"Luke, I am your father ..."


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A Washington teen who was defending his uncle from a pipe-wielding attacker stabbed the man to death - only to learn he had just killed his own father.

Ralph Paputsakis, 47, showed up at a home in Edgewood, Wash., about 11 p.m. Friday. His son, 46-year-old brother and other relatives were inside, but only the brother went outside to confront him.

It was dark outside the house, and relatives did not know who the mystery attacker was when Paputsakis' 17-year-old son stepped outside, knife in hand, the News Tribune of Tacoma, Wash reported.

"The son went out to protect his uncle and stabbed the attacker nine times, not knowing who it was," sheriff's department spokesman Sgt. Mike Blair told the newspaper.

Paputsakis was rushed to a local hospital, but died on Saturday.

Investigators have not named other members of the family. They are trying to determine what caused Paputsakis to attack his brother, KOMO 4 News reported.

Shortly before his son came outside the home, Paputsakis was pounding his younger sibling over the head with the pipe, police said.

Paputsakis' girlfriend seemed to have no idea what went down between the brothers.

"He was very well loved," Crystal Tate told KOMO 4 News, referring to her dead boyfriend.

"I'm not sure what happened ... he may have just snapped."

Despite the investigation, no arrests have been made in the bizarre and fatal family feud.

"We're going to let the prosecutor review this," Blair told the News Tribune. "At this point, we don't have probable cause [to arrest Paputsakis' son]. It appears that the boy was trying to protect his uncle."

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Sad yes, and from this report entirely justifiable. That the kid didsn't recognize his father indicates that there was some long gap in there relationship, possibly because of dad having other troubles.

The Washington state statute allows use of deadly force in the

"lawful defense of oneself, a family member, or any other person, when there is reasonable ground to prevent action(s) of the person slain to commit a felony or to do injury or harm, and there is imminent danger of such design being accomplished; or in the actual resistance of an attempt to commit a felony upon the slayer, on those in their presence, or upon or in a dwelling, or other place of abode, in which they are."

This isn't a specific Castle Doctrine law, but it has most of the features of one.

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Sad yes, and from this report entirely justifiable. That the kid didsn't recognize his father indicates that there was some long gap in there relationship, possibly because of dad having other troubles.

The Washington state statute allows use of deadly force in the

"lawful defense of oneself, a family member, or any other person, when there is reasonable ground to prevent action(s) of the person slain to commit a felony or to do injury or harm, and there is imminent danger of such design being accomplished; or in the actual resistance of an attempt to commit a felony upon the slayer, on those in their presence, or upon or in a dwelling, or other place of abode, in which they are."

This isn't a specific Castle Doctrine law, but it has most of the features of one.

"pounding his younger sibling over the head with the pipe," One good hit with a pipe can kill someone so I agree.

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I don't think the Castle doctrine is going to help in this case. It might have held up for 1 or 2 stabbings. But 9 times? I don't think so. You're only supposed to use enough force to neutralize an attacker. Any more than that, and it's no longer self defense.

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Unlike a large caliber pistol or shotgun, a knife in the hands of an amateur doesn't have the ability to immediately stop an attacker - which means you keep going until you hit something vital or the attacker succumbs due to shock from the multiple wounds.

I don't see a problem.

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Unlike a large caliber pistol or shotgun, a knife in the hands of an amateur doesn't have the ability to immediately stop an attacker - which means you keep going until you hit something vital or the attacker succumbs due to shock from the multiple wounds.

I don't see a problem.

The article doesn't give us any indication of whether the 9 stabbings were required to neutralize the kid's father, or if the kid continued to stab even after his father fell to the ground.

Stabbings hurt, especially if you get one in the torso. I find it hard to believe it took 9 times in order to get the guy to the ground. Even in the hands of an adrenaline fooled amateur.

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you can actually get stabbed 10+ times and still be fighting, especially if your high on PCP or Meth, which given the circumstances, and the fact meth is big in oregon/washington, I wouldnt doubt it

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you can actually get stabbed 10+ times and still be fighting, especially if your high on PCP or Meth, which given the circumstances, and the fact meth is big in oregon/washington, I wouldnt doubt it

Nor would I. Gawd, it was a pain dealing with combative PCP users - they'd break their own arms and legs fighting the (very necessary!!) restraints.

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Nor would I. Gawd, it was a pain dealing with combative PCP users - they'd break their own arms and legs fighting the (very necessary!!) restraints.

yeah, I just changed my major to Nursing, the one thing im not looking forward to is meth heads. we dont have much of a problem with PCP here
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In these parts dealers would spike low-grade weed with "enhancers" to up its price, and some were pretty strong. PCP, LSD, K....or mix 'n match. Never knew what would roll in the door.

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even if we assume the kid had zero idea that was his father... pulling out a knife and stabbing him 9 times? werent there better ways of separating the two men?

A grown man is swinging a pipe and another grown mans head and apparently hitting it. How would you suggest breaking them up? Getting between them so the man is now swinging the pipe at your head?

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You know how some people are - always trying to introduce proportionality into disproportionate events. This one is disproportionate; you either go balls to the wall to stop him or stand back and let him finish. Nothing in between is going to have much of a beneficial effect on the victims survival.

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