Further Proof That Texans Are Some Trigger-Happy Crackers

Texan Kills Thieves: Hero or Homicidal?

Quote:

Texan kills thieves: Hero or homicidal?

By LIZ AUSTIN PETERSON Associated Press Writer
© 2007 The Associated Press

HOUSTON — The cha-chick of a shell entering a shotgun's chamber rattled through the 911 line just before Joe Horn stepped out his front door.

Horn, 61, had phoned police when he saw two men break into his neighbor's suburban Houston home through a window in broad daylight. Now they were getting away with a bag of loot.

"Don't go outside the house," the 911 operator pleaded. "You're going to get yourself shot if you go outside that house with a gun. I don't care what you think."

"You want to make a bet?" Horn answered. "I'm going to kill them."

He did.

Admirers, including several of his neighbors, say Horn is a hero for killing the burglars, protecting his neighborhood and sending a message to would-be criminals. Critics call him a loose cannon. His attorney says Horn just feared for his life.

Prosecuting Horn could prove difficult in Texas, where few people sympathize with criminals and many have an almost religious belief in the right to self-defense. The case could test the state's self-defense laws, which allow people to use deadly force in certain situations to protect themselves, their property and their neighbors' property.

Horn was home in Pasadena, about 15 miles southeast of Houston, on Nov. 14 when he heard glass breaking, said his attorney, Tom Lambright. He looked out the window and saw 38-year-old Miguel Antonio DeJesus and 30-year-old Diego Ortiz using a crowbar to break out the rest of the glass.

He grabbed a 12-gauge shotgun and called 911, Lambright said.

"Uh, I've got a shotgun," he told the dispatcher. "Uh, do you want me to stop them?"

"Nope, don't do that," the dispatcher responded. "Ain't no property worth shooting somebody over, OK?"

Horn and the dispatcher spoke for several minutes, during which Horn pleaded with the dispatcher to someone to catch the men and vowed not to let them escape. Over and over, the dispatcher told him to stay inside. Horn repeatedly said he couldn't.

When the men crawled back out the window carrying a bag, Horn began to sound increasingly frantic.

"Well, here it goes, buddy," Horn said as a shell clicked into the chamber. "You hear the shotgun clicking, and I'm going."

A few seconds passed.

"Move," Horn can be heard saying on the tape. "You're dead."

Boom.

Click.

Boom.

Click.

Boom.

Horn redialed 911 and told the dispatcher what he'd done.

"I had no choice," he said, his voice shaking. "They came in the front yard with me, man. I had no choice. Get somebody over here quick."

Lambright said Horn had intended to take a look around when he left his house and instead came face to face with the burglars, standing 10 to 12 feet from him in his yard.

Horn is heavyset and middle-aged and would have been no match in a physical confrontation with the two men, who were young and strong, Lambright said. So when one or both of them "made lunging movements," Horn fired in self-defense, he said.

Family members of the two shooting victims have made few public statements.

Diamond Morgan, Ortiz's widow, who has an 8-month-old son with him, told Houston television station KTRK that she was stunned by Horn's statements on the 911 tape. "It's horrible," she said. "He was so eager, so eager to shoot."

The Associated Press could not find a telephone listing for Morgan.

Pasadena police were still investigating Monday and planned to present their findings to Harris County prosecutors within the next two weeks, police spokesman Vance Mitchell said. From there, it is expected to be presented to a grand jury. In the meantime, Horn remains uncharged.

Texas law allows people to use deadly force to protect themselves if it is reasonable to believe they could otherwise be killed. In some cases, people also can use deadly force to protect their neighbors' property; for example, if a homeowner asks a neighbor to watch over his property while he's out of town.

At issue is whether it was reasonable for Horn to fear the men and whether his earlier threats on the 911 call showed he planned to kill them no matter what, said Fred C. Moss, who teaches criminal law at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: The only good thing to have ever come out of Texas is Stevie Ray Vaughan.

THAT'S RIGHT, GECH. I SAID IT.

EDIT: Now with Audio Goodness (on YouTube).

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Seriously. I own two guns and, while I don't personally ever see myself aiming to put anyone down for good with them, I don't exactly see why I can't if I feel my safety or the safety of my family is threatened. If fuckers are breaking into my house to steal my shit, you better believe I'm at least going to put a slug in his/her leg just to show these fuckers I mean business. I've attempted to do it before... but I missed.

I'm not a very good shot.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Tails

Texas is a world apart man, something you'd do well not to forget. I believe Texas' penal code extends rights not only to your own property but that of your neighbors as well.

I have actually heard this as well although I'm quite sure that the rights to protect your neighbor's land with deadly force are only extended through expressed permission although I'm not sure if it has to be down on paper or not. Mikey would probably know this better than I.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Bradylama

Well Christ, Paco that's because you're not fucking Robocop and should always aim for center mass, that guy could've killed you. =/

Yeah well... I was only 16 at the time. I kinda didn't know any better.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Look... All I'm saying is: Aim for the kneecaps, you fuckwits. It hurts a lot more than you think and you can avoid the "AWW HELL NAW! THEM NIGGAS AIN'T TAKIN' MY STRAP" argument.

I was speaking idiomatically.

See, I agree with all that except for the KILLING part. You can still take a couple of hoodlums off the street if you blow one of his legs off instead of, you know, his HEAD.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

God... Why does EVERYTHING have to be a race issue? I'm actually with one of the protesters: This is a CRIMINAL issue. While I personally don't condone his straight-up vigilante actions, even if he IS charged with a crime I would hate to see this turn into a bitter race rivalry when it clearly is nowhere near that territory.

On the other hand, I don't see anything wrong with their protest either so I kind of have to wonder why these people are claiming ever-so-matter-of-factly "we don't wanna hear anything he has to say!"... Maybe you should, lady. Perhaps he's NOT there to play the race card this time.

FELIPE NO