Warning Shot

[guestpost]

Given a weapon is legally owned and carried, is it ever legal to fire a warning shot to fend off a perceived threat in or outside your home?

 

[army judge]

Given a weapon is legally owned and carried, is it ever legal to fire a warning shot to fend off a perceived threat in or outside your home?

Have you taken a gun safety course?

Warning shots are never encouraged.

There are many common sense reasons to never fire a warning shot.

 

[guestpost]

There was a case recently in Florida where a woman who had legal possen of a weapon fended off a spouse who violated a restraining order and posed a threat to her within her house. Though there were NO injuries, band as far as I know NO previous criminal history, do to the fact her 3 kids were in the house at the time she recieved the mandatory 20 years for this warning shot under Florida' s 10 - 20- life law. As I recall she was in her 30's many debated the severity of penealty of such an act. Its my opion is CALLING THE POLICE would have been the way to go and the gun stays where it was less she was in fear of her life or grave bodily injury, in which case she would have within her rights but simply missed.
Thanks !

 

[mightymoose]

I am familiar with the case you are referring to. The woman fired the shot, but a reasonable and imminent fear of death or great bodily injury was not present. That missing element made her act an unlawful use of deadly force.
Her story made the news during the George Zimmerman trial but it was a media attempt to sensationalize and compare apples to watermelons.

This is actually a great example of why warning shots should never be used, although they are not strictly prohibited by law. Firearms are a means of lethal force and any time you use one it can be assumed the intent was to cause a lethal injury. If not in a situation that justifies lethal force, do not use lethal force.