• Defense of Dwelling (Place of Abode)

    by
    uapdi
    Statute 609.065 specifically authorizes the use of deadly force to prevent the commission of a felony in the home (or place of abode). In Minnesota, the courts have ruled that there is no duty to retreat from the home. Exercise great restraint before deciding to employ deadly force. Even in the home there can be a high financial, psychological and social cost to shooting another human. Ensure it is necessary before doing so.

    The choice to own a firearm for use in the home as a defensive weapon is a very personal decision that requires forethought. Some humans are capable of committing amazingly heinous acts of violence resulting in the possible torture and or death of the intended victim or victims (can you count to 46?). At a minimum, everyone needs to ask the question:

    “If my home is invaded at 3AM and the phones do not work or police response is not immediate, how will I defend myself and or my family against one or multiple armed attackers?”
    Some folks have given this question considerable thought and have addressed the issue to the point where they are reasonably prepared to defend their home and family. Other folks do not believe a home invasion is likely or they do not believe their home will ever be invaded by criminals and subsequently consider the question no further. Either way, how people deal with life’s issues and the resulting decision that is made is an individual choice and we all must live with the choices that we make.

    Home invasions most often occur during the day between the hours a home would most likely not be occupied (e.g. 9AM to 4PM). The motivation for these “cold” invasions is almost always theft. Home invasions that occur while the home is occupied (hot invasion) are to be considered extremely dangerous for the occupants. One must conclude that individuals committing a hot invasion are prepared to “deal” with the occupants of the home using violence. This almost always results in an armed confrontation.

    The end result of a hot home invasion cannot be predicted. The criminal’s original motive may have been theft but the focus may shift from the theft of possessions to the occupants at any time and result in rape, torture, murder and or arson. Generally, the more invaders in your home the more dangerous the situation will be. This is because a group of criminals will tend to embolden one another and in some cases members of a group will want to out-do the others by committing more heinous acts of violence than their cohorts. A single home invader may only restrain the victims and leave the home or he may choose to kill the victims in an effort to eliminate witnesses that could identify him in court.

    Another point to be made is the fact that most criminals are on drugs. This can create a few challenges for the victims. First, if you believe you can reason with or negotiate with someone that is truly out of their mind, good luck. Attempting to convince a criminal that what they are doing is wrong will probably not result in anything positive. Second, criminals that are on drugs are not easily subdued. Adrenalin combined with various drugs can make a criminal nearly unstoppable without the aid of a firearm and well-placed shots.

    Consider our original question and make a decision on your level of preparedness.