Student kills intruder with samurai sword

I think it's a shame the guy lost his life as a result of his choice of breaking into the home, but being in the USA he should have known that potential deadly force might have been applied. Unfortunately this often means that the thieves can be armed themselves, so a hit first ask questions later attitude often ensues... however, taking someone's life isn't trivial, and having been faced in a similar situation in the past (no swords or weapons, but I have confronted someone) I know how the fight or flight instincts kick in.

Do I think someone deserves to die for something like this? No.

Do I think that if he hadnt' been in there he'd still be alive today? Yes - therefore he shouldnt' have been in there in the first place.

Do I think that the student is going to be having to cope with the death of someone on his hands for the rest of his life? Yes. No matter how justifiable, taking someone's life so up close is a very heavy burden to bear. Even soldiers in conflict seldom see the whites of the eyes of their enemey in a 1-to-1 scuffle.

I think it's unfair to say whether or not it is justifiable - it probably isn't, but let's face it, the student potentially heard a noise, grabbed something and was taken aback by the alleged "lunge" and instinct took over. It's a tough call.

I'd love to be so forthright as a lot of you and say "hell yeah I'd have cut off his head and **** down his neck" or whatever - but I just couldn't be as tough as that. Sure I can take care of myself and have done in the past and at the time the pain and damage inflicted was inconsequential, however with hindsight I don't for one second feel proud of it and it still haunts me at times.

I think this is an unfortunate situation, it can be argued the thief shouldn't have broken in, but had he done so, and got away, they would have claimed insurance and they'd have beefed up their security and no one would have died. Sure you makes your choices etc... but heck he's still a son, still has family etc... we don't know anything about him.

There is seldom a time where taking someone's life is justifiable.
 
DailyGeek said:
He must have lunged from quite a distance. I'd imagine you need a reasonable amount of room to swing a katana with enough momentum to nearly sever a hand. They aren't exactly easy to use in a confined area or if the intruder is right in your face.

Although fair enough, thats the risk you take being a thieving *****.
Click to expand...

Your logic is wrong. Nowhere does it suggest that the first stroke was with the sword. And katana are not chopping weapons, it is used in a slicing manner. Who knows what it could do if the student knew how to use it.
 
I'd be curious to know the percentage of burglaries in the USA where the burglar is armed, compared to that in the UK. Although the USA style "defend your home whatever" law may seem like a good idea, I would imagine this would only encourage burglars to arm themselves, knowing an armed confrontation is likely if someone is in the house.

Although the UK law seems feeble, I'm much rather have an unarmed burglar in my house than an armed one. And as others have said if your life, or the lives of loved ones are genuinely in danger, you are protected by law to defend yourself and your family.
 
Sounds fine to me, very unlikely to get convicted in the UK either in that situation (although you might be arrested and charged, precedent shows likely acquittal at trial)

With regards to comments about american laws, I really wish people would do some proper research, not all states have the castle doctrine, and even those that do frequently have exceptions (Tony Martin would have gone down even in Texas for this behaviour, for example).
 
dekez said:
I'd be curious to know the percentage of burglaries in the USA where the burglar is armed, compared to that in the UK. Although the USA style "defend your home whatever" law may seem like a good idea, I would imagine this would only encourage burglars to arm themselves, knowing an armed confrontation is likely if someone is in the house.

Although the UK law seems feeble, I'm much rather have an unarmed burglar in my house than an armed one. And as others have said if your life, or the lives of loved ones are genuinely in danger, you are protected by law to defend yourself and your family.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately it dosent work like this :(

In Britain guns are harder to get for burgulars and hence they bring things like knives and crowbars which I feel can be even more deadly than a gun.

Dosent matter what country you are in, whether its a gun lax or strict country, anyone who carries a gun to a burgulary is a complete menace and to be honest if they were in Britain they would have a metal stick and would be just as likely to club you to death.


Its a nasty nasty situation and I don't think that anyone can tell how we would react until we are in the situation.

A life was lost not matter how justifiably and for that I mourn.
 
Moses99p said:
I thought you were allowed to pick something up... just not have stuff like baseball bats stored next to your bed for self-defence. So if I grabbed a huge maglight on my way downstairs that'd be Kosher... or if I was in the kitchen, and heard a noise, so grabbed a kitchen knife, that'd be fine, too.
Click to expand...

6a00d8341bfc9b53ef010535b98cf2970c.jpg


Problem solved!
 
osc89er said:
Your logic is wrong. Nowhere does it suggest that the first stroke was with the sword. And katana are not chopping weapons, it is used in a slicing manner. Who knows what it could do if the student knew how to use it.
Click to expand...

Errr... surely it's you with the wrong logic, he used it and killed someone, what worse a fate than that could he have caused the thief he did know how to use it?
 
Guglielmi said the suspect had 29 prior convictions for crimes such as breaking and entering, and had been released Saturday from the Baltimore County Detention Center after he was arrested by county police in August 2008 for stealing a car in Baltimore.
Click to expand...

Yep, scum deserved to die...
 
The student was defending himself and to be honest i feel reasonable force was used he feared for his life and therefor felt his life was more important than the attacker burglars arent entitled to health and safety, Now Here in the uk he probably wouldnt get charged for defending himself he'll get charged with carrying a weapon with intent which is the reason you cant lawfully have a bat beside your bed because the its seen to be put aside to do damage to an intruder, i dont really know much about american law but i dont think you can get charged with this in your own home when confronting a intruder.
 
Mucky_Pup said:
Yes.
Click to expand...

Who are we/you, to judge if someone's life is deservedly ready to be ceased? I don't care how twisted the person is, or how evil they are, people don't deserve to die. They deserve to be reprimanded, punished and delt with accordingly, and perhaps owing to the laws of the country lose their lives as a forfeit for their indescretions - however they don't "deserve" to die.
 
Freefaller said:
Does anyone "deserve" to die? :/
Click to expand...

Yes. Maybe not in this case, but I believe some people do. However, in this case, I think it is not that the guy deserved to die but rather that he did not deserve the right to not be killed, by a) breaking into someone's property and b) 'lunging at them'.

If the student had called the police rather than gone to investigate and they had arrested the thief, I cannot see that anyone would call for the death penalty, but that doesn't mean it was wrong for the student to defend themselves from an intruder on their property
 
Freefaller said:
Who are we/you, to judge if someone's life is deservedly ready to be ceased? I don't care how twisted the person is, or how evil they are, people don't deserve to die. They deserve to be reprimanded, punished and delt with accordingly, and perhaps owing to the laws of the country lose their lives as a forfeit for their indescretions - however they don't "deserve" to die, IN MY OPINION
Click to expand...

Fixed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom