Do Not Talk To The Police
BY Herschel Smith
11 years, 6 months ago
An Oregon man has had rifle confiscated and is facing criminal charges after he attempted to stop a wanted felon from breaking into his home by firing a warning shot.
Police in Medford, Ore., say the incident occurred at around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday. Officers responded to an apartment complex in the area after receiving a disturbance call. During their investigation, cops heard a gun shot and a man running away toward the complex’s parking lot.
Authorities say 40-year-old Jonathon Kinsella, a wanted felon, was attempting to flee the scene when he was arrested on outstanding warrants, including for burglary and assault.
Military veteran Corey Thompson, 36, told KDRV-TV that the wanted felon was trying to beak into his home via the back door. Defending his property, Thompson said he warned the criminal that he was armed and he was giving him his one and only warning shot.
“This is the end result. You break into someone’s house, there’s consequences,” Thompson said.
Wielding his AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, the veteran made good on his threat and fired one warning shot. The bullet did not strike the suspect or anyone else.
“When I’m dealt with a stressful situation, being a veteran from Iraq and the Afghanistan war, it’s natural. I just jump into combat mode. I told him, ‘I’m going to give you a warning shot’,” Thompson explained.
However, police later determined he wasn’t justified in firing his weapon. Medford Police Lt. Mike Budreau said “there was nothing that the suspect was doing that was aggressive enough to justify the shooting.”
Apparently, for police in Medford, a wanted felon trying to break into a law-abiding citizen’s home isn’t enough to justify a warning shot.
Thompson was charged with unlawful use of a weapon, menacing and reckless endangering. The veteran’s AR-15 was seized by police because they claim it was used in the commission of a crime.
The comments section to this article contains horrible legal advice. Do not follow any of it, and do not get legal advice from anonymous commenters at The Blaze.
This poor man made one mistake. He talked to the police. Listen to me very carefully. When the police show up, flip open their note pad, and begin asking questions, they are not your friend. They are not there to protect and serve you.
You are not trained in the law or the legal nuances of what you might say, correct or incorrect, and all of the implications thereof, while under duress. While this video has made the rounds within the firearms community, it’s worth watching again, and if you’ve never watched it, do it now. Watch every single second of it, and if you didn’t get it the first time, watch it again.
Do not ever talk to the police. Do you understand?
On May 31, 2013 at 1:24 am, Coyote Hubbard said:
Should have just held his ground till either of two things happend – perp ignored and advanced and is shot dead, or watch him run.
Either way, your absolutely right on the point to never talk to the police. I have seen that vid nemerous times before and its still a gem.
On June 2, 2013 at 1:26 pm, Mannie said:
Never fire warning shots. It is illegal in most US jurisdictions, and there is some merit to that law. If you are not justified in shooting to kill, keep your booger hook off the bang switch.
On June 2, 2013 at 9:43 pm, Yuri said:
Funny phrasing at the end there. “I do not try to send innocent people to jail.” There’s a world of difference between that and “I TRY to never send innocent people to jail.” The first can be accomplished without caring one whit whether the person sent to jail is innocent or guilty.
On January 7, 2014 at 1:20 am, hutch1200 said:
Most polnazi departments give the officers who discharge a weapon 48 hours and a PBA lawyer before word 1. They get PAID desk duty, while you get azz reamed and bankrupted. This is my 3rd time watching this great video. Cops are NEVER your friend.