Are we allowed to shoot firebugs?

[KD5NRH]

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

Please cite where the Texas Penal Code has done away with juries. If you have a gun in your pocket, and instead kick someone to stop them from committing an act that justifies use of deadly force, it will be seen as an attempt to avoid having to kill them.

Of course, to a jury in any rural area, which is likely to include both volunteer firemen and people whose property and family have been threatened by wildfires, any action that stops the guy will be justified. The more painful, the better.

[tarkus]

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.

Bullets leave ballistic evidence and some people don't like talking to the cops.

[KD5NRH]

Bullets leave ballistic evidence and some people don't like talking to the cops.

Ballistic evidence is overrated; IIRC, controlled tests had a 30+% failure rate. (shooting FMJ into gelatin under carefully controlled conditions) People who do like talking to the cops in a situation like that need to be talking to a mental health professional instead.

At any rate, if you're running video and/or calling 911, any claim that you tried to hide your involvement is going to look pretty silly.