Neighborhood Terror!

[Unit505]

Just wondering what you guys think or would have done? Today...........

I'm outside working in the yard in our small neighborhood with one way in and one way out and the Sheriff's Office between our neighborhood and the main highway. A guy comes screaming down the street, radio blaring and powerslides around the corner running the stop sign and hauled butt. 2 minutes later, here he comes again, same situation. I scream at him to slow down and he flips me off. Two minutes later, here he comes for the third time, same situation and another neighbor also yelling at him to stop. I grabbed the cell and the S&W (In the back pocket) and called 911. While on the phone with 911, I step outside my fence to the side of the street to get a license plate when he comes back around. I find myself face to face with the guy and his car while talking to the 911 operator. He locks it up, does a 180 and runs into my neighbors yard. Spins around and headed away from me and turned into a drive about a 1/4 mile away. I hear the neighbors screaming and noticed the two children in the front yard that he nearly killed. I also find that I am not alone gun wise. Two other neighbors were fixing to drag him from the car had he gotten stuck or decided to stop. Both were carrying concealed. A deputy rounds the corner just in time to miss the incident and at this time, we were joined by two other neighbors in their vehicles hunting this idiot down. Along with the deputy, we found the car hidden behind a barn and the driver no where to be found. The deputy knocked on the door of the house and got the guy outside. We identified him and he was drunk as a skunk. However, the deputy could not arrest him as he came to the door and had a beer in hand and swore he had not been driving, but instead was inside drinking all day. The deputy ran him and found two previous DUI's, and a host of other arrests, read him the riot act and left. The deputy advised us to call again if needed, but that he had to witness his actions to take action himself. Maybe next time we could all get together and file citizen complaints against the guy, however, we could not prove DUI, only LEO can do that. Charges would have to be for careless and reckless driving.

Would it be legal, considering that this guy was endangering lives, if he had wrecked out or gotten stuck or even if he had been blocked in by all of the irate neighbors to take the guy down and make a citizens arrest until the deputies arrived? Normally, on a Saturday afternoon, the Sheriff's Office is not manned. We were fortunate this time to get a deputy as quick as we did.

Not to sound like vigilante justice, but this was a very bad situation and lives were in danger. I'm not suggesting to pull someone over, but when you live in a neighborhood with one way in and one way out, it's not unusual for a neighbor to block that one way out when something like this happens. Been a few years since it has, but it has happened before.

[ungawa]

Run!!!

Preferably not north. Or at least make sure you are not followed!

[jcabin]

Video Camera.

[Unit505]

Run!!!

Preferably not north. Or at least make sure you are not followed!

Huhhhh? I was fixing to run when the guy started sliding his car sideways towards me, but I'm asking about apprehending the guy after almost striking two children in my neighbors front yard. The guy came within 10 feet of hitting them. To clarify, I did not have my gun drawn when he saw me standing on the side of the street and would not have unless we, the neighbors, acted together to apprehend the guy. He was stuck for a moment in the wet grass of the yard, but got traction and fled. As for the video camera, I wish I would have used my cell phone to record the first couple of powerslides through the stop sign. Did not think about it at the time.

[cigarmanpa]

why are you asking pa residents for advice on lousiana law?

[Unit505]

I would not consider any certain state law in a matter of life threatening situation. I'm asking in general from a group of what seems to be level headed folks with gun owners rights in mind. In most all states, a citizens arrest must be with the reliable knowledge of or witnessing a felony act.

Not knowing that the guy was drunk, would crashing a car into someones front yard and nearly running over two children, considering the witnessing of careless and reckless driving beforehand, be considered enough to assume a felony or life endangerment?

Edit - I guess this really doesn't even need to be a gun question........these neighbors were so pissed that they would have drug him from the car without guns given the opportunity.

[IronSight]

I would not consider any certain state law in a matter of life threatening situation.

It's generally a good idea to consider those laws before one finds him/herself in a life threatening situation.

[Chazman321]

If he has no problem running over kids, an adult won't register on the radar... Personally, I try not to be killed by drunken asshats, but that's just me... If you try and block the road, chances are he's gonna try and go right through the cars or the lawns... I would've told the deputy to check the treads of the tire and the wheel well. If there is fresh soil in the treads and green grass and wet mud in the wheel well, there is no way that car wasn't being driven... Neighbors ID'ing the guy would/should give the Deputy reasonable suspicion to detain him and check the car... At least, that's how I see it...

-Chaz

[GunLawyer001]

Not completely sure of the question, but if you use deadly force against a driver, you'd better be able to prove that it was the only way to stop him from running over yourself or others, and that the people in his path were unable to get away from him safely.

It's sometimes possible to prove this; cops have done it multiple times after they've shot drivers who were about to run the cops over, after the cops stepped in front of the cars. You probably don't have the option of stepping in front of his car and then claiming self-defense. But with kids and others spotted around, it seems plausible that there might be a situation where nobody could grab the kids and flee in time.

ETA: Louisiana? Never mind what I said.

[Deadpan]

Not completely sure of the question, but if you use deadly force against a driver, you'd better be able to prove that it was the only way to stop him from running over yourself or others, and that the people in his path were unable to get away from him safely.

It's sometimes possible to prove this; cops have done it multiple times after they've shot drivers who were about to run the cops over, after the cops stepped in front of the cars.

Cops are their own law. It doesn't apply to the rest of us.