# Looters: Shoot on sight? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 1, 2005, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528 "2005-09-01T01:33:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/61 "2005-09-01T03:11:50Z")
> [@Unregistered Bull](#): > > In Texas, at night, you can legally shoot a thief. In general, to legally kill someone in most US states, you pretty much have to be in fear of severe bodily harm. There is therefore no legal way to shoot looters for just looting. Didn’t I explain on the first page that is legal to shoot to defend property in Louisiana day or night? The catch is that you must be the owner of the property and inside your place of business, home, or car. Other than that, fire away. There is a cite on my original post on page 1. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/62 "2005-09-01T03:12:35Z")
> [@jimpatro](#): > > A direct personal insult. Since when is disagreeing with someone about a moral issue a direct personal insult. I think you’re reaching but feel free to report me. ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/63 "2005-09-01T03:15:45Z")
You’re just not getting me **DtC** , but I’m ready to just drop it. **Stephe96** sure doesn’t take offense anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Kyle\_Rayner1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58f4c7/32.png) [@Kyle\_Rayner1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyle_Rayner1)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/64 "2005-09-01T03:23:48Z")
I have to agree with **Dtc** shooting looters just because they’re stealing stuff is insane. I don’t agree with stealing TVs and those kinds of things (I agree with the stealing of food) but to say they should be killed for it is insane. I know a poster said a looter killed a cop so we should shoot all looters but in this country aren’t we supposed to take things on a case by case basis? I know New Orleans is a hellhole and we should allow stealing of food and medicine but law enforcement should still uphold the basic freedoms this country was founded on. New Orleans isn’t a no man’s land yet and if the national guard and law enforcement focused on providing care to the needy and let the looters just take useless crap than it wouldn’t have to be. Even though the people stealing TVs and that stuff are lowlifes, their are bigger fish to fry at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/65 "2005-09-01T03:25:03Z")
> [@jimpatro](#): > > You’re just not getting me **DtC** , but I’m ready to just drop it. You ought to. ---
**Author:** ![Unregistered\_Bull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3da27b/32.png) [@Unregistered\_Bull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unregistered_Bull)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/66 "2005-09-01T03:30:55Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Didn’t I explain on the first page that is legal to shoot to defend property in Louisiana day or night? The catch is that you must be the owner of the property and inside your place of business, home, or car. Other than that, fire away. There is a cite on my original post on page 1. I didn’t know that. I knew that carjacking could always be met with lethal force there. But not the other defence of property stuff. I really thought that carjacking law was just something where LA decided that it caused fear of at least severe bodily harm. I didn’t know that it was considered defence of property. Still, in my mind, I envision looting to more often fall into this part of your cite: " If the incident occurs outside of those areas a permittee can use reasonable force to defend his or her property, but not necessarily deadly force. [143] A permittee would not be wise to use his or her concealed handgun to defend [p.349] property outside of the three protected areas because use of a firearm could violate the limit of “reasonable force.” [144] Use of a handgun could be deadly force, even if the permittee does not intend to kill the attacker." ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/67 "2005-09-01T03:31:13Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > We’e in total agreement. If you think we’re in total agreement, then you’ve misread my post. ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/68 "2005-09-01T04:03:26Z")
> [@](#): > > You ought to. Such a philosopher. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/69 "2005-09-01T04:03:55Z")
> [@toadspittle](#): > > So what’s the best way to deal with this? The best thing to deal with looters and mobs is to get out enough bodies in uniforms to regain control. Same problem as what happened in Iraq, without sufficient uniformed police or troops, as the case be, then as Rumsfeld says “stuff happens.” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/70 "2005-09-01T04:09:23Z")
> [@jimpatro](#): > > Such a philosopher. The fuck? I’m sorry, I thought _you_ were junior modding. It makes you look picky and too sensitive. So yeah, I think you ought to drop it. ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/71 "2005-09-01T04:12:55Z")
I said I was going to drop it and you came along and rubbed my nose in it. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/72 "2005-09-01T04:23:03Z")
> [@jimpatro](#): > > I said I was going to drop it and you came along and rubbed my nose in it. You said you were ready to drop it, not that you were going to; I thought that meant you were awaiting **Dio** ’s response. You done? I consider this closed and the last thing I feel like doing is nitpicking about how that nitpick was going to end. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/73 "2005-09-01T07:21:55Z")
> [@Guy\_Incognito](#): > > …you’re an anonymous wierdo posting on a webboard… **Moderator’s Note:** Direct personal insults are not allowed in this forum, so don’t do that again. > [@jimpatro](#): > > Mods? This is questionable isn’t it? The middle of the thread isn’t really the place for comments like this. If you think a post is questionable, click on the “Report Bad Post” button (the red triangle with the exclamation point in it in the upper right corner of the post). **Marley 23** and **jimpatro** , please take personal spats to the BBQ Pit. Or off-line. Or drop them entirely. Discussions of thread moderation in general also go in the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/74 "2005-09-01T08:17:41Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > No, stealing a television is a minor nuisance. Killing somebody over it is an inexcusable act of depravity. Perhaps you would be happier in a country like Saudi Arabia or Iran where people share your values. Or a state in which it is legal to use deadly force to protect property. I wonder which states have such a rule? Hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Incognito\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@Guy\_Incognito\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Incognito_1)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/75 "2005-09-01T12:44:38Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Well, by using this, ahem, “logic,” then shouldn’t we have the right anytime to break in anywhere and steal anything we want? Yes. All people everywhere should have the absolute right to take anything they please, from anyone, under any circumstance. They should have the right to shoot people to take their possessions, and those people should have no right to self defense whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/76 "2005-09-01T13:36:09Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > That;s why law enforcement needs to ignore them. I haven’t finished reading this whole thread, but this is ridiculous. Arrest the looters, jail them, and then rescue operations can procede more smoothly and safely. If the looters try to resist, reasonable force should be taken, up to and including deadly force. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/77 "2005-09-01T13:38:57Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Or a state in which it is legal to use deadly force to protect property. > > I wonder which states have such a rule? > > Hmmm… I’m originally from Shreveport so i can say this. Lousiana is a backwards fucking state. It’s a state where David Duke was a serious candidate for governor. The fact that the state has a backwards law doesn’t make the law right. I still think it’s evil to kill people for stealing property. The irony is that all the people who think their DVD players are more vauable than other people’s lives are the same ones who wring their hands about abortion and called Michael Schiavo a murderer. Is human life sacred or isn’t it? Make up your minds. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/78 "2005-09-01T13:42:32Z")
> [@Who\_me?](#): > > I haven’t finished reading this whole thread, but this is ridiculous. > > Arrest the looters, jail them, and then rescue operations can procede more smoothly and safely. If the looters try to resist, reasonable force should be taken, up to and including deadly force. Arrest them how? Jail them where? The authorities in NO have been saying that they don’t have the resources to deal with looters. It’s more important to save babies right now than to save Xboxes. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/79 "2005-09-01T13:42:34Z")
> [@toadspittle](#): > > The legal response, of course, is to do nothing, since there isn’t enough law enforcement manpower to stop/arrest them (the cops/NG can watch them loot clothing stores, but not stop them). Under martial law (of the “state of emergency” which is what they have in Louisiana law), it’s legal to shoot and kill looters. Certainly, the current situation justifies such measures – it’s simply not possible to do useful relief work with armed gangs roving around taking whatever they want. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528/80 "2005-09-01T13:45:06Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > And you have no right to KILL them for it. Their lives are still more important than your DVD player. I don’t know about that. A lot of those people look like they wouldn’t be missed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looters-shoot-on-sight/319528.md?page=5)