What's With People?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-11-2009
What's With People?
52
Sat, 05-09-2009 - 1:53am

There was a thread on here about a man in Texas who had called 911 to report that the house next door was being robbed.  The man left his home despite the protestations of the 911 operator that he stay put in the safety of his home.  He went out and shot and killed the robbers as they were leaving the scene of the crime.  The vigilante was cleared of all charges because Texas has a law that basically sends the message, "shoot first, ask questions later."  Well, a Texas couple shot four people, two were children.  If the child dies, should they be charged with manslaughter or homocide or should they walk, because of Texas' special law?


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30650051


Couple accused of shooting 4, including 2 kids


Texas authorities say victims were off-roading when they were fired upon

Off Road Shooting


Gale and Sheila Muhs, seen here in booking photos, are accused of shooting four people, including two children


Fri., May 8, 2009


HOUSTON - A couple has been accused of opening fire and wounding four people — including a 7-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl — who they mistakenly thought were trespassing on their property.


The victims, who were off-roading near a residential area about 40 miles northeast of Houston, were struck with shotgun pellets late Thursday after stopping their vehicles near the Trinity River so the children could go to the bathroom, said Liberty County Chief Deputy Ken DeFoor.


Police said resident Sheila Muhs, 45, fired once with a 12-gauge shotgun, then handed it to her husband, Gayle Muhs, also 45. DeFoor said Sheila Muhs called 911 and told the dispatcher, "They're out here tearing up the levee, so I shot them."


The Muhs have been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and remained in jail Friday. The Muhs don't have an attorney yet to comment on their case, DeFoor said.


Donald Coffey Jr., the 7-year-old boy, was shot in the head and was in critical condition Friday. Patrick Cammack, a friend of the boy's father who was driving in a separate vehicle, also was shot in the head and in critical condition.


Donald Coffey Sr., 36, had a pellet wound in his right shoulder. His daughter, 5-year-old Destiny, was shot in the elbow but was in good condition.


After the shootings, Coffey's wife, who also was riding in the SUV, drove the vehicle to a nearby fire station, where the victims were taken by helicopter to a hospital. The right rear window of the SUV had been shattered, and pellet marks covered the side of the vehicle, DeFoor said.


The victims said Coffey and Cammack took a county road to a residential levee in the Westlake subdivision near the Trinity River.


According to an 11-year-old boy who was also with the off-roading group, they did not stop on the levee but by the side of the road, DeFoor said.


Shortly afterward, DeFoor said, the shots were fired from about 40 yards away. DeFoor said the victims were unarmed.


"The levee is not private property, it belongs to the subdivision," said DeFoor. "Even if they were on the levee, it's not a shootable offense. It's ludicrous to shoot someone for going to the bathroom on the side of the road.">>>


http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/012008dnmetfightingback.6a8cbd.html


'Castle law' arms Texas homeowners with right to shoot
 

We Can Do It ~Opal~Photobucket

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-11-2009
Sun, 05-10-2009 - 12:18am
I had to look up Durst to spark my memory. He was a total kook too. I am just struck that the jury acquitted him despite him having admitted the murder.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Sun, 05-10-2009 - 11:25am

>"The Muhses, both 45, are charged with aggravated assault and are being held in the Liberty County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail each. The couple is expected to appear in state district court in the coming week."<


Only $25,000 bail!!!! What's with that? Bail should have a couple more zeros added IMO.


They're both only 45 yrs. old? They look much, much

 


Photobucket&nbs

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-05-2009
Sun, 05-10-2009 - 11:46am

Well, the amount of bail isn't always set just by the seriousness of the crime alone (and no one had died at the time it was set), but more on likelihood of re-offense or to flee before trial.


I bet they can't come up with the $10,000 needed to bond themselves out.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-05-2009
Sun, 05-10-2009 - 12:09pm

I want to add that I don't believe it's always best to wait until you're in fear of your life to be able to take control of the situation with a gun, shooting if you have to.


In Central Texas, in the past few years I can think of two cases right off bat where the people didn't pull a gun in time, and died.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-11-2009
Mon, 05-11-2009 - 1:18am
I think it a different culture where you are - lots of land, lots of distance to the nearest source of rescue. Here we live in fairly densely populated communities. If we dial 911, the police will be there quite quickly. There isn't a need to have guns to protect property because most people have homeowners' or renters' insurance, and there isn't a feeling that we need guns for self-defense. Lots of people do have guns (my son has several), but the sense of need isn't there.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Mon, 05-11-2009 - 7:58am

Exactly!


 


Photobucket&nbs

Avatar for ddnlj
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 05-11-2009 - 8:18am

That's why it's so wrong to give every nut and his brother a gun in this country. It gives people too much power and they think they can control every situation. There are too many people who believe a gun is the answer and will use it without even considering an alternative.


Many years ago a man was awakened in the middle of the night

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-11-2009
Mon, 05-11-2009 - 10:01am
I think that in an indirect way, I see how the Texas-type attitude played out over the last several years. Both Bush and Cheney were from (lived in) states where people may feel the need to use deadly force due to prevailing attitudes about protecting property and self. I think the attitude may have led to both of them trying to justify their overreaction after 911. Yes, I do believe that we needed to find the people who organized 911 and capture or kill them, so I can sort of justify removing the Taliban in Afghanistan who were sheltering BinLaden. But...using the justification that "911 changed everything," they went after Saddam. There was no need to do so, but they just did it. They were going to eliminate what they figured could be a risk some day despite the fact that Saddam was "contained." They just took the events of 911 and went over-the-top with the justifications. I don't know how many times I heard, "but 911 changed everything," and I think that in their minds they believed that was justification enough to do what they did. The fact that it could cost thousands more American lives didn't seem to resonate, because they were like the guy you mentioned who went to his vacant vacation property and shot the child. Their thought process was that deadly force was acceptable no matter what the outcome could be.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-05-2009
Mon, 05-11-2009 - 10:55am

I wish I knew the

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-05-2009
Mon, 05-11-2009 - 11:21am

I think that in an indirect way, I see how the Texas-type attitude played out over the last several years. Both Bush and Cheney were from (lived in) states where people may feel the need to use deadly force due to prevailing attitudes about protecting property and self. I think the attitude may have led to both of them trying to justify their overreaction after 911.


So... are Texans shooting people, or their attitudes about guns,