Phoenix resident kills intruder with clothes iron

[Hum]

A suspected burglar was killed early Friday morning after breaking into a Phoenix apartment when the tenant inside hit him in the head with a clothes iron.

Moses Taylor, 20, broke into a window of an apartment in the 2500 block of West Ocotillo Road about 2:53 a.m. Friday morning and woke up a 29-year-old man inside, Phoenix Police Department spokesman Sgt. Tommy Thompson said.

The apartment resident yelled to a man, woman and child in a separate room, who fled the apartment through another window.

During a struggle, the resident struck Taylor in the head with a clothes iron. Taylor was taken to the hospital but died of his injuries on arrival, Thompson said.

Police believe Taylor, who was only wearing a shirt and boxers at the time of the attempted burglary, may have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol, Thompson said.

Police are investigating the incident as a homicide but believe the apartment resident was acting in self-defense, Thompson said.

source

[M_Lyons10]

Everyone should have the right to defend themselves. If they are in your home uninvited, it's game on as far as I'm concerned... Should we just let them kill us? I hope they have such rights in Phoenix... It's outragious the laws that have been put in place to protect thieves...

[Gerowen]

The word homicide was even brought up? If a person enters your home uninvited in the middle of the night and just happens to end up dead, they had it coming in my opinion.

[bjoswald]

I would have done the same thing. No sympathy for intruders whatsoever.

[Nothing Here]

An officer once told me that if someone breaks into your home and you kill them, you better make sure he/they had a weapon of the same type as you used. If not, your going to jail for murder. Of course, more then likely you will be acquitted of all charges. But you never know.

Even burglars have rights. Go figure.

[LittleNeutrino Veteran]

why would they investigate it as homicide if the person broke into their home?

[Nothing Here]

why would they investigate it as homicide if the person broke into their home?

Technically, the burglar was murdered. But they will have to prove it was self-defense.

[Hum]

^ Technically, murder is a legal term, if a killing was not justified.

[Rippleman]

justified

[DocM]

Under the newer Castle Doctrine and similar variants intruders are pretty much fair game, and in the vast majority of States the presumption is that it was a 'justifiable homicide' until proven otherwise. Not too many places require you to retreat or "prove" justification anymore. Nor do they require the intruder be armed - a perp hopped up on meth etc. can be quite deadly without one.

[FMH]

The iron straightened him.

[FMH]

I would have done the same thing. No sympathy for intruders whatsoever.

Most burglars are a product of neccecity. And this particular person may have been under the influence of drugs, as stated in the article.

So, I think we should have some compassion for them.

[ILikeTobacco]

Maybe the resident should have tried to subdue him first right Doc? :D :shiftyninja:

[Hum]

I'm not defending burglars, but I doubt the majority of them are intending to hurt anyone.

They just want to steal & run.

Yes, I realize you can't always know which is which.

[DocM]

Indeed you can't, so you don't put your family at risk.

Also, "subdue" my rear end. The story implies a struggle, which wouldn't have even started under my roof.

911: 911, how may I help you?

Me: we just had a home invasion. Bring a body bag.

[ILikeTobacco]

Subdue my rear end. The story implies a struggle, which wouldn't have even started under my roof.

911: 911, how may I help you?

Me: we just had a home invasion. Bring a body bag.

Lol you know I agree with you.

[t_r_nelson]

We need to get irons off our streets! There's way too much appliance violence these days.

:p

[Hum]

^ Don't forget those deadly frying pans ! :woot:

[Southern Patriot]

An officer once told me that if someone breaks into your home and you kill them, you better make sure he/they had a weapon of the same type as you used. If not, your going to jail for murder.

That officer was an utter moron. Unless you happen to be in a state not covered by castle laws of some sort (of which there aren't many anymore), then it doesn't matter if they had any sort of weapon at all. You are within your rights to use deadly force to stop them once they enter your home.

[Nothing Here]

That officer was an utter moron. Unless you happen to be in a state not covered by castle laws of some sort (of which there aren't many anymore), then it doesn't matter if they had any sort of weapon at all. You are within your rights to use deadly force to stop them once they enter your home.

This is why I wish I was still living in Texas and not in California......

[ILikeTobacco]

That officer was an utter moron. Unless you happen to be in a state not covered by castle laws of some sort (of which there aren't many anymore), then it doesn't matter if they had any sort of weapon at all. You are within your rights to use deadly force to stop them once they enter your home.

Yep. Recently a single mom in Oklahoma shot an intruder that was coming in with a knife. She killed him. His accomplice ran off, was later in police custody, and then charged with first degree murder.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/05/okla-mom-shoots-intruder-no-charges_n_1186096.html

[Tuishimi]

Everyone should have the right to defend themselves. If they are in your home uninvited, it's game on as far as I'm concerned... Should we just let them kill us? I hope they have such rights in Phoenix... It's outragious the laws that have been put in place to protect thieves...

Are you kidding? I live in greater Phoenix. They SAY they are investigating (they have to), but it's cut and dry. There have been other cases where I might have said, "hmmmmmm..." that have been let go as self-defense.

[edit]

Reading my own response I was confused by myself. LOL! What I am saying is you are correct, and there is no question in this case, the police just have to follow protocol and say "yeah we are making sure"...

[Tuishimi]

Under the newer Castle Doctrine and similar variants intruders are pretty much fair game, and in the vast majority of States the presumption is that it was a 'justifiable homicide' until proven otherwise. Not too many places require you to retreat or "prove" justification anymore. Nor do they require the intruder be armed - a perp hopped up on meth etc. can be quite deadly without one.

You have a nice collection, based on your sig! I have a S&W SD40 and a good old Model 64 Revolver. I love revolvers. Soooo off-topic but I would also like to shoot a newer Ruger .45... see what that is like.

[DocM]

Those are nice weapons.

I have non-autos too, ranging from a Ruger Single-Six .22/.22 Mag and a Super Blackhawk .44 Mag to a Magnum Research BFR .500 Mag and a T/C Contender in .45/70. Those last two require a bit of strength to manage :p

[Southern Patriot]

This is why I wish I was still living in Texas and not in California......

Ah, yes, California. The state that, IMHO, needs to be forcibly ejected from the US. Their legislature passes so many laws that are clearly in violation of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, but of course the money from the movie industry buys a LOT of leniency from the courts.