Disabled man on oxygen shoots home invader

Posted on: Mon, 04/04/2016 - 11:53 By: Tom Swiss

Two bad guys attack an ill old man on oxygen in his home to steal his medication. He defends himself with a gun. If you are opposed to citizens being armed, what's your alternative here? Fight them hand-to-hand? The guy's on oxygen full time. Give up his meds and pray they don't beat him to the point of serious injury or death? (And that he can afford to replace them and won't need them until he can?) Relying on the mercy of someone who's in the middle of a violent act is not a sound strategy. Call the cops? You can be dead several times over before the cops show up -- if they do at all, several court cases have found that they have no legal responsibility to do so.

What would you do? What would you have someone physically weaker do? Your feeling that "guns are icky" is not a reason to let this man be beaten or killed, is it?

That said, with saner drug policy these guys wouldn't have been robbing someone for his meds. With better mental health care, better education, better economic justice, it's quite possible these guys wouldn't have turned to drugs and violence in the first place. We need general long-term solutions. But all the best social justice intentions are useless when someone breaks into your house and starts beating you.

Home invasion suspect critically injured (Daily Journal Online)

...The man is an older gentleman who uses prescription medications and that is what they came for.

“All indications show two suspects arrived at the residence and the homeowner appeared through the open door and saw people,” said Jacobsen. “He recognized one, but the other subject was wearing a mask and they came into the residence demanding medication. A struggle ensued and the homeowner/victim is on oxygen full time and he was hooked to an oxygen tank.”

Jacobsen said they threw the homeowner onto the couch and at that point he was able to retrieve a weapon that he had and shot the one man. He fired one shot striking him in the abdomen.