Texas Homeowner Shoots Intruder, Gets Shot by Cops
Fifty-seven year old Texas homeowner William Keith Hall shot “a career criminal” who broke into his home on September 26 and was subsequently shot by police after refusing to drop his gun once they arrived.
In fact, Police say he pointed his gun at them when they reached the scene.
According Fox News, 30-year old Jerry Wayne Hale broke into Hall’s home and was shot. Thereafter Hall allegedly pointed his gun at the man who called 911 and then allegedly pointed at witnesses who were near Hale.
The 911 caller said Hall actually tried to “fire at the witnesses but his gun apparently jammed.”
Fox News carried a report from The Dallas Morning News saying the police did not realize Hall had shot Hale in defense of his home when they arrived. Therefore, when Hall refused to drop his gun-and even “pointed the pistol at police officers,” according to Maj. Jeff Cotner-police opened fire.
Hall died with Hale at the scene. SOURCE
Some seem to be terribly anxious to post this story and, if possible, make the Officers out as the *Bad Guys* when they were, in fact, doing EXACTLY what they were trained to do.
William Keith Hall wasn’t shot by Officers for shooting the home invader, in fact, I am pretty sure these Officers would have congratulated Hall for a *good shoot* if he had laid down his weapon when ordered to do so.
William Keith Hall wasn’t shot by over-zealous Officers that came to work with an idea in the back of their heads where they were *hoping* to shoot and kill someone. That idea was offered in news comments on local media.
William Keith Hall refused LAWFUL ORDERS to lay down his weapon and according to CIVILIAN sources he pointed it at the Officers and citizens. William Keith Hall was killed because he presented a DEADLY threat to the Officers on scene and because he was STUPID for doing so. Sorry Dude, if you point a gun at Officers and citizens, if you present a viable threat to the safety and life of others, your ticket will get PUNCHED every time.
So many people are making a BIG DEAL out of this and it’s NOT a big deal, it’s the way REAL LIFE rolls on the streets of America. These Officers have done well, they served and they protected. They should be honored, not denigrated.
And then we have this from our Capitol.
Police shoot driver outside Capitol after chase
WASHINGTON (AP) - A woman driving a black Infiniti with a young child inside tried to ram through a White House barricade Thursday, then led police on a chase toward the Capitol, where police shot and killed her, witnesses and officials said. SOURCE
I’m pretty sure that there will be Police haters that try to make a BIG DEAL out of this incident as well but the truth is; a car is a DEADLY WEAPON.
Even if this woman had no gun, she rammed a gate at the White House, swerved at Officers with her vehicle and as such, endangered the lives of many people, and further endangered lives by attempting to flee the scene.
That gives Officers all the justification they need to fire on a person(s).
I am terribly, brutally honest in my assessments, I don’t give Law Enforcement a *free pass* simply because they are Law Enforcement. If the men and women that make up The Thin Blue Line are in the wrong I will say so, but if they are in the right I will defend them in every way. Right is right and wrong is wrong, no matter how you cut it. Some folks need to pull their hate in a few notches, and tone down the III% anarchist crap about how the Police are the enemy.
Some of these *haters* need to try wearing a badge and gun, answering calls, facing the unknown and the most dangerous situations that can be imagined.
If they only had the GUTS to do so.
Fred, as a former sheriff’s deputy, I have often thought everyone ought to be a cop for at least one week., one month would be even better. The average American has absolutely NO IDEA what a cop deals with on a daily, sometimes hourly basis. It is so easy to stand on the sidelines and snipe. Pinning on the badge and strapping on that side arm is a whole ‘nother thing.
My family has a long history of law enforcement. Currently, my nephew is patrolling a county in South Carolina, near the coast. I could not be prouder of him.
JDL
You are 100% correct Fred, and I would have done exactly what those cops did without hesitation because that is how I was trained!
Good post Fred, and right on J.D.. When a person uses a firearm in self defense they should realise the LEO, once on the scene has taken charge of the situation. For whatever his reason, this man, Hall was wrong and paid dearly for his poor judgement.
There is no way I would want the job as a police officer. I’m not cut out for it and besides, I have a feeling it’s a lot harder than some people think it is.
What choice does a police officer have when confronted with someone who has a weapon and refuses to put it down? They do have a responsibility to protect and serve and if they believe they are being faced with deadly force, ie. weapons pointed at them or others, then does that responsibility not include responding with force to prevent the person with a weapon from harming anyone else? What happened to Hall is unfortunate, but completely understandable.
I wish everyone that has no LEO experience was this reasonable and felt the same way..
Some seem to think that the Officer has a *magic power* that makes them bullet proof and able to disarm an unwilling person with a Jedi mind trick..
Lawful orders being lawful orders, these Cops did the right thing, but the haters are gonna hate no matter what.. Thank you Larry, for being the kind of person YOU are! Reasonable and level headed…
It just seems like common sense to me. We can try to make it complicated if we want, but that’s all it really is. Just plain common sense.