NY Man Arrested for Defending Home With AK47

[faze]

Source: [URL]http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2010/09/07/long-island-man-arrested-for-defending-home-with-ak-47/[/URL]

[quote]
He was arrested for protecting his property and family. But it’s how the Long Island man did it that police say crossed the line.
He got an AK-47 assault rifle, pulled the trigger and he ended up in jail, reports CBS 2’s Pablo Guzman.
George Grier said he had to use his rifle on Sunday night to stop what he thought was going to be an invasion of his Uniondale home by a gang he thought might have been the vicious “MS-13.” He said the whole deal happened as he was about to drive his cousin home.
“I went around and went into the house, ran upstairs and told my wife to call the police. I get the gun and I go outside and I come into the doorway and now, by this time, they are in the driveway, back here near the house. I tell them, you know, ‘Can you please leave?’ Grier said.
Grier said the five men dared him to use the gun; and that their shouts brought another larger group of gang members in front of his house.
“He starts threatening my family, my life. ‘Oh you’re dead. I’m gonna kill your family and your babies. You’re dead.’ So when he says that, 20 others guys come rushing around the corner. And so I fired four warning shots into the grass,” Grier said.
Grier was later arrested. John Lewis is Grier’s attorney.
“What he’s initially charged with – A D felony reckless endangerment — requires a depraved indifference to human life, creating a risk that someone’s going to die. Shooting into a lawn doesn’t create a risk of anybody dying,” Lewis said.
Grier said he knew Nassau County Police employ the hi-tech “ShotSpotter” technology in his area and that the shooting would bring police in minutes. Cops told Guzman he was very cooperative.
Grier also said he was afraid the gang outside his house was the dreaded MS-13. And Nassau County Police Lt. Andrew Mulraine, head of the gang unit, said MS-13 has 2,000 members in the county.
“They’re probably the most organized. They almost have a military hierarchy within the gang, so they are the most organized gang we encounter on a daily basis,” Mulraine said.
You may think a person has the right to defend their home. But the law says you can only use physical force to deter physical force. Grier said he never saw anyone pull out a gun, so a court would have to decide on firing the gun.
Police determined Grier had the gun legally. He has no criminal record. And so he was not charged for the weapon.
That ShotSpotter technology pinpoints where a gun has been fired within 35 feet. Police said it also detected two other shootings in nearby Roosevelt that night.
[/quote]This is bullshit. 20 people in front of your house, potentially MS-13 members - threatening your family? I'd do what he did too. What would you rather have, carried by six or tried by 12? Either way, it's stupid they charged him with something when he was obviously trying to scare them off.

[gparent]

He should've stayed inside and shot only if they tried entering. Would've avoided this entirely. I'm guessing he'll be found innocent, but the charges aren't without backing.

[dirty_ape]

And he didn't actually shoot anyone? I don't see what the big deal is than.

[gparent]

[QUOTE=Dirty_Ape;24687157]And he didn't actually shoot anyone? I don't see what the big deal is than.[/QUOTE]
Go out on the street and shoot a few .45 rounds at random on the driveway.

Tell me if the people around you don't find it a big deal.

EDIT: To clarify for the dumb-happy retards, I'm just saying that the charges are valid even though it is unfair that he is being charged for this. If you think I agree with it being fair that he might do jail time for this, you're completely off track.

[faze]

[QUOTE=gparent;24687144]He should've stayed inside and shot only if they tried entering. Would've avoided this entirely. I'm guessing he'll be found innocent, but the charges aren't without backing.[/QUOTE]
Probation at most. He had no criminal history, and had no weapons charges. He won't see jail time. Just a big court/lawyer fee. Too bad he can't sue the gang members for damages...

[editline]10:53AM[/editline]

[QUOTE=gparent;24687170]Go out on the street and shoot a few .45 rounds at random on the driveway.

Tell me if the people around you don't find it a big deal.[/QUOTE]
That would be a totally different story.

[gparent]

[QUOTE=faze;24687171]Probation at most. He had no criminal history, and had no weapons charges. He won't see jail time. Just a big court/lawyer fee. Too bad he can't sue the gang members for damages...[/QUOTE]
Now if this happened in Texas...
[QUOTE=faze;24687171]That would be a totally different story.[/QUOTE]
I know, I'm just explaining the charges.

[Timebomb757]

Guy deserved it for doing it wrong.

Unless they were either visibly armed, attacking him, or actually IN his house, he shouldn't have pulled the trigger.

[Silly Sil]

So they have arrested him for shooting his own lawn?

America is funny. You can have an AK-47 but you can't shoot at your own property.

[Acesarge]

This is bullshit, if you have a group of 20 suspected gang members threatening you what else are you going to do?

[gparent]

[QUOTE=Timebomb757;24687208]Guy deserved it for doing it wrong.

Unless they were either visibly armed, attacking him, or actually IN his house, he shouldn't have pulled the trigger.[/QUOTE]
This.
[QUOTE=Silly Sil;24687216]So they have arrested him for shooting his own lawn?

America is funny. You can have an AK-47 but you can't shoot at your own property.[/QUOTE]
He's being charged for endangering others, not for endangering his lawn.
[QUOTE=Acesarge;24687219]This is bullshit, if you have a group of 20 suspected gang members threatening you what else are you going to do?[/QUOTE]
Stay inside and shoot when they attack you. It's safer anyway.

[Timebomb757]

[QUOTE=Acesarge;24687219]This is bullshit, if you have a group of 20 suspected gang members threatening you what else are you going to do?[/QUOTE]

1. Verbally warn the group that if they enter your house they will be shot, and that you are calling the police.
2. Shut and lock door.
3. Call police, get family to safe area, guard them.
4. Profit.

Edit:
And even better if you can get a video of you verbally warning them. That would give you a rock solid case if god forbid you did have to shoot someone.

[SBD]

Here in Oz he'd probably have the book thrown at him for even brandishing the weapon on his own property, he probably wouldn't even have to point it loaded or pointed at anyone.

[Mr. Someguy]

[QUOTE=gparent;24687170]Go out on the street and shoot a few .45 rounds at random on the driveway.

Tell me if the people around you don't find it a big deal.[/QUOTE]

The is a difference between defending yourself from gangsters and randomly shooting the dirt.

[WhatTheKlent]

[QUOTE=SBD;24687282]Here in Oz he'd probably have the book thrown at him for even brandishing the weapon on his own property, he probably wouldn't even have to point it loaded or pointed at anyone.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=SBD;24687282]Here in Oz he'd probably have the book thrown at him[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=SBD;24687282]Here in Oz.[/QUOTE]

[IMG]http://www.iansmith.co.uk/image/blog/March2007/OzOne_4.jpg[/IMG]

[thirty9th]

[QUOTE=Timebomb757;24687271]1. Verbally warn the group that if they enter your house they will be shot, and that you are calling the police.
2. Shut and lock door.
3. Call police, get family to safe area, guard them.
4. Profit.[/QUOTE]

This. Then an opposing council doesn't have shit on you unless you didn't have a license for the weapon.

[faze]

[QUOTE=gparent;24687246]
He's being charged for endangering others, not for endangering his lawn.[/QUOTE]
They were endangering him and his family.

[editline]11:04AM[/editline]

[QUOTE=gparent;24687194]I know, I'm just explaining the charges.[/QUOTE]
Randomly shooting a weapon into the ground when not being threatened is one thing... But doing it out of defense is acceptable. What you said is not in any way a comparison.

[Nerfer]

The judicial system is fucking ridiculous.

[faze]

[QUOTE=Mr. N;24687412]The judicial system is fucking ridiculous.[/QUOTE]
This.

[FalconKrunch]

I thought full automatic weapons were illegal to be owned?
I don't know much about gun laws in america.

Oh nevermind, he got the gun legally.

[Mr. Someguy]

I really really hope he gets off without any punishment.

There should be no fucking punishment for defending yourself from a bunch of killers.

[editline]11:08AM[/editline]

[QUOTE=FalconKrunch;24687456]I thought full automatic weapons were illegal to be owned?
I don't know much about gun laws in america.[/QUOTE]

It was probably a semi-automatic.

[Carbisari]

dude if I had 20+ gang members in front of my house threatening to kill my family I'm not going to take any chances by hiding in my house and hoping that they'll leave us alone

[Canuhearme?]

It is implied that he fired the shots to alert police to the situation (shotspotter system was in place.)

[flippy645]

its new york they all got so paranoid after 911

[Jasun]

I'm AK with this.

[Foda]

I thought NY had a Castle Doctrine...

[Clanrat]

Bullshit charges. I'm not sure about NY or US laws, but your driveway still counts as your property, doesn't it?

If so, then he was defending his own property and his family.

[CjienX]

[QUOTE=Canuhearme?;24687491]It is implied that he fired the shots to alert police to the situation (shotspotter system was in place.)[/QUOTE]

That's what I was thinking. Isn't that pretty much the whole point of having that

[Pretiacruento]

[QUOTE=Jasun;24687570]I'm AK with this.[/QUOTE]

:golfclap:

[QUOTE=Levithan;24687486]dude if I had 20+ gang members in front of my house threatening to kill my family I'm not going to take any chances by hiding in my house and hoping that they'll leave us alone[/QUOTE]

My thoughts exactly. I support what that man has done

[Reagy]

[QUOTE=FalconKrunch;24687456]I thought full automatic weapons were illegal to be owned?
I don't know much about gun laws in america.

Oh nevermind, he got the gun legally.[/QUOTE]

The AK47 is sold as semi-automatic to civilians, you need to be a dealer to actually obtain a full automatic variant.

Also as much as you people are saying this is wrong, the gang which was outside is actually in the right according to the judge, but if they took one step through his door the guy had all rights to scare them off or shoot them.
However this now brings the argument of saying isn't the driveway part of the property?
Because logically it is and the gang is then trespassing on his property, giving the guy all rights to defend his land and family, especially with such a large group standing on it.

Overall the law is flawed.

[Cobbart]

NY's stella prioties and laws once again gets the wrong guy.

Hopefully they'll throw this entire case against the man out the window.