."
No one was injured in the incident, but when the police arrived, they made two arrests. Hebert was charged with two counts of burglary and drug possession. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted. Fleming, meanwhile, is scheduled to be arraigned March 20 on a charge of reckless conduct, which could potentially land him a sentence similar to the one Hebert faces."
"Fleming was arrested late Saturday night after turning himself into police and charged with felony reckless conduct, alleging he put others at risk of serious bodily injury when he discharged his firearm into the ground near 27-year-old Joseph Hebert in a residential area where people had gathered to watch the ordeal unfold."
As usual, FOX omitted some "minor" details in order to sensationalize the story and torque the true believers into outrage.
Details like:
1. The police didn't arrest Fleming when they arrived. He turned himself in later that day.
2. Fleming had been prowling around the neighborhood looking for suspicious people while carrying a gun. He apparently had not called the police yet.
3. His "19th century farmhouse" is no longer out in the country, but in a residential area.
4. He also went through the suspects backpack, apparently looking for evidence. Of course, he probably also tainted that evidence for future trial purposes.
One thing you can ALWAYS be sure of: there's more to a story like this than Fox reports. But, who bothers to check the facts or, more frighteningly, who cares?
Thank you, I am sure more details will come out that shatters the talking point Faux "WE DISTORT, WE DECIDE", news was trying to create.
When I read the OP I imagined that the guy was standing in his yard and saw this guy in the window next door. The OP concealed the fact that this guy was roaming the neighborhood.
What's WRONG with doing that? What happens if we have a dozen vigilants randomly roaming a meighborhood with loaded guns? How soon before one draws down on another and the story is two vigilants kill each other and wounds little girl sleeping in bed? If that burglar had a weapon someone might have been killed, maybe that innocent girl.
The guy was wrong to not call the police first. What if this burglar was a detective investigating another burglary and the detective shoot this guy thinking he was the burglar with a gun drawn.
So breaking a law is okay now?
For either of them?
How did the home owner who stopped the suspected theif until police arrived break the law? Please cite which law specifically. Previous SCOTUS decisions Heller & McDonald say no.
I suspect the police made erroneous charges and that those against the homeowner will be dropped.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Finn_Jarber
It is important that gun owners understnad what they can, and cannot do with their firearms. Owning a firearm DOES NOT make a person a police officer.
Only an idiot would think that it did so why even make such a post?
In most states (if not all) citizens have the right (and IMO, social responsibility) to stop a felony in the act. It is not illegal to fire a weapon into the ground.
"Fleming was arrested late Saturday night after turning himself into police and charged with felony reckless conduct, alleging he put others at risk of serious bodily injury when he discharged his firearm into the ground near 27-year-old Joseph Hebert in a residential area where people had gathered to watch the ordeal unfold."
As usual, FOX omitted some "minor" details in order to sensationalize the story and torque the true believers into outrage.
Details like:
1. The police didn't arrest Fleming when they arrived. He turned himself in later that day.
2. Fleming had been prowling around the neighborhood looking for suspicious people while carrying a gun. He apparently had not called the police yet.
3. His "19th century farmhouse" is no longer out in the country, but in a residential area.
4. He also went through the suspects backpack, apparently looking for evidence. Of course, he probably also tainted that evidence for future trial purposes.
One thing you can ALWAYS be sure of: there's more to a story like this than Fox reports. But, who bothers to check the facts or, more frighteningly, who cares?
Right. Like I said, owning a firearm DOES NOT make a person a police officer.
Respectfully, I disagree with some of your statements.
The 2A says nothing about "The right to keep and bear arms" ONLY FOR DEFENSE.
"then grabbed a gun and went out patrolling the neighborhood. You can't do that".
Yes you can.
This is NH, where you do NOT need a license nor is it AGAINST the law to own or CARRY a gun.
Your definition of the "purpose of carrying a gun" is not necessarily the only reason to carry a gun.
Again this is N.H., NOT Mass.
I just heard a federal judge say, according to Supreme Court rulings, it is NOT against the law to fire a shot into the ground on your own property to subdue a burglar and hold him for the police.
IMO, Either no charges will be brought or if they are, all will be dropped.
The 2A also says nothing about a license to carry concealed in NH but you need one. I'm saying you can't go out patrolling the neighborhood and playing vigilante with a gun and expect it to end well for you. As you can see here so far it hasn't. A Federal judge may very well have said what you posted but since this did not take place on his own property that really doesn't apply here.
That's all well and good. How about the risk of getting killed while trying to stop someone from making off with property? What if you open fire and hit a bystander while trying to protect someone else's property?
I'm not sure if you've seen my postings in other threads but just so you know I'm a firearms instructor and I teach classes for these scenarios. Are you willing to risk your life by chasing someone on someone else's property as in the topic in the OP? I'm very pro 2A and very pro self defense. You just have to understand there are lots of ways to get into trouble or get killed and you have to avoid those situations whenever possible.
That's why there should be classes and training prior to gun ownership and not filling out a piece of paper, or nothing in states where nothing is required.
Did you just fill out some papers for your drivers license? No. That's a whole different arguement though.
In regards to this, it's absurd this guy is in trouble. He caught a criminal, which I bet would have gotten away had it been left up to the cops. Everyone is screaming that the "law" says you can't do this, but deep down, do you really feel what this guy did was wrong? This just makes me dislike cops even more.
You are far from pro second amendment if you feel this way. The purpose of the second amendment was for the people to be able to take care of themselves, not to cower with the gun pointed at the door waiting for the police. The laws in Mass are so far out to left field I guess I can understand why you are confused. Many here in CT are too.
The bottom line is he hurt no one & he caught the bad guy.
Shame on ANYBODY that faults him for his actions.
My posts in this thread are based on what I think (based on training) one should and should not do to stay out of trouble with the law and avoid civil liability in this type of situation. Since the guy in the OP is facing a felony rap he has obviously failed at that game. I'm not saying I agree with it but it is what it is. We can live under the law and/or work to change it. Those really are your only options.
He caught a criminal instead of letting him escape. I know thats not how its done in Boston.
And.....he's facing felony charges.....but he caught a criminal!!! hooray for him?
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