Man says he killed mugger fleeing on bike in South Dallas

[Mando'a]

I like to think I am a tough-guy, but I can not guarantee that I would shoot someone if I did not feel that it was absolutely necessary. It is all based on the exact circumstances.
The time I caught a burglar in my brothers house frantically trying to remove the giant TV in the front-room typifies how I feel about this topic.
When he realized I was behind him, he grabbed a power cable and turned around with it cocked as if he were going to hit me with it. At the same time he realized I was holding a Glock 27 on him. The look in his eyes told me that he figured out who the potential winners and losers were going to be, and he hightailed it out the open front-door.
I guess that if I had really pushed things I could have justified taking a shot at him when he raised the cable to swing it at me (though I would have had to lie and say I felt it was endangering my life).
The bottom-line is that I am not going to shoot just because I can. I am sure that if he had had a gun and I was convinced he was going to use it he would have been shot. And yes, I realize that you shouldn't be trying to guess and lose the draw, but hey, that is how it is.

That's pretty cool for you to admit.

I'm not certain I could do it either. Especially, since you literally had him out-gunned.

Hopefully, I'll never have to take that decision.

[PRO]

This is from the Dallasnews.com

"Hall told police he handed his wallet to Lewis, who started to ride away on a bicycle. " "Hall shot Lewis in the torso, the buttocks and the head, according to Lewis' sister"

It's hard to hit a target in the stomach who's riding away.

This case is under investigation and these and many more questions are being asked.

As [abbreviated profanity deleted] the other post, the reason I decided to get a CHL is in June, I ran into someone who I put away for 15 years in a store and he remembered me. 6 years SAPD.

[Keith B]

It says torso, which is completely around the body, not just the front. No mention of stomach, but a shot from the rear of the torso will likely enter the stomach. Also, riding away can mean riding perpendicular to the victim, which he could have been shooting from his bike sideways at the guy he just robbed. The statement is from a family member of the BG. Plus, you left out that the guy shot at the victim as he was riding away, the bullet struck the victims pickup, and the victim was just returning fire. If you want to paraphrase, then make sure you put all parts in the post.

None of us on this forum have the information that the police have. Until they say there is something that makes them believe it was not a valid self defense event, then I am going to assume they feel it was a good shoot.

[PRO]

"Plus, you left out that the guy shot at the victim as he was riding away, the bullet struck the victims pickup, and the victim was just returning fire."

As you said, none of us has the report so we don't know if this is true. This is for the Grand Jury to decide,. I just find some things odd about it.

Why is it so offensive for me to notice things that don’t seem right? Because he’s a CHL he can do no wrong? I’m not pointing out anything that I wouldn’t have looked at when I was with the PD.

[Hoi Polloi]

If anyone was in a position to say the guy got shot in the back and was no longer a threat but was mowed down in cold blood, it would have been his sister making that claim. She doesn't, though, and they quoted her extensively. The chain of events doesn't seem funny to me.

[Keith B]

Trunk or torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies (including that of the human) from which extend the neck and limbs.

Central part does not say front or back. Could be both.

"Plus, you left out that the guy shot at the victim as he was riding away, the bullet struck the victims pickup, and the victim was just returning fire."

As you said, none of us has the report so we don't know if this is true. This is for the Grand Jury to decide,. I just find some things odd about it.

Why is it so offensive for me to notice things that don’t seem right? Because he’s a CHL he can do no wrong? I’m not pointing out anything that I wouldn’t have looked at when I was with the PD.

I too am a former LEO. And sure, a CHL can get it wrong. However, we have too many people who are always looking to try and show that a CHL holder 'didn't do it right'. When you start making inferences that this is the case in this event, then it seems you are trying to say this guy is guilty until proven innocent. If you were directly involved in the investigation, then I would see your negativity as a valid view. However, you aren't, so trying to read things into this without the facts is just looking to paint a bad view of CHL'ers IMO. Why can't we assume the positive side instead of the negative, and say he was more than likely justified? I see this skepticism too much these days. I think people have become very jaded because they see so much negative happen. They feel there must be something fishy about every event. Unless we have evidence to believe otherwise (which none of us do), then I say let's give this guy the benefit of the doubt that he had to defend himself and it was a justified shooting. Apparently the police feel so. And, any shooting will be presented to the Grand Jury for review, good, bad or otherwise. So until we have something else to fall back on, I say this guy did it right.

[PRO]

Hopefully time will prove that I was completely wrong and I was stupid for ever doubting it. I want him to be right and the shoot justified. I guess I should assume the positive instead of the negative, however, if I were truly assuming the positive then I wouldn’t have applied for a CHL.

[Keith B]

Hopefully time will prove that I was completely wrong and I was stupid for ever doubting it. I want him to be right and the shoot justified. I guess I should assume the positive instead of the negative, however, if I were truly assuming the positive then I wouldn’t have applied for a CHL.

Then you should assume the positive for the CHL, and the negative for the guy who robbed him, and not the other way around. Wanting to get your CHL should mean you view CHL'ers on the good side and by becoming one you want to be able to protect yourself from the bad things out there, and that you are not a trigger-happy vigilante out to shoot everything that looks cross-ways at you.

Having the right attitude about obtaining a CHL and carrying a gun is imperative. If a person has the wrong perspective on why they need to carry a gun, then it is just a disaster waiting to happen.

[Bob in Big D]

Based on past history of CHL convictions Mr Hall has less than .3% chance of being Billed by the GJ and convicted of anything. I believe he did the right thing in his own self protection. http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administra ... rt2007.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
God Bless Texas!

[Tamie]

If the facts are as reported the grand jury should no bill him. Legally and morally.

If the criminal dropped the gun and flees, that's very different than him staying armed, no matter which direction he's moving or facing.

[Beiruty]

As follow up, there was another shooting while in the process of committing an aggravated d felony robbery. This time, the robbers shot the victim since he has no money.

http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/archive ... id-he.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just tell the sister of the robber who was killed why such activity are deadly.

[LaserTex]

I know I would have difficulty shooting a guy in the back. But if he had taken shots at me, all bets are off.

I might just hafta shoot. Ever had to call and get everything cancelled and reissued. CHL, Driver's License, Credit Cards. That's a real pain.

[Mando'a]

As follow up, there was another shooting while in the process of committing an aggravated d felony robbery. This time, the robbers shot the victim since he has no money.

http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/archive ... id-he.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just tell the sister of the robber who was killed why such activity are deadly.

That's the part that really worries me.
I rarely carry money on me.

I use debit when needed.

I try to keep $50 in my car, for just in case.

[Mando'a]

I know I would have difficulty shooting a guy in the back. But if he had taken shots at me, all bets are off.

I might just hafta shoot. Ever had to call and get everything cancelled and reissued. CHL, Driver's License, Credit Cards. That's a real pain.

I've had to call for re-issue, not fun.


**edited, forgot to add pithy comment

[snorri]

I know it's not admissible at trial, but is the grand jury allowed to know the criminal history of the parties involved?