Small caliber pistol? Hmmm, I wonder how small 9mm or something like a .22 or .38 caliber? Did he shoot through the door? Why was it necessary to shoot the man when he was still outside the man's home? Did the man know the guy was a sex offender? Will the county prosecutor charge the man who fired with anything? I wouldn't mind if one less sex offender was rooming the earth and I'm sure no one would shed any tears for him if he had died, but seems to me we have to be careful what we allow as a justified shooting.
Brief note on the news this evening regarding this matter. DA isn't seeking charges on the Homeowner under Colorado's "Make My Day" law.
The guy was banging on the door so hard that he busted out all the windows and it looked to the homeowner like he was trying to enter the house so... bang. In Colorado, we have a law similar to Florida's "no retreat" which is titled: "The Homeowners Protection Act"; the Anti's call it the "Make My Day Law". What the law actually does is to remove both Civil, (the BG or his family can't sue you) and Criminal Liability for using whatever level of force you feel that you need to use, to defend yourself, family, etc., up to and including LETHAL force, from death OR severe bodily injury, within your place of residence. You may well have to justify your action to the police, but once the police rule it justified, you are in the clear, as it were. Property that the home is on is not included in this unless the person trespassing is putting someone on that property in harm that could cause death or serious bodily injury. For instance, if someone is stealing your car out of the driveway you cannot shoot them, but if someone carjacks you with a weapon in your driveway you are justified. -D
