A Week’s Worth of Self-Defense
6th January 2012
John Hinderaker at Power Line does a review.
It’s been a big week for self-defense, especially of the juvenile variety. The most famous case is that of Sarah McKinley, the 18-year-old widow in rural Oklahoma who was home alone with her infant son when two men tried to break into her house. One of the men had been stalking her and apparently had killed her two dogs.
When one of the men broke in, armed with a 12-inch hunting knife, McKinley killed him with a 12-gauge shotgun.
You go, girl.
Local authorities indicated that a policeman was en route to McKinley’s rural home within seven minutes after her call came in, which reminds us once again of the adage that when seconds count, the police are only minutes away. McKinley won’t be charged, but the dead burglar’s accomplice–who may or may not have entered the house–is being charged with murder. That may seem surprising, but it is the traditional felony murder rule: if you are committing a felony, and anyone dies in the course of it, including your accomplice, you are guilty of murder. It’s just one more inducement to avoid felonious behavior. In the end, the accomplice will no doubt plead to some much lesser charge.