Florida Sheriff's advice for homeowners dealing with burglars: Shoot them and 'save taxpayer's money

[Demovictory9]

A Florida Sheriff made his way into the national discussion this week because he is encouraging homeowners to shoot anyone who breaks into their home.

Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson, in fact, reportedly took it a step further, and said it’s his preference that homeowners shoot burglars.

“If somebody is breaking into your house, you’re more than welcome to shoot at them in Santa Rosa County,” Johnson said, according to the Miami Herald. “We prefer that you do actually.”


Johnson made his statement while discussing the arrest of Brandon J. Harris, who he said his department has arrested 17 times. And, the Herald reported, Harris faces seven charges after his latest arrest in the Pace neighborhood.

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2022/04/a-florida-sheriffs-advice-for-homeowners-dealing-with-burglars-shoot-them-and-save-taxpayers-money.html

**His remarks were made in response to a homeowner who took shots at Harris and missed and has not come forward**

“Come see us,” he added, according to the Herald. “We have a gun safety class we put on every other Saturday, and if you take that, you’ll shoot a lot better and hopefully save taxpayer’s money.”

[CurtEastPoint]

1. he seems nice

[jimfields33]

7. I don't understand why a burgler who robbed 17 times is on the street

Lock him up and throw away the key. Getting robbed at your home is not a great experience. It has lasting emotional effects for the victims.

[Phoenix61]

15. That's not what the article says.

It says he has been arrested 17 times but doesn’t say what for.

[Mariana]

17. How many times has he been convicted, and for what crimes?

The story doesn't even say what his previous arrests were for.

[Tickle]

2. I have to assume

he was joking. I’m mean who would intentionally say something that stupid?

[twodogsbarking]

4. I think he was dead serious. You just can't lower yourself enough to understand.

[Septua]

6. He's that stupid and...

..not the one who'll be on trial for shooting, possibly killing, someone.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

8. If a burglar is inside your home,

you have every right to protect your home, up to and including the use of deadly force and no DA is going to press charges.

[The Magistrate]

14. True, Sir

Which ought not to be treated as an excuse to fulfill some 'Punisher' fantasia.

Oh, boy, a burglar! I can shoot! FAFO, motherfucker! Hah!

[MarineCombatEngineer]

27. I fully agree. nt

[Lucid Dreamer]

19. Check your state law. This may not be true where you live.

In general, Do not take legal advice from people posting on the internet. Even DU.

There are very specific circumstances in which deadly force can be used. They differ from locality to locality.

Remember, every time you step across a dotted line on a map, the laws may change.
You are responsible for knowing those laws.

Look you state laws up.
Search for things like "Castle Doctrine" or "Duty to Retreat" before you act. Like RIGHT NOW!

[MarineCombatEngineer]

29. If someone shoots a burglar while legitimately defending their home

and family, then no DA in the country is going to bring charges, that's just the way it is.

[ripcord]

30. Even in California we are allowed to defend ourselves in our homes n/t

[Septua]

39. In some cases, but it could depend...

..on where your home is and the particular circumstances surrounding the situation.

I've done a lot of reading on the subject. I would be hesitant to shoot an intruder unless he shot at me first or was pointing a weapon at me.

[Septua]

40. The explanation for my opinion

https://www.findlaw.com/criminal/criminal-charges/may-i-shoot-an-intruder.html

[ForgedCrank]

41. I hate the

very thought of it, but if someone breaks into my home and dwelling, especially if they know I am there, I take that as a mortal threat to myself and my family. My empathy for the human breaking into my home takes a back seat to the safety and security of my family.
I pray I am never in such a position. I'm not sure what life after would be like, but I'm pretty sure it would weigh heavy on a man for the rest of his life.
I have a different view of people who point guns at thieves and other such things where life isn't at risk.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

42. +100. nt

[Phoenix61]

16. Welcome to the Panhandle. The place that elected Gaetz. nt

[70sEraVet]

3. I think we have enough teenagers who get shot sneaking back into their own homes

by devastated parents who thought they were shooting burglars.

[onethatcares]

5. are him and Grady Judd in a contest

Last edited Sun Apr 24, 2022, 11:00 AM - Edit history (1)

or something?

My initial thought went to Polk County.

[patricia92243]

13. My first thought also. I just knew the article was going to be about that nut.

[Fullduplexxx]

9. Until it's the police serving a no-knock warrant

[rownesheck]

10. I have to agree with this guy.

I'm no fan of guns, nor do I own one, but if some A-hole is breaking into my house, I'm going to do my best to make sure that piece of garbage doesn't leave alive.

No one breaks into your house nicely. They are there to steal your shit and probably hurt you and your family.

[ck4829]

11. Just hope it's not your kid coming in unannounced

[Kaleva]

34. How much have you spent on reinforcing your doors?

It's not cheap as I've done my 3 outside doors, the door to the basement and the master bedroom door. Plus I've put in exterior lighting and surveillance cameras.

Bring in SSDI, I had to spread this out over several years but it was several hundred dollars .

[Ferrets are Cool]

12. One of the reddest areas in America

[Beakybird]

18. How many stories have we read of people killing family members they thought were burglars?

A kid coming home unexpectedly from college? Sneaking out to be with a friend and climbing back through the window?
It's more often a family member or a drunk person confusing which house than it is a burglar?

[Dr. Strange]

20. Make sure to do it correctly though:

If you want to keep someone away from your house, just fire the shotgun through the door.

[sarisataka]

23. You aren't supposed to

Remember that

[Lucid Dreamer]

24. That violates Rule 4. More bad advice on the internet.

Rule 4:

Be sure of your target and what surrounds it.

[Lucid Dreamer]

25. Castle Doctrine quick reference chart available here

https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/castle-doctrine-states

After you look at the chart, look up you own CURRENT state law. Things are changing fast in this field.

[leftyladyfrommo]

21. KCMO. We are having a terrible time here with small

gangs coming through neighborhoods at night . They gi from house to house stealing everything not nailed down

Somebody's going to get killed. Homeowners on Nextdoor are threatening to shoot first and ask questions later.

Or they threaten to turn their pit bulls loose on them.

Police can't catch these guys because they are in and out so fast. But the heat in the neighborhoods is rising.

It's not a good situation.

[RaDaR63]

31. Nextdoor is a funny place.

People will make any and every excuse possible for the neighborhood thieves...
until it happens to them, then they want blood.

Then, they're back to making excuses when it happens to others.

[ripcord]

22. The problem is that burglars are treated as low level offenders

And we don't want to take low level offenders off the streets so they will keep doing it until they are shot and get a Darwin award. We live in a rural area with long response times even for emergency calls to the sheriff, what is does someone do in this situation

https://abc7.com/lucerne-valley-homeowner-shoots-man-person-san-bernardino-county/5365948/

The victim told deputies that she was asleep in her home when she heard her dog barking.

The victim went into a bedroom, where she found the suspect hiding. She then yelled at the suspect, telling him that he did not belong in her home, according to the sheriff's department. She then went to the living room, grabbed a gun and shot the suspect once after he approached her.

"The man came and followed her and started coming after her, and asked her, 'Is your husband here?'" said Robert Martin, a nephew of the 77-year-old victim. "My aunt feared for her life, and she shot the poor guy."

The alleged intruder, identified as Shea Manigault, was pronounced dead.

[FakeNoose]

26. If citizens do the shooting, what are the police doing?

Isn't it their job to catch the crooks and charge them with crimes? What happened to their pledge to "protect and serve"?

[A HERETIC I AM]

28. "Protect and Serve" only applies to other cops.

[yagotme]

36. Police are there to write the reports after the fact.

IF they arrive in time to catch the perp, so much the better. Police are not required to ensure individual citizen's safety, by court ruling. "Protect and serve" is for a general area, not individual ones.

[ck4829]

43. Good question

[RaDaR63]

32. The 2021 Florida Statutes

Title XLVI
CRIMES

Chapter 776
JUSTIFIABLE USE OF FORCE

776.013 Home protection; use or threatened use of deadly force; presumption of fear of death or great bodily harm.—
(1) A person who is in a dwelling or residence in which the person has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and use or threaten to use:
(a) Nondeadly force against another when and to the extent that the person reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend himself or herself or another against the other’s imminent use of unlawful force; or
(b) Deadly force if he or she reasonably believes that using or threatening to use such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony.
(2) A person is presumed to have held a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another when using or threatening to use defensive force that is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm to another if:
(a) The person against whom the defensive force was used or threatened was in the process of unlawfully and forcefully entering, or had unlawfully and forcibly entered, a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle, or if that person had removed or was attempting to remove another against that person’s will from the dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle; and
(b) The person who uses or threatens to use defensive force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry or unlawful and forcible act was occurring or had occurred.
(3) The presumption set forth in subsection (2) does not apply if:
(a) The person against whom the defensive force is used or threatened has the right to be in or is a lawful resident of the dwelling, residence, or vehicle, such as an owner, lessee, or titleholder, and there is not an injunction for protection from domestic violence or a written pretrial supervision order of no contact against that person; or
(b) The person or persons sought to be removed is a child or grandchild, or is otherwise in the lawful custody or under the lawful guardianship of, the person against whom the defensive force is used or threatened; or
(c) The person who uses or threatens to use defensive force is engaged in a criminal activity or is using the dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle to further a criminal activity; or
(d) The person against whom the defensive force is used or threatened is a law enforcement officer, as defined in s. 943.10(14), who enters or attempts to enter a dwelling, residence, or vehicle in the performance of his or her official duties and the officer identified himself or herself in accordance with any applicable law or the person using or threatening to use force knew or reasonably should have known that the person entering or attempting to enter was a law enforcement officer.
(4) A person who unlawfully and by force enters or attempts to enter a person’s dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle is presumed to be doing so with the intent to commit an unlawful act involving force or violence.
(5) As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Dwelling” means a building or conveyance of any kind, including any attached porch, whether the building or conveyance is temporary or permanent, mobile or immobile, which has a roof over it, including a tent, and is designed to be occupied by people lodging therein at night.
(b) “Residence” means a dwelling in which a person resides either temporarily or permanently or is visiting as an invited guest.
(c) “Vehicle” means a conveyance of any kind, whether or not motorized, which is designed to transport people or property.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2005-27; s. 4, ch. 2014-195; s. 1, ch. 2017-77.

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0776/Sections/0776.013.html

[totodeinhere]

33. I worked hard for my home and my possessions.

If someone breaks in and tries to take it away from me then that is their choice and they must face the consequences.

[Dial H For Hero]

35. If an intruder were to break into my home, shooting them would be legitimate self-defense.

[alphafemale]

37. Someone breaking into a home while people are there will also probably rape and murder

Yes.

Aim for the center of the chest.

These people on here who think a burglar will turn their life around if you would just hug them and give them cookies.

[ecstatic]

38. Arrested and released 17 times?

It's obvious that they want Brandon Harris to be out there breaking into homes. This is an example of the steps some departments are taking prop up a crime wave in order to shut down police reform.

Second, I don't know about you but I don't want a random person dying on my property. That's creepy and disturbing. There are steps that can be taken to make entry into your home less likely: keeping exterior lights on at night or at least having motion lights, alarm system even if it's not connected to the police, cameras even if they're fake, security storm doors, and security screens. And of course, lock the doors. It becomes trickier if the culprits are neighbors or their kids. In those cases you have to switch up your routine so that they don't have a sense of when you're home or not.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

44. Welcome to Floriduh