Texas man cleared of shooting suspected burglars

[Mr. Dirlewanger]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080701/ap_on_re_us/burglary_shooting

HOUSTON - Ever since he fatally shot two men he suspected of burglarizing his next-door neighbor's home, 62-year-old Joe Horn has been both praised and vilified for his actions.
 
Horn called 911 and told the dispatcher he had a shotgun and was going to kill the intruders. The dispatcher pleaded with him not to go outside, but a defiant Horn confronted the men with a 12-gauge shotgun and shot both in the back.

Some community activists wanted Horn to face charges for the deaths. Supporters of the retired grandfather said what he did was justified under the law.

After listening to evidence in the case, including testimony from Horn himself, a grand jury on Monday cleared him of the shootings.

"He wasn't acting like a vigilante. He didn't want to do it," said Tom Lambright, Horn's attorney.

Lambright said Horn was not a "wild cowboy" who took the law into his own hands after he saw the two suspected burglars, with bags in hand, crawling out of windows from his neighbor's home on Nov. 14 in the Houston suburb of Pasadena. The neighbor was out of town at the time.

Instead, Horn was a frightened retiree who tried to defend his neighbor's property and when the two men came onto his yard and threatened him, Horn defended himself, Lambright said.

"He was scared. He was in fear of his life," he said.

Grand jurors had to consider two issues in the case: the intentional killing of another person and whether the killing was justified either by self-defense or the defense of property, Harris County District Attorney Kenneth Magidson told reporters.

"I understand the concerns of some in the community regarding Mr. Horn's conduct," Magidson said. "The grand jury concluded that Mr. Horn's use of deadly force did not rise to a criminal offense."

Texas law allows people to use deadly force to protect themselves if it is reasonable to believe they are in mortal danger. In limited circumstances, people also can use deadly force to protect their neighbor's property; for example, if a homeowner asks a neighbor to watch over his property while he's out of town. It's not clear whether the neighbor whose home was burglarized asked Horn to watch over his house.

Frank Ortiz, a member of the local League of United Latin American Citizens chapter, said he hopes federal authorities investigate the case further.

"That's amazing that they would no-bill him with so much evidence against him," Ortiz told the Houston Chronicle in Monday's online edition. "This was no more than a vigilante."

Horn did not speak with reporters on Monday.

A large red sign with the words "No Trespass" on it blocked the path to his front door and a handwritten sign on the door said "Please no media," "No Trespassing" and "Do not knock or ring bell." A couple of neighbors also had signs on their doors asking media to leave them alone.

A few police cars patrolled the area near Horn's home.

The two suspected burglars, Hernando Riascos Torres, 38, and Diego Ortiz, 30, were unemployed illegal immigrants from Colombia. Torres was deported to Colombia in 1999 after a 1994 cocaine-related conviction.

The city of Pasadena, where protesters and defenders of Horn engaged in counter-demonstrations, pledged to keep its police force staffed enough to protect its citizens.

Keith Hampton, a Houston attorney not connected with the case, said he didn't expect Horn to be indicted. "This is a real conservative county," he said. "A lot of folks in Houston and Harris County are saying this man was doing a good thing."

In the 911 call, a dispatcher urges Horn to stay inside his house and not risk lives.

"Don't go outside the house," the 911 operator pleaded. "You're going to get yourself shot if you go outside that house with a gun. I don't care what you think."

"You want to make a bet?" Horn answered. "I'm going to kill them."

After the shooting, he redialed 911.

"I had no choice," he said, his voice shaking. "They came in the front yard with me, man. I had no choice. Get somebody over here quick."

I was thinking of a different case when I saw this but it looks like the same thing happened. It's very similar. At any rate, does the United Latin American Citizens chapter have anyone better to defend? You know, like American citizens? 

[they call me MR. GRUMPY god damn it!]

good for him.  had we the will to exercise sovereignty over our borders he would never have been placed in this position in the first place.  two less illegal alien career criminals!

[spunkloaf]

Texas is always scared of Latinos.
In all actuality, I have heard this story (or one very, very similar to it) pop up about four times over the last year.  And I believe the man was in the right.


Why is he right only because he is in Texas?  Why is he right only because he shot two illegal aliens?  Why is he right because he used a gun?


He could have turned out to be a little girl using a nun chuck to kill the burglars, who might have been two rich white men, and this story would not have gained near as much attention.



Still.  The old man was in his right place to kill them.

[spunkloaf]

I should add, this kinda shit doesn't happen in Minnesota. 

So I guess I don't have a valid opinion on the matter. 

[Mr. Dirlewanger]

Texas is always scared of Latinos.

He could have turned out to be a little girl using a nun chuck to kill the burglars, who might have been two rich white men, and this story would not have gained near as much attention.

Texas has been invaded by Latinos.

Either of these scenarios would be all over the news but I agree that burglaries commited by Blacks and Latinos are so common as to be hardly newsworthy.

[Mr. Dirlewanger]

I should add, this kinda shit doesn't happen in Minnesota. 

So I guess I don't have a valid opinion on the matter. 

Enjoy while it lasts.

Over 75% of Minnesota's residents are of Western European descent, with the largest reported ancestries being German (37.3%), Norwegian (17.0%), Irish (12.2%), and Swedish (10.0%).[6] As of 2004, 6.1% of residents were foreign-born, compared to 12% for the nation.[6][7] The state has had the reputation of being relatively homogeneous, but that is changing. The Hispanic population of Minnesota is increasing rapidly,[8] and recent immigrants have come from all over the world, including Hmongs,[9] Somalis, Vietnamese, Indians and emigrants from the former Soviet bloc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Minnesota

[spunkloaf]

I should add, this kinda shit doesn't happen in Minnesota. 

So I guess I don't have a valid opinion on the matter. 

Enjoy while it lasts.

Over 75% of Minnesota's residents are of Western European descent, with the largest reported ancestries being German (37.3%), Norwegian (17.0%), Irish (12.2%), and Swedish (10.0%).[6] As of 2004, 6.1% of residents were foreign-born, compared to 12% for the nation.[6][7] The state has had the reputation of being relatively homogeneous, but that is changing. The Hispanic population of Minnesota is increasing rapidly,[8] and recent immigrants have come from all over the world, including Hmongs,[9] Somalis, Vietnamese, Indians and emigrants from the former Soviet bloc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Minnesota

And this has what to do with my state's crime rate?

[Mr. Dirlewanger]

I should add, this kinda shit doesn't happen in Minnesota. 

So I guess I don't have a valid opinion on the matter. 

Enjoy while it lasts.

Over 75% of Minnesota's residents are of Western European descent, with the largest reported ancestries being German (37.3%), Norwegian (17.0%), Irish (12.2%), and Swedish (10.0%).[6] As of 2004, 6.1% of residents were foreign-born, compared to 12% for the nation.[6][7] The state has had the reputation of being relatively homogeneous, but that is changing. The Hispanic population of Minnesota is increasing rapidly,[8] and recent immigrants have come from all over the world, including Hmongs,[9] Somalis, Vietnamese, Indians and emigrants from the former Soviet bloc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Minnesota

And this has what to do with my state's crime rate?

You're joking, right? I guess alternative schools are also steeped in PC brainwashing? 'Tis a pity....

[spunkloaf]

So what does it have to do with crime rate?

[Mr. Dirlewanger]

So what does it have to do with crime rate?

In other words, what does race have to do with crime? Grab a beer:

Different populations (hereafter referred to as "pop"or "pops") have different levels of criminality.

Pop A has a low crime rate
Pop B has a low to medium crime rate
Pop C has a high crime rate
Pop D has a very high crime rate

Lets say MN has a large B population but only a handful of A, C, and D. The crime rate is fairly low. Over time Pop D explodes and now makes up 20% of the overall pop. The crime rate will rise because Pop D has a much higher crime rate and is now a much more significant segment of the overall pop. Understand?

[pittypat65]

I t ::)hink he is from St. Olaf. May be related to Rose Niland.

[spunkloaf]

If I was Rose Nyland, you would be Blanch Deveraux.  A whore. 

[gorknoids]

Blanche was hot!

[pittypat65]

Thanks Gork 

[spunkloaf]

Blanche was hot!

Ew!

Thanks Gork 

]

EEW!