Home Defense/Protection Program?

[Razgrizo]

I'm just curious... Not to be an *** or asking weird/lame questions, but I've heard a lot of gun owners also used their firearms to protect their family/house. I'm starting to see training/programs for this use but what keeps me wondering. If you're at a point where you're face to face (you as a person armed with a handgun) with the intruder holding one of your family member hostage where you're in a situation that you can't call the police and your only option is to engage him. While doing so, you can also get yourself in to critical issues where you can lead yourself to jail or sued by the family member of the intruder you shot. I might plan on taking one of these courses and hopefully it might explain a few things about (hopefully it is worth it), but with the law here in California about self-defense, how does it work?

- Sorry if this is the wrong place to post.

[oaklander]

See:

http://ag.ca.gov/firearms/forms/pdf/Cfl2006.pdf - starting at about page 30.

[ibbryn]

You absolutely should take a course to help you learn when you can and can't use lethal force. There are many good ones available.

The book HOW TO OWN A GUN AND STAY OUT OF JAIL is a good start till you get the course.

[Rob454]

If the above scenario happens in my house I can tell you that the intruder will not find him/her self in court with me. The way I see it is Im alive they are dead. it happend in my house and he had my wife/kid/family hostage. You really think Im gonna give a crap if I go to jail AFTER I kill the intruder or his low life family is gonna sue me?
The family will probably sue you regardless if the guy is dead or injured so you really are in a no win situation. personally there will only be two way s out of my house at that point. Either me in a body bag or him in a body bag.
Rob

[M. Sage]

I'm just curious... Not to be an *** or asking weird/lame questions, but I've heard a lot of gun owners also used their firearms to protect their family/house. I'm starting to see training/programs for this use but what keeps me wondering. If you're at a point where you're face to face (you as a person armed with a handgun) with the intruder holding one of your family member hostage where you're in a situation that you can't call the police and your only option is to engage him. While doing so, you can also get yourself in to critical issues where you can lead yourself to jail or sued by the family member of the intruder you shot. I might plan on taking one of these courses and hopefully it might explain a few things about (hopefully it is worth it), but with the law here in California about self-defense, how does it work?

- Sorry if this is the wrong place to post.

With CA's laws as they are now, the odds of you ending up in prison in the above situation are pretty much zero, barring a really really REALLY effed-up trial.

You have a "presumed reasonable fear" under CA law if someone breaks into your home and you're in it. Seriously, the laws here aren't terribly different from Castle, but CA lacks the protection from civil action.

[oaklander]

+1 for what Msage said.

The self defense laws in Cali aren't that bad, compared to the onerous firearms restrictions we live under.

The following book, by Col. Jeff Cooper, is short - but it has some great insight into the state of mind required for good self-defense:

http://www.amazon.com/Principles-Personal-Defense-Jeff-Cooper/dp/0873644972

The below book was mentioned above - it's very good - and there are updates online:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Own-Gun-Stay-Jail/dp/0964286432

[rassd71]

After a recent break in on a vacant house I asked the responding Sheriffs deputies what can I do if I'm home and this happens. The first deputy began with the call the police and try to lock yourself in your room line... when I looked at him like he was an idiot, one of the other deputies stepped forward and said 'do what you have to do' and 'you may have to go to court and explain it to your peers.'

If it's a justifiable situation, then I'll face a group of my peers. The old slogan, tried by 12 or carried by 6!

[M. Sage]

Lol, Amazon is neat. Check out the 100 most-used words from Col. Cooper's book:

http://www.amazon.com/Principles-Personal-Defense-Jeff-Cooper/dp/sitb-next/0873644972/ref=sbx_txt/103-7112797-1287812#textstats

I think I'll have to order that one. I have last year's edition of "How to Own a Gun and Stay Out of Jail..."

[Richard]

I'm just curious... Not to be an *** or asking weird/lame questions, but I've heard a lot of gun owners also used their firearms to protect their family/house. I'm starting to see training/programs for this use but what keeps me wondering. If you're at a point where you're face to face (you as a person armed with a handgun) with the intruder holding one of your family member hostage where you're in a situation that you can't call the police and your only option is to engage him. While doing so, you can also get yourself in to critical issues where you can lead yourself to jail or sued by the family member of the intruder you shot. I might plan on taking one of these courses and hopefully it might explain a few things about (hopefully it is worth it), but with the law here in California about self-defense, how does it work?

- Sorry if this is the wrong place to post.

Very prudent to take a course....or any # of instructional videos would also be helpful.

As far as the scenario regarding legal ramifications in regards to a family hostage situation.....Ha, I wouldn't even think twice....first clear shot I get, he's going down hard.


Ibbryn pointed out a good ,informative book to start with.