Comment by butvacuum | Hacker News Reader

Comment by butvacuum | Hacker News Reader

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First off- Texas has an explicit law making copper and catalytic converter theft a "Jail felony"- but if you break any other laws on the way, it's upgraded to a class 3 felony. See: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/?tab=1&code=PE&chapter=PE... And. if you really want to play cops and robbers, a personally witnessed jail felony seems to be enough for a citzen's arrest.

Second: "(B) the use of force other than deadly force to protect or recover the land or property would expose the actor or another to a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury." - YOU HAVE TO BE AFRAID FOR YOUR LIFE Texas gives citizens enourmous latitude in these matters, but it's not carte blanche for murder.

Afraid for your life if you were to confront the thief.

That reasonably covers pretty much all cases, especially in a state where lots of people have guns.

In other words: don't be an idiot and call the cops instead. That's what they are supposed to be for!

Texas cops? The ones that stop parents from saving their children during school shootings?

The Uvalde police department exhibited both cowardice and incompetence, but can we stop pretending they are representative of cops everywhere?

Just a year later during the mall shooting in Allen Texas, cops took down the white supremacist, neo-nazi perpetrator in under 5 minutes, probably saving at least a co couple dozen lives (he’d already killed 9). You can watch the bodycam footage from that event if there’s any doubt

https://youtu.be/LWvKT5fHa0U

> can we stop pretending they are representative of cops everywhere?

"Here's another outlier anecdote!"

Pro-cop 'hackers' was not on my bingo card.

> The Uvalde police department exhibited both cowardice and incompetence, but can we stop pretending they are representative of cops everywhere?

No. There is sufficient evidence supporting cowardice.

and the thieves got away

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