Texas mother shoots man trying to steal car with children inside

[ncoday]

On 7/6/2018 at 2:13 PM, PsYcHoKiLLa said:

...and you know for sure that he knew there were kids in the car? Thanks for the insinuation by the way

Doesn't matter, ignorance is no excuse. That's why you don't do stupid stuff, like stealing someone's car.

[ncoday]

On 7/7/2018 at 7:53 AM, FloatingFatMan said:

Actually, he didn't kidnap anyone because he was shot before he could, and rightly so.

 

However, wishing him dead, AFTER the incident and way beyond the heat of the moment? That's despicable. Yes he's a criminal, and yes you have every right to use lethal force to protect you and yours during any incident, but once it's all over you don't get to wish the guy dead without criticism.

Actually he did, the minute he jumped in and tried to drive off, he was attempting to take physical custody of individuals he had no legal right to do so, thus kidnapping.

[Yazoo]

Quote

Police say she grabbed her gun and shot the carjacker in the face when he refused to stop, causing him to crash.

This is what I have a problem with.  She jumped into the back seat with her children and fired a gun at close proximity causing  a crash.  By doing so SHE endangered her own children as well.  It could have gone very wrong for her but pure luck only the idiot carjacker got hurt. 

[firey]

11 hours ago, FloatingFatMan said:

Of course you would, any parent would. But somehow I don't think you'd be wishing death on the guy after the incident was over and he was in custody.

I hold grudges. I would end up hoping that what he did gets leaked in jail and the inmates have their fun with the person, and once they got out if alive, I would make them wish they had been killed.

[techbeck]

Do not keep your kids in the car with the keys/car running.  Stupid/bad and lazy parenting.  My parents have 4 of us to take care of and they never did this.  Even went temps were below 0.  Always took us in the store regardless if it they will be only a few min.  All it takes is a few seconds of looking away for something bad to happen.  What I hear most about kid drownings each year is "I only looked away for a second".  Same situation here.

 

Guy was shot, kids are safe.  For the lady wishing she would have killed the guy, or hoping she did, just shows the character of the woman.   If there was any harm done to the kids, I can see making a comment like that but IMO, was uncalled for.  Almost sounds like she is wanting to hurt others with comments like that.  The guy got instant karma and is suffering enough I am sure.

23 minutes ago, firey said:

I hold grudges. I would end up hoping that what he did gets leaked in jail and the inmates have their fun with the person, and once they got out if alive, I would make them wish they had been killed.

You would make them wish they would have been killed when they got out? How would you make them wish they had been killed?

[firey]

17 minutes ago, techbeck said:

You would make them wish they would have been killed when they got out? How would you make them wish they had been killed?

Don't you worry young one. Can't reveal all my secrets now can I?

[techbeck]

Just now, firey said:

Don't you worry young one. Can't reveal all my secrets now can I?

Umm, ok then. 

 

Anything you do do to make him wish he was killed will land you in your own legal trouble.   The guy already got what was coming to him, kids are safe, case closed.  One of the problems with people these day is not knowing when to make a big/further deal out of something and when to know just to let things go.  If I was in this situation, I would be happy my kids are safe and the guy is in custody and will be processed and made accountable for what he did.  I would also not wish further harm on the guy either. 

 

And no, not a young one.

[firey]

41 minutes ago, techbeck said:

Umm, ok then. 

 

Anything you do do to make him wish he was killed will land you in your own legal trouble.   The guy already got what was coming to him, kids are safe, case closed.  One of the problems with people these day is not knowing when to make a big/further deal out of something and when to know just to let things go.  If I was in this situation, I would be happy my kids are safe and the guy is in custody and will be processed and made accountable for what he did.  I would also not wish further harm on the guy either. 

 

And no, not a young one.

Again.. can't reveal all my secrets, old man.

[techbeck]

6 minutes ago, firey said:

Again.. can't reveal all my secrets, old man.

Dodging the question and as so, I doubt you would do anything but not going to argue it anymore.  Guy got his punishment and even more so once charges are filed and he is convicted. 

 

And I also find it funny that no one is talking about the fact that the kids were left unattended in a running car.  But it is easier to blame the person doing something than to look at yourself and what you could have done differently to prevent something like this from happening.  How lots of things are dealt with these days and it is lazy.   Plus, the mother left the kids in her car with a loaded unsecured gun.   If found by the car jacker or the kids, situation could have been much much worse.

[firey]

Just now, techbeck said:

Dodging the question.....I doubt you would do anything but not going to argue it anymore.  Guy got his punishment and even more so once charges are filed and he is convicted. 

 

And I also find it funny that no one is talking about the fact that the kids were left unattended in a running car.  But it is easier to blame the guy doing something than to look at yourself and what you could have done differently to prevent something like this from happening.  How lots of things are dealt with these days  Plus, the mother left the kids in her car with a loaded unsecured gun.   If found by the car jacker or the kids, situation could have been much much worse.

Why would anyone ever willingly incriminate themselves? 

 

Also kids aside just because you left a vehicle running doesn't make it okay for some dbag to steal it.

 

I've got instruments in my vehicle my kids have never seen, or touched them. 

[techbeck]

3 minutes ago, firey said:

Also kids aside just because you left a vehicle running doesn't make it okay for some dbag to steal it.

 

I've got instruments in my vehicle my kids have never seen, or touched them. 

Never said it was OK to steal if the keys were left in the car.  I had said that the situation could have been avoided and it bad lazy parenting to do so.   And congrats on your kids.  I bet those parents who leave their weapons unsecured and they kids get a hold of them and are now dead thought similar things.  Kids are curious and just because they are not doing something now, does not mean they wont do it later on.  Be safe and take precautions or else, may end up regretting those decisions later on.

[shockz]

7 minutes ago, techbeck said:

And I also find it funny that no one is talking about the fact that the kids were left unattended in a running car.  

What's wrong with leaving your kids in a car for a short amount of time? Parents post-2000s did this all the time, and it wasn't until overbearing mommy's budded their nose into everyone's business and had to come up with crazy worst possible scenarios to scare authorities into making this child endagerment. With remote start as well, can leave AC/heater on for these short trips, but can take the keys with you. More nanny state issues. Lazy parenting? No. Minding your own business? Absolutely. 

[techbeck]

23 minutes ago, shockz said:

What's wrong with leaving your kids in a car for a short amount of time? Parents post-2000s did this all the time, and it wasn't until overbearing mommy's budded their nose into everyone's business and had to come up with crazy worst possible scenarios to scare authorities into making this child endagerment. With remote start as well, can leave AC/heater on for these short trips, but can take the keys with you. More nanny state issues. Lazy parenting? No.  

What is wrong?  Because this is not the 1st, 2nd, or 1000th time cars have been stolen because people leave their keys in the car.   Coworker had both cars stolen in one night because he left his keys in the car.  Also, times change.  Town I grew up in never locked their doors at night, they do so now.  Just because something worked a certain way 18 + years ago, does not mean it holds true today.    Remote start, different story and does not pertain to this incident.

 

Do not leave your keys in the car, especially with kids, and issues like this are avoided.  The guy stealing the car was completely in the wrong and will, and is, paying for it.  But when something like this happens and the first thing to do is blame the person and not looking at any other angles, not really doing a good job analyzing the situation and leaves it open to happen again. 

 

Anyway, I made my point and am just repeating myself at this point.  Everyone is safe, people are being held accountable, and hopefully the lady is smarter in how she takes care of her kids. 

 

Edit:  Several thousand cars stolen in TX alone in a 2yr period because people leave their keys in the car.  Some states, you even get tickets for leaving keys in the car and some insurance companies will not cover this.  Called negligence.  Imagine that.

http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2018/jan/12/robert-chody/nearly-half-texas-vehicle-thefts-keys-left-inside-/

https://www.carinsurance.com/leaving-keys-inside-car.aspx

Edited July 10, 2018 by techbeck

[DConnell Member]

On 7/9/2018 at 6:06 PM, theyarecomingforyou said:

It really comes down to two things: genetics and environment. Genetics play a role in character but the environment plays a much more substantial role. You may have had a difficult upbringing and that may have made you a stronger character; his difficulty may have been very different and had you been in that same situation you likely would have ended up in the same position. Maybe he was genetically predisposed to violence but then how do we judge people in that position? A like-for-like comparison is impossible so we will never know.

I don't live in perpetual fear, pyschologically preparing myself to kill someone at a moment's notice. I live in a country that has sensible gun restrictions so that gun violence is not something I have to worry about. Carjackings are pretty much unheard of here. Your relentless fear and negativity is not representitive of my day-to-day experience. Maybe that's what it takes to survive where you are—and if so I am sorry for that—but not where I am.

 

And here you are, still absolving the criminal of responsibility for his actions because of "environment".

 

I don't "live in perpetual fear". I simply prioritize my own safety and that of those I care for above that of someone who may attack. I'm a black belt, but I've never needed to use that skill for defense. Nor do I seek out occasions in which I might need to do so. But if threatened, I would not hesitate to use whatever force is needed to end the situation. No more force than needed, and certainly not less.

 

There's a difference between being afraid and being prepared.

[dead.cell]

19 hours ago, techbeck said:

Do not keep your kids in the car with the keys/car running.  Stupid/bad and lazy parenting.

Agreed, but this doesn't justify anything to what happened so arguing about it is moot.

 

Just like the nasty business with men going on about women wearing provocative clothing just "asking for it". We're people, not animals. If you made this mistake, I'd probably slap you upside the head for doing that, but it still wouldn't make it your fault.

 

Edit: Friend of mine was robbed at a gas station, while the perpetrator waited outside her passenger door until she unlocked the car to climb in and threaten her. Thankfully, he only took her purse and not the car, but still... if someone's determined to commit the act, it's going to happen anyway.  

[DConnell Member]

On 7/9/2018 at 5:34 PM, Raze said:

 

You're taking his response about reluctance incorrectly, he acknowledged he would use whatever force within his power, he would just prefer not to use violent force.

I don't really see a distinction. If you use any force to deal with an attacker, even if meant as "nonviolent", the attacker is going to see it as otherwise. Better IMO to use the force needed to end the confrontation decisively. Not lethally or with intent to do permanent harm necessarily, but with enough force to render the attacker unable/unwilling to continue.

 

I am not violent by nature, but given a threat to myself or especially the kids in my family, I would have no reluctance whatsoever to do whatever is necessary to defend them.

 

On occasions like this story, such reluctance is likely to end up getting someone hurt/killed anyway - the very people you seek to protect.

[ramesees]

All this chat about the system and society has "failed" the criminal does nothing except remove his agency.

 

Life deals lots of people ###### hands but they dont all turn out to be criminals.

Any attempts to excuse their behaviour with - "oh well we've all collectively let them down, its no wonder they turned to crime" is utter hogwash.

What they choose to do with their lives is up to them and if that leads them to steal a car (kids in it or not) they pay the penalty from those who can defend their property (even with guns).

 

Also there are plenty of white collar criminals who are highly educated, very comfortable who rip off pension funds, cause banks to crash etc... has society failed them as well ?

 

At the end of the day there are people who are just "evil" or malicious and no matter what efforts are made to rehabilitate them or correct their behaviour from a young age will be met with them turning around and sticking 2 fingers up to society and saying "what are you going to do?". These people cannot be helped mainly because they enjoy the violence and chaos they cause knowing that "society" is calling for a softer approach and nothing really will be done on them.

[jnelsoninjax]

On 7/10/2018 at 5:08 AM, FloatingFatMan said:

The problem with cop shootings is that we're seeing too many incidents of them defaulting to lethal force where it's not necessary.  For quite a few on the news, the suspect isn't even armed yet gets gunned down. 

 

Lethal force should not be the default response.

 

The second problem with cops shootings is that in the US at least, it appears to be the same police department carrying out the shooting investigation as did the shooting.  This is 100% not appropriate.  Absolutely no one with any kind of working relationship with the officers involved should be investigating an incident involving them... In the UK when these happen (and they DO happen, we're not immune to it), it gets investigated by a completely independent organisation.

AFIK (at least here in my city) the police have a civilian review board that reviews the actions of the officer (when a lethal shooting occurs) and is empowered to state weather it was justified or not. I tried to find info on it, because there was an incident involving a mentally ill person who charged at an officer with a knife and was shot and killed. The news media had made mention of it.

Here we go:

Officers were not wearing body cameras at the time of the shooting and Futch has been placed on administrative duty until after the incident is investigated by the state attorney's office and JSO's Response to Resistance Review Board.

https://www.news4jax.com/news/jso-investigating-police-involved-shooting-that-left-suspect-dead_

[DConnell Member]

On 7/10/2018 at 2:43 AM, theyarecomingforyou said:

Understanding the root causes of criminality is NOT 'siding with the bad guys' - it's understanding that reality is complex and nuanced. The problem with American culture—particularly conservatism—is that it's based around individualism and rampant capitalism, where as long as you can get ahead it doesn't matter what happens to anyone else. Everyone is seen as responsible for their own destiny yet all the environmental factors that shape an individual are ignored. There is no collective good.

 

If a society is to punish and condemn those who break its rules then that society should also take responsibility when its failures result in violence and criminality.

Because there is no crime in Communist/Socialist countries, right? ?

 

If your claim had any basis in reality, there would be less crime in socialist/predominantly liberal countries, as as far as I can see, that ain't the case. So no, "conservatism" and "capitalism" aren't the root of all evil.

 

There's plenty of positive influences and help for those who need it in a capitalist country, if a person chooses to seek them out. Take it from one who knows.

 

 

[satukoro]

On 7/6/2018 at 3:26 AM, Zagadka said:

Good for her.

 

Practically, kinda curious where she carried her gun with kids in the car. Concealed  carry on her person?

It's Texas, they just hold on to them with their free hand.

[satukoro]

I don't know how it is in Texas, but where I am there are clear signs on the gas pumps listing a number of fire safety measures (required by law, per the fire marshal) such as requiring you to turn off your engine prior to pumping gas.

[timster]

On 7/6/2018 at 4:40 PM, theyarecomingforyou said:

Violence should always be a last resort yet in American taking matters into your own hands through violence is celebrated rather than condemned. As Dostoyevsky best articulated, 'the degree of civilization in a society is revealed by how it treats its criminals' and for the US that's a damning indictment.

Except this wasn't someone "taking matters into your own hands through violence".

 

It was a woman using a firearm to defend herself and her children.

[techbeck]

1 hour ago, dead.cell said:

Agreed, but this doesn't justify anything to what happened so arguing about it is moot.

Agreed it doesnt justify and didnt say it did.  As for arguing the point, I am arguing how this could have been prevented (not leaving keys in the car)  and other issues like leaving a loaded gun unsecured in a car with kids.   Which not many want to discuss and is typical in society with these kinda of discussions/issues.   Quick to blame a person/tool instead of actually doing work and seeing how things could have been avoided or the root cause of something.  Which just opens things up to happen again especially if the victim does not think they did anything wrong.  She technically could be cited $200 or so for leaving her car running with the keys inside.  But I doubt that will happen as it will get a ton of bad press.  And depending on her insurance company, she could have her claim denied.

[atcapistrano]

On ‎7‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 2:27 PM, FloatingFatMan said:

Shot in the face? I'd be amazed if he survived that...

it happened in the Preacher TV series: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Preacher_characters#Arseface

[dead.cell]

32 minutes ago, techbeck said:

Agreed it doesnt justify and didnt say it did.  As for arguing the point, I am arguing how this could have been prevented (not leaving keys in the car)  and other issues like leaving a loaded gun unsecured in a car with kids.   Which not many want to discuss and is typical in society with these kinda of discussions/issues.   Quick to blame a person/tool instead of actually doing work and seeing how things could have been avoided or the root cause of something.  Which just opens things up to happen again especially if the victim does not think they did anything wrong.  She technically could be cited $200 or so for leaving her car running with the keys inside.  But I doubt that will happen as it will get a ton of bad press.  And depending on her insurance company, she could have her claim denied.

And that's all fine and well. Some of the people here though are acting like she "deserves" it though, which is no more disgusting than those wishing for someone's death. It's like everyone misunderstood the concept of taking the high road, opting for their high horse instead.

 

I don't need to wish for anyone's death or punishment really. If someone does enough stupid things in their life, the world does pretty well of sorting them out. Some people just get their Darwin award earlier than others.