Homeowner claims self-defense in shooting of man waving screwdriver, deputies say

[cali]

A man is in critical condition Saturday after being shot by a homeowner who says he opened fire in self-defense after the man pulled out a screwdriver during a fight.

Neither the homeowner nor the man have been identified by authorities.

According to Orange County Sheriff's deputies, the homeowner noticed a Hispanic man walking across his lawn Friday afternoon at his home on Sailfish Street in the Conway neighborhood.

The homeowner confronted the man, and the two got into an argument, during which the man hit the homeowner in the face, deputies said.

The homeowner told deputies the man then pulled out a screwdriver and waved it at him. Feeling threatened, the homeowner pulled out a gun and fired, hitting the man in the torso.

The homeowner immediately called 911. Detectives questioned him and released him late Friday night.

Read more: http://www.myfoxorlando.com/story/22832659/homeowner-shoots-man-waving-screwdriver-claims-self-defense-orange-county-florida#ixzz2Z9lSz7EN

[1-Old-Man]

1. If Travon would have had a screwdriver they would have Knighted Zimmerman

Compared to a teenager with no weapon of any kind being shot down a screwdriver in the handsof an adult sounds like powerful armament.

[JohnnyBoots]

2. So the home owner

Should of just let the tresspasser stab them? That makes no sense.

[upaloopa]

6. If he didn't have a gun he probably would not engage the guy

in the first place. Just like Zimmerman the gun is the courage to start the fight.

[JohnnyBoots]

9. He was on his property. He

can be armed there if he wants to with or with out a permit. Why is the trespasser, who pulled a weapon first not at fault for this whole scenario? Are you saying that people do not have a right to engage and question people who are trespassing on their property? Again, that makes no sense.

[upaloopa]

12. That's not the point.

If he didn't have the gun there would not have been any incident.
I doubt you can understand that

[JohnnyBoots]

13. If he didn't have a gun

he would be bleeding from several puncture wounds in the ICU. Was the trespasser there to bring the home owner flowers and ice cream? Why is common sense so hard to see with anti-gun blinders on?

[uponit7771]

26. from a "waiving" screwdriver?! WTF?! You can NOT be serious! A "waiving" screw driver could JUST be

...perception

[JohnnyBoots]

32. Don't tresspass on someone's land and draw a weapon.

If you read the article, he trespasser pulled the weapon when already engaged in a scuffle with the homeowner.

[customerserviceguy]

36. Sounds like the trespasser

had already hit the homeowner by the time he pulled out his screwdriver. That was probable cause to believe he would use the screwdriver as a weapon.

Coulda put an eye out with that thing.

[JohnnyBoots]

38. Could have punctured a lung

if he really wanted to. I don't get why people don't want people to be able to defend themselves from assault. It is getting ridiculous on here.

[customerserviceguy]

40. True

You'd think this board was populated by Amish folks.

[kestrel91316]

44. Wrong. The trespasser on his property apparently refused to leave,

pulled out a lethal weapon, and apparently threatened him with it. I actually think he had the right to defend himself, with a gun if that's what was at hand. To his credit, he didn't shoot him in the heart, which would have been a bit much. There's no need to shoot to kill (nor did Zimmy need to shoot to kill).

The trespasser is completely in the wrong here, and deserves his pain.

And no, I don't own a gun. I support gun control and think Zimmy got away with cold blooded murder.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

15. Remember the 21-foot rule.

An angry, confrontational person with a screw-driver can be deadly.

Many such confrontations have resulted in death.

A Google search can confirm this: death by screwdriver.

[LanternWaste]

25. the responders point both makes sense and is valid.

Did you not state to the specific effect of "what was he supposed to do? Get stabbed?" If so, you directly imply he had two only choices-- get stabbed or shoot the person.

The responder simply allowed you an additional choice-- avoid the confrontation altogether, not predicated on these new qualifiers of property, rights, etc.

So the responders point both makes sense and is valid within the context iof your original question. Adding qualifiers post-response though, is not valid.

[JohnnyBoots]

27. What kind of dressing do you have

for that word salad? So you are saying that home and property owners only option is to simply cower in a corner until the good guys in blue with guns and sirens show up? In the real world that makes no sense and leads to a lot of assaulted, raped, murdered, robbed home owners.

[bettyellen]

29. what's particularly sad- is that some gun owners DO see only those two choices....

and that is because too many assholes have guns.

[upaloopa]

3. If you have a real caring for human beings

wishing them well you couldn't pull a gun and shoot at a guy waving a screw driver.
These shooters are preconditioned to shoot someone. They just need the chance.
I really don't think you could buy a gun for self defense if the thought of killing someone repulsed you.

[Lizzie Poppet]

18. The guy had already punched the homeowner, then pulled the screwdriver.

Last edited Mon Jul 15, 2013, 08:12 PM - Edit history (1)

By any sane standard, that creates a "reasonable belief" that the guy was intending more violence...and had decided to escalate that violence.

[DavidDvorkin]

4. If that really is what happened, then I'm on the homeowner's side.

[Enrique]

5. "The homeowner confronted the man"

this is where the trouble begins, imo. Instead of calling the cops, white Floridians will start arming themselves and initiating trouble with minorities, knowing the State will back them up if it comes to that.

[JI7]

8. in some of these cases they come off as almost wanting a chance to shoot someone

[RedCappedBandit]

14. Absolutely

Hotheads love getting into fights. This is the hothead gun nut version of that. This is the problem with living in a society with so many guns in every corner.

[onethatcares]

17. do you have any idea

as to what bullets cost now a days??? Sheesh, these guys can't afford to go to the range, and besides you can't drink there anyway, so it's better to get some one on one practice.

this post is meant to be

[uponit7771]

30. That's where Chris Rock said bullets should cost 500usd each

[Shrike47]

23. I can't imagine the cops responding to a call that somebody is walking across your lawn.

[bettyellen]

33. that's why you need to have a little patience and not call cops when someone throws gum

out their window, like Zimmerman did.

[matthews]

37. I can't believe that someone taking a shortcut across someone's lawn requires a getting a gun

and starting a confrontation.

I'm sure glad that wasn't the way when I was a kid. None of us from the old 'hood would be alive today.

I wonder, since kids (and the mailman and the meter reader and an occasional neighbor) cut across my lawn, I wonder if I should go for a semi-automatic or just a run-of-the-mill 357?

[JI7]

7. the home owner already had the gun on him ?

[geek tragedy]

10. If is as described, probably self defense. nt

[Ace Rothstein]

11. Problem Solved

Don't break into someone's house if you don't want to get shot.

[surrealAmerican]

16. While there is admittedly little detail in this story ...

... it doesn't say anything about breaking into anyone's house. It says the man with a screwdriver was walking across the lawn.

[Ace Rothstein]

24. Whoops.

My bad.

[RetroLounge]

42. That's what happens when you shoot first before having facts

RL

[AnotherMcIntosh]

19. So what gives this guy the right to trespass, hit the homeowner, and threaten with a screwdriver?

A Google search for "death by screwdriver" indicates that screwdriver attacks can be deadly.

[Logical]

20. Well, I screwdriver could put you in the hospital. And kill you. n-t

[Laurian]

21. Does the possibility of just walking away ever occur to anyone, anymore?

Why make walking across a lawn a life or death situation? Damn, people just need to chill and stop being so confrontational.......unless you're just itching to kill someone.

[Enrique]

22. not in Florida n/t

[Rex]

31. Probably all the time, but does that get national attention?

No. Why not just wait for the police to arrive? Why not leave the gun in the car? Why not why not why not?

[uponit7771]

28. ****THE HOMEOWNER CONFRONTED THE MAN****

[JohnnyBoots]

34. How dare he

confront a stranger on his property! He should have just kneeled before him, given him his wallet and asked if he wanted anything else while begging to not be hurt. Please, stranger trespassing on my property, I will not confront you - please take anything you want!!!

[politicat]

35. Was he a Dalek? Was the screwdriver sonic? /sarcasm

Yeah, the "I feel threatened" shit didn't take long.

There must be a hell of a lot of men in Florida with compensation issues, who live in utter terror that someone will step on their grass.

I love you Florida liberals and have massive respect for you who endure Governor Voldemort amd his Deatheaters, but sometimes I think Bugs Bunny and Rolling Stone have the right of it.

[MineralMan]

39. People walk across my lawn from time to time.

I do not confront them. Usually, it is something like a loose dog, or a kid whose ball has ended up there. I check it out, but usually say, Hi and go back inside. All of the yards on my street have no side fences, so kids and dogs go through neighboring yards allthe time. It was that way when I was a kid, too. Neighbors.

[kentauros]

41. Brings a whole new meaning to

"You kids get offa my lawn!!!1!"

Only in this case, I'd bet that this homeowner would have liked to have said something other than "kids"...

[blueknight]

43. if someone comes at you

and hits you, then pulls out a screw driver, on YOUR PROPERTY, they deserve whatever they get, period! you can be easily killed with a screw driver

[Inkfreak]

45. Walking across someone's lawn ends in death.

This shit is just sad. I mean really, what the fuck is wrong with people. The guy hitting the homeowner and pulling out a screwdriver was clearly wrong. But the homeowner partly was at fault in letting this get outta control. This guy kept riding his dirt bike thru my lawn to an open field and leaving tracks in the process. So one day I stood outside and waved him down. Politely asked him to stop. It got uncomfortable for a second or two while he kinda argued. But I remained calm and he no longer cuts across my lawn. I'm not saying I got it all figured out, but I know not to grab my gun and confront people over simple ass shit.