Are we allowed to shoot firebugs?

[TDDude]

Had all kinds of sirens in my neighborhood this afternoon.

Turns out some idiots set some fires on the Harris Co. Flood Control District land that I like to ride my bike on. I hit the trails this afternoon with my mountain bike like I do everyday after work and the trails were blocked with the fire trucks. Fires were set simultaneously on at least three trails, each in a completely different area requiring three separate crews to fight the fires.

The fire trucks can only go so far and then the firemen have to hoof it in on foot to fight the fires. They were not happy campers.

The land goes all along Cypress Creek and the associated bayous for floor control in Northwest Houston near Cypresswood and 249. It is loaded with some of the best hiking and mountain biking trails that one could want.

My hat comes off and many thanks to the Cy-Fair VFD and any surrounding FD that had to be called in to help.

I hope the arson investigators find who is responsible and "fry" them. pun intended.

[nitrogen]

I'd guess only to protect your own property or property under your control or protection.

[USA1]

this may be a coincidence ,
i wonder if you're referring to the same fire that my wife and i witnessed coming home from dinner .

we were at the corner of Spring Cypress and N. Eldridge , just off 249
the fire dept. had some of the street blocked off to run hoses into the woods .

we could see smoke coming from deep in woods.

is this the area you're talking about ?
if so , its about a mile from my house.

[boomerang]

9.42 says you're justified in using deadly force when it's immediately necessary to prevent arson, but not to stop them from escaping afterward.

[TDDude]

this may be a coincidence ,
i wonder if you're referring to the same fire that my wife and i witnessed coming home from dinner .

we were at the corner of Spring Cypress and N. Eldridge , just off 249
the fire dept. had some of the street blocked off to run hoses into the woods .

we could see smoke coming from deep in woods.

is this the area you're talking about ?
if so , its about a mile from my house.

I doubt it. Your area is a few miles north. The fires I saw were along Cypress Creek. That doesn't mean that the fire you saw wasn't started by the same group of yahoos.

[TDDude]

9.42 says you're justified in using deadly force when it's immediately necessary to prevent arson, but not to stop them from escaping afterward.

I was actually speaking tounge in cheek. If I were lucky enough to witness someone starting a fire out there, I would be more apt to simply be a good witness so the LEOs could go catch them later.

[KD5NRH]

I was actually speaking tounge in cheek. If I were lucky enough to witness someone starting a fire out there, I would be more apt to simply be a good witness so the LEOs could go catch them later.

My respose would depend on a couple of factors; primarily whether occupied homes or businesses are in imminent danger from the fire, and whether I can actually stop the fire. If the guy's holding a lit Zippo over a puddle of gasoline, shooting him isn't going to improve the situation. If he's in the process of lighting dry grass, stopping him by whatever means are necessary may allow time to stomp out the fire before it spreads too much, though I'd probably take advantage of any other available possibility of stopping him before resorting to lethal force - lighting grass usually involves squatting, and a size 10 steel-toe to the kidney comes to mind as a fast stopper.

Either way, I'd probably try to get a few photos and/or video first: that type of arson may be easy to prove, but it's hard to pin on any particular person without good witnesses.

[DoubleJ]

shucks, the fire they started got'em. imagine the luck...

[Reloader]

Only with incendiaries...LOL!!!

[Captain Matt]

If he's in the process of lighting dry grass, stopping him by whatever means are necessary may allow time to stomp out the fire before it spreads too much, though I'd probably take advantage of any other available possibility of stopping him before resorting to lethal force - lighting grass usually involves squatting, and a size 10 steel-toe to the kidney comes to mind as a fast stopper.

Deadly force is deadly force and a steel toe boot to the kidney is capable of causing serious bodily injury.

[KD5NRH]

Deadly force is deadly force and a steel toe boot to the kidney is capable of causing serious bodily injury.

So is a pimp-slap to the wrong person, but it's arguably a lot more survivable than a 125gr Gold Dot to the temple.

[Captain Matt]

Please cite where the Texas Penal Code distinguishes between different levels of deadly force.

kkthxbai

[DoubleJ]

kthxbye

[flintknapper]

9.42 says you're justified in using deadly force when it's immediately necessary to prevent arson, but not to stop them from escaping afterward.

Can we still "beat them"?

[tarkus]

9.42 says you're justified in using deadly force when it's immediately necessary to prevent arson, but not to stop them from escaping afterward.

Can we still "beat them"?

Only if you're a 98 pound weakling.

A good beating by anybody else is deadly force and legally justified in the same circumstances as shooting.