Indiana House Approves Bill That Allows Homeowners To Kill Police Officers

[Pudge]

Republicans in Indiana are taking self-defense too far. In a move supported by the National Rifle Association, the Indiana House passed Senate Bill 1, which allows homeowners to shoot and kill police officers they believe are unlawfully on their property or in their homes. The bill could also extend to federal law enforcement officials.



Indiana House Approves Bill That Allows Homeowners To Kill Police Officers | Addicting Info




WHAT?!

Hey Fuzz, got any more on this?

[lewisipso]

Legislative Detail: IN Senate Bill 1 - 2012 Regular Session
Indiana SB0001
Status

March 1 2012 - Returned to the Senate with amendments

Summary
Specifies that a person may use reasonable force against any other person in certain circumstances. Provides that a person is justified in using reasonable force against a law enforcement officer if the person reasonably believes the force is necessary to: (1) protect the person or a third person from unlawful force; (2) prevent or terminate the law enforcement officer's unlawful entry into the person's dwelling; or (3) prevent or terminate the law enforcement officer's criminal interference with property lawfully in the person's possession. Specifies that a person is not justified in using force against a law enforcement officer if: (1) the person is committing or is escaping after the commission of a crime; (2) the person provokes action by the law enforcement officer with intent to injure the law enforcement officer; (3) the person has entered into combat with the law enforcement officer or is the initial aggressor; or (4) the person reasonably believes the law enforcement officer acting lawfully or is engaged in the lawful execution of the law enforcement officer's official duties. Provides that a person is not justified in using deadly force against a law enforcement officer who the person knows or reasonably should know is a law enforcement officer unless: (1) the person reasonably believes that the law enforcement officer is acting unlawfully or is not engaged in the execution of the officer's official duties; and (2) the force is reasonably necessary to prevent serious bodily injury to the person or a third person.

[countybear]

What. the. fuck.?

[lewisipso]

Where does one begin? I've heard of seriously flawed ideas making their way into law but this is one of the worst.
Just a couple of things. 1) define unlawful force without knowing the circumstance. 2) define officer's official duties. This needs to be done by the general citizen at the moment of the "violation". What a joke.

[Rhino]

It's been accepted case law down here- and all over the country- for a while that someone has the right to use the appropriate level of force to resist unlawful arrest. Up to and including lethal force.

[Jks9199]

It's been accepted case law down here- and all over the country- for a while that someone has the right to use the appropriate level of force to resist unlawful arrest. Up to and including lethal force.

True. But codifying it like this, based solely on the summary Lew printed, is going to get someone killed. Though I suppose, if it passes, cops in Indiana will be justified using a full forced entry on any search warrant execution...

[Pudge]

I'm working, so unable to devote a ton of time into researching all of this, but why is this being backed by the NRA?

[Standard Dave]

If you don't like why the police are at your home you can just start shooting

I knew some septics were wackadoodals but thats going to get people dead.

[Xiphos]

I understand these issues being an affirmative defense to prosecution when the cops are mistaken. Legislation like this encourages people who have no understanding of the legal issues to decide what is legally reasonable and apply force to it.

We'll take these issues into consideration in our tactics and how we work. Somebody is going to think they were being "reasonable" and are going to get themselves killed by cops. This is stupid on so many different levels.

[bird1]

WTF!!!!

[Cidp24]

That is sure enough craziness right there.

[countybear]

"A society that makes war against its police, had better make friends with its criminals..."

[jmur5074]

I'm so glad MN doesn't have any laws that allow someone to use force against the police, or resist arrest if they think it's unlawful.

Those matters get decided in a court room, not on the street.

[JLK]

It's been accepted case law down here- and all over the country- for a while that someone has the right to use the appropriate level of force to resist unlawful arrest. Up to and including lethal force.

in TN it is unlawful to restist arrest lawful or otherwise.

[Captain America]

in TN it is unlawful to restist arrest lawful or otherwise.

That's the way it should be. Every criminal you arrest thinks he's innocent. Do you really want the average citizen making deadly force decisions when most of them don't know traffic laws. If it turns out the arrest is bogus , the officer and case can be dealt with through criminal and civil remedies in court. All this law is going to do is increase the number of officer involved shootings.The Indiana House is showing some real love for their LEOs. Was this jackass legislation brought about because of a particular incident or did some politician think up this out of the blue to make a tough job tougher.

[IndianaFuzz]

I don't have anything else to add about this other than it is f*#%ing stupid and will equal dead cops. The average criminal will think that if a cop is in your house or on your property, that you can kill the cop. If this becomes law, the only hope is that when some POS kills a cop, that he would actually get convicted of it. and then pray that there will be deterrent effect. But A) that would mean at least one cop would have to die, and B) I bet a guy could say his intention was to kill the cop, and a court would still find him not guilty. We had a SWAT guy get shot for being on a lady's front porch, and the court said she was justified for shooting him because she didn't recognize who was on her front porch. This law, combined with crappy courts, scares the sh*t out of me. People better get used to getting greeted with my gun everytime I go to anyone's house. If it's going to be open season for anyone to shoot me, I'm going down with lead flying!

[pgg]

Time to start answering every call with the phone and just take a report from the office.

[bayern]

If I recall, the US Supreme Court rulled a few years ago that you have the right to resist (with deadly force) an unlawful arrest. So it would stan.dt, yhou have the right to defend against an unlawful entry.

[Odd]

I would like to know what lead to this legislation.

No good detected in its outcome.

[Rhino]

in TN it is unlawful to restist arrest lawful or otherwise.

I'm sure it's like that in a lot of states, but that law will not hold up in the SCOTUS if it's challenged. The case law has already been established.

I would rather the government live in fear of its citizens than the other way around. It's part of the job and if this law passing makes you feel like you're going to be in perpetual danger. Well, everyone loves a firefighter.