Man Faces Jail After Protecting Home From Masked Attackers (with video footage)

someone who would try to take on masked men throwing molotov cocktails unarmed is not a coward but a fool. why risk being burned to death to try to prove your manliness? in a word : dumb.

reply to post by mobiusmale

Originally posted by mobiusmale
There is quite a bit of hyperbole in this thread, but not a whole lot about the actual laws of Canada.

Before I get to that, let me remark that just because a person is charged with a criminal offence does not mean he is guilty of that offence...or will later be found guilty of the charges in a court of law. Police in Canada, and elsewhere, will often improperly charge citizens. They are merely Police Officers, not lawyers or judges...so please do not so quickly equate the charges that have been laid with the actual laws of the Country.

Well in this case we do have the police that have charged him and then the Crown's attorney reviewed and decided to add even more charges..

From the article in the OP..

His surveillance cameras caught the attackers lobbing at least six Molotov cocktails at his house and bombing his doghouse, singeing one of his Siberian Huskies. But when Mr. Thomson handed the video footage to Niagara Regional Police, he found himself charged with careless use of a firearm.

The local Crown attorney’s office later laid a charge of pointing a firearm, along with two counts of careless storage of a firearm. The Crown has recommended Mr. Thomson go to jail, his lawyer said.

That seems pretty clear. The police laid an initial charge. The attorney reviewed and instead of dropping the charges he added more. I don't think its just the police here - it is the crown as well.

Agreed it doesn't mean he'll be found guilty at trial - but the article leads me to believe the crown will do all it can to see that is how it turns out.

I've been having problems with people stealing from some of my property not here at my house, about 10 times in a month. I have been sitting at night over there and one night there was someone breaking into the back of the truck that I was sitting in. The wind had been blowing and the truck started shaking so bad that I decided to get out and find out what the problem was, that's when he started running. I did shoot at him and I did call the cops. They came out and explained to me about shooting people, all the time he would say "not that I think you are wrong, but this is what could happen to you". A week later I caught 3, that makes 5 we have caught so far.

Originally posted by kerazeesicko
Damn...gun owners sure are bloodthirsty. You all sound like you would kill for the pleasure...nut the justice. Hey man up...we canadians do not need guns to feel like men up here...we usually settle things with our fists if need be. We do not run for a weapon when things get a little tense. Stay cowards and let us canadians deal with these guys the way we see fit...if you look on the net...you will find stories of us...beating intruders in our houses...they are a dime a dozen up here...sure we have gun violence..thats usually because some punk has watched a little too much american television...where they glorify gun violence. I will not reply back. I feel cowards do not deserve a reply....

Really ? Isn't Ontario in Canada .... ? Did you even look at the point of the thread ...

It seems there is more to the story than just this ... an ongoing dispute ... but .... Man, what has this world come to? The brainwashing and conditioning to make people passive little obedient slaves is coming along nicely.

I can't believe (well, yes I can) all the people who really think the best thing to do if someone is firebombing your house while you are in it is nothing. Really? Someone is actively trying to kill you (and they were if they knew he was in the house) and you should call 911 and the FD, then sit and wait? What if it takes 10 minutes to respond? What if your phone is on fire, are you just out of luck... just sit there and die? Do you hide in a closet and hope you don't die before they get there? Do you run out and get firebombed yourself? Do you just sit by watching helplessly while someone destroys everything you have, unchecked?

When did the shift occur to where we must accept whatever someone decides to do to us hoping someone else will come save the day (which rarely ever happens)?

This is not just Canada, it's happening more and more here in the states too.

To all those who think this guy should have just waited for the police ... where do you draw the line? At what point do you feel it's time to act. Obviously throwing firebombs at your house while you are in it is not enough. What if they were in the house trying to kill you? What if a group of men broke into your house with intent of having their way with your wife or daughter? Do you tell her to just lay back , spread em, and wait for you to try to make a phone call before they tie you up? I mean, they really aren't threatening your life so should you just ask nicely for them to leave?

Equal force. What if an incredibly polite criminal walks into your house and asks nicely if they could go through your house and remove all your valuables? He states he will not hurt you in any way physically. He then proceeds to start packing up your stuff. Damn, now what. If you forcibly remove him from your house YOU have now escalated the situation and could be arrested for assault. Yeah, stupid but think about it.


If it was me, I would not have fired into the ground or given any warning shots. They would all be dead. Firebombing my house is a direct threat to my life, not just a neighborly dispute. This might be the reason he was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm (or whatever the exact charge was). He didn't shoot at the threat, he purposely shot somewhere else.

reply to post by kerazeesicko

Blood thirsty? He didn't even shoot anyone... There were half a dozen men with covered faces throwing fire bombs... I bet you are man enough to beat em all up though right? LOL

Your post left me speechless. Little to much Canadian television I guess.

reply to post by DimensionalDetective


Two sides to every story, the side you don't hear, is this guy was probally a redneck nut with one too many guns.

I would have gotten a hose or fire extinguisher then proceed to beat the crap out of them, no guns no probelms.
But we do have a messed up justice system, few years ago, an armed guy breaks into a house through the kitchen window, and on the counter was a knife, the guy accidentally stabbed himself on the way in, and sued the family, for having a kitchen knife on the counter.

Someone who had the intention of killing this family sues them because they left a knife out, and he won the case. WTF.

We have a justice system that doesn't work very well, infact not at all. Look at America mostmof those in jail were put away for half for smoking pot, yet the pedophile goes away for 2 weeks then out on bail?

Who's side is the justice system really on?

Originally posted by MBF
I've been having problems with people stealing from some of my property not here at my house, about 10 times in a month. I have been sitting at night over there and one night there was someone breaking into the back of the truck that I was sitting in. The wind had been blowing and the truck started shaking so bad that I decided to get out and find out what the problem was, that's when he started running. I did shoot at him and I did call the cops. They came out and explained to me about shooting people, all the time he would say "not that I think you are wrong, but this is what could happen to you". A week later I caught 3, that makes 5 we have caught so far.

Kudos

reply to post by FoxfilesMulder


Dude that makes no sense what so ever, the government wants good submissive people for NWO, not crazy @$$holes causing violence, there is no civilization out of that only greed, plus there would be no profit.

These are just angry folks, with a few too many social problems

reply to post by MBF


Catch those motherf**kers. People who refuse to work, live off of welfare and steal from others simply don't belong in society, burden on taxpayers and good citizens.

Originally posted by DrumsRfun
This was done in Canada and we have different gun laws.
I have found someone in my home once and laid a whooping on him without charges.
I agree with the authorities on this one...take his guns away.
This was an ongoing dispute with his neighbor and regardless of the situation...pulling a gun was a bad call on his part.
There is warranted force and unwarranted force....pulling a gun was not the right decision in my opinion.
We aren't Americans...our laws are different for a reason...if the first thing this guy thought of was to pull a gun then I am glad they have been taken away.

No offence to our gun toting American friends.

edit on 24-1-2011 by DrumsRfun because: (no reason given)

You cant be serious.

The guys home was under attack by people w/ weaponry. You don't run outside yelling at someone that has a weapon unless you plan on getting hurt or killed. He did what was necessary to protect his property, if he can't use his gun to defend himself then what can he use it for? "Hey look at my shiny gun... it's there.... but I can't use it." Give me a break.

The biggest mistake this guy made was going to the Police. In many cases the Police, as they exist today, in this country ARE NOT your friend. They are corrupt and populated more and more by slack jawed, slow witted thugs who are cooperating with DHS in usurping our rights and freedoms.

People, you are going to have to learn to band together in your local community and deal with your own security. Such is trhe realities of living in a lawless society where the Police are no longer servants but enforcers..

It's called "Criminal" Justice, not Victim Justice, I wish that was just a quirky title but it is actual fact. Ask most public defenders in the inner cities and they'll tell you that it is a business to get repeat offenders back out onto the streets to keep the crime going and the federal funding coming in. It's exactly like construction funding, if you don't spend your whole budget, the next year the funding is cut shorter.
Sad facts about capitalism in our countries.

As a mother, if ANYONE came on my property assaulting my home, my animals, my children's and I's lives.....I have the right to take ANY means necessary to protect my children from harm, especially if I catch them on my property in the act. I would sue the holy crap out of the police department and government involved with his arrest.

Killing a critter for trespassing isn't right. Animals don't know borders. But to fire bomb your adversary is prison time serious. This guy did what most people would do, and actually held back.
For some there would have been some dead people on the lawn. What is a guy supposed to do in a situation like that? Make a lye soup and don't call the cops.

Originally posted by getreadyalready
reply to post by DrumsRfun

 

This was an ongoing dispute with his neighbor and regardless of the situation...pulling a gun was a bad call on his part.
There is warranted force and unwarranted force....pulling a gun was not the right decision in my opinion.

Pulling a gun to fend off people with firebombs is a bad decision? Was he supposed to just ask them nicely? Maybe he didn't like that dog anyway? I'm sorry, but he used more restraint than necessary by taking the video to the police, I would have pursued them and ended th threat permanently!

I'm behind you on this one all the way. These clowns were looking to kill the residents and the dog. So screw the laws - I would have popped them both and went and dug two graves and that as they say would have been that. You just don't mess with someone's home - that's crossing the line, whether it is Ontario, USA, UK you DON"T do that sh#t or suffer the consequenses.

reply to post by DimensionalDetective


Thank God I live in the USA, more specifically Texas, where I can blow these kind of people away, protect my family and property, and not have to worry about going to jail for it.

Sorry but we were raised to be self sufficient down here instead of huddling in the corner in the fetal position waiting for the police to show up and save us.

Originally posted by DrumsRfun
This was done in Canada and we have different gun laws.
I have found someone in my home once and laid a whooping on him without charges.
I agree with the authorities on this one...take his guns away.
This was an ongoing dispute with his neighbor and regardless of the situation...pulling a gun was a bad call on his part.
There is warranted force and unwarranted force....pulling a gun was not the right decision in my opinion.
We aren't Americans...our laws are different for a reason...if the first thing this guy thought of was to pull a gun then I am glad they have been taken away.

No offence to our gun toting American friends.

edit on 24-1-2011 by DrumsRfun because: (no reason given)

many people in that situation, where someone is deliberately trying to burn down your house (notice he swears when the molotov bounces off the house and ignites the yard), possibly with women or children inside, would say arming yourself is, indeed, a WARRANTED FORCE reaction.
Simple point to our fire-toting canadian friends: Fire burn, fire bad, smoke inhalation kills people.

Would you actually step out of your house and just ask them to "stop it, please." ?

Follow this man's lead the next time someone hurls a molotov at you, and you're less likely to become a statistic.

reply to post by romanmel


Romanmel,

Please, read before you start police bashing randomly. This happened in Canada. Different country, different police different laws. So no, they are not working with the Department of Homeland Security.

What you describe in a community taking it upon itself to deal with its own security is lawlessness if you completely discount law enforcement and the judicial system.

I dont understand how law enforcement has been viewed as public servants and not as enforcers of the law.

Although we disagree on our views of law enforcement in the United States, I am sure we can agree that the United States got it right in making it legal to protect your life and property with any means neccessary. If this happened in the United States, the police would have responded and the real criminals would have been charged not this guy who did exactly what he should have done.

Maybe, you should be praising the United States, the "castle" laws adopted by most states, American law enforcement and its legal system because if this happened in the United States, they would all be concentrating on the real criminals not the guy who was defending his life and his property.

If you can't use a gun for self defense when people are fire bombing your house then there is something wrong with your laws.

This was a premeditated attack by a group of people that could easily have killed the homeowner.

I live in the country. If there is a need for the police, there is a minimum of a 20 minute response time. If someone firebombs my house, what good will the police be?

I think that this was a justified use of a firearm for self defense. Personally, I would have used a rifle and shot the perps in the leg.