Non-leathel ammo legal ramifications?

[doinitharder]

I live in a decent neighborhood but here recently there has been a good size crime wave going through it. The other night I awoke to my dog angrily baking at something in the back yard. I grabbed my robe, Maglight, XD, and as I came out the back door I startled two guys trying to break in my shed who in return mad a mad dash to the wood line to never be seen agine. In the past two years I have been broken into once and this makes the third time I have had to chase people off at threat of a gun. One time of which ended up with the barrel of my 870 at the base of some heads skull as I waited 45mins for the cops to show up, the other time after they fled my place they stole a car from a couple houses down the road.

So all of this has prompted to pick up a box of rubber buck shot, and a box of beanbags slugs, which in return I loaded into my shot gun for non lethal use when I have to case off another would be crook. My question is if I happen to forcefully subdue someone with a round or two, what if any legal ramifications will I have to face when the cops arrive to cart the crook off? Or am I barking up the wrong tree and I’m better off waiting for one of these dirt bags to get bored of trying to steal the stuff out of my yard and break into my home possibly endangering my family before I put a slug between their eyes?

[LivingUpNorth]

This is just my opinion, but material things can be replaced. I wouldn't fire a weapon at anybody, non-lethal or otherwise, unless I or my family were in serious danger.
1. If you hit them with a non-lethal round, they could return fire with a fully lethal round.
2. If not criminal, you could realistically face a very expensive civil suit. Who knows?
3. The info you get from the forum will most likely vary from state to state. I would seek the advice of a lawyer before putting the non-lethal rounds into service.

[5axis]

First find out from local LE what is legal and illegal in regards to to protecting life and property. Some states allow to shoot the perp in the back as they run down the street with your TV while others will send you to the big house because the perp cut his pinky climbing through the window he broke to get in. It's a crazy world. However, I do believe, and please check it out, that if you have a threatening armed intruder IN your home you may fire at will.

The next issue, what to load, is a personal matter. I'm of the mindset that if I choose to fire my weapon outside of a range setting, something is going to die. I will have no idea who I will be dealing with, how they are armed or if a "homie" is lurking nearby.

[Monocrom]

A clever attorney could easily say you weren't justified in opening fire with non-lethal rounds.

"Clearly you were in no danger of great bodily harm or fear for your Life. If you thought you were, you would have used live rounds. My client only came onto your property to ask to use the phone. You came out with a real shotgun, and opened fire. My client's life flashed before his eyes. Do you enjoy playing sadistic pranks on strangers?"

Your attorney will object to that last part. While the objection will be sustained and stricken from the record, it has still entered the minds of those 12 jurors. Doesn't matter if the judge tells them to disregard the last part. You're just trying to defend your property by using non-lethals. Meanwhile, even a half-witted, sleazy, lawyer can twist things around to make you look like a sadistic bastard.

[Buckles]

stick with lethal rounds. you shoot to stop, not to injure. if you are only justified in using less-than-lethal rounds, you shouldnt be shooting at them. material things can be replaced, no use in shooting someone over a stereo.

[doinitharder]

Well I’m here in GA and we have the Castle Doctrine which says that if someone is in my house or on my property and that if I feel threatened I can protect myself by lethal force, but I wish to keep the lethal force to someone in my house and with my mag extension my rem 870 holds 8 which the last 4 are slugs so if I have to I can exert to lethal force I can. Manly I just want that extra force to give them a reason to get going faster and not to stop by my place agine.

[Monocrom]

. . . Manly I just want that extra force to give them a reason to get going faster and not to stop by my place again.

Consider beefier locks on the doors, a large dog that sleeps on your front porch, an alarm system with a sign posted on the front lawn, or even just a realistic-looking alarm sign that says your property is protected.

A firearm is best as a last line of defense in a multi-layered system of protection around your home.

[Tango 191]

I believe GA is like FL in which the castle doctrine presides, if anyone is threatening you on your property,(with a weapon or just themselves) so dont give them a chance to shoot back or come towards you, take them down with as few shots as possible, and only if neccisary, you cant shoot them in back or anything like that, only if they start to come toward you or brandishing a weapon.
I Have seen some 12G LessLethal rounds but nothnig i would trust my life too, but heres the link anyway
http://www.deltaforce.com/catalog/lesslethalammo.html

and for your XD im not sure what caliber its in but heres the link for all of them
http://www.deltaforce.com/cgi-ss/cgi...01c775ced93a25

best of luck to you, stay safe,
Adam

[Hoshnasi]

Consider beefier locks on the doors, a large dog that sleeps on your front porch, an alarm system with a sign posted on the front lawn, or even just a realistic-looking alarm sign that says your property is protected.

A firearm is best as a last line of defense in a multi-layered system of protection around your home.

+1!

Also, I may be wrong and call me out, but the only term I've heard for any round that fires projectiles regardless of make-up as "Less-Lethal". It would be a bad day if you fired on someone with the intent to hurt/stun ect. and kill them. It would be an all together bad time in court too.

[Rob72]

If you haven't been specifically trained to use the rounds (ie, working in Corrections, LE crowd control/critical incident training) you aren't competent to use them, legally. Don't be a test case. Use lead, or restrain yourself.