Someone is breaking into your home, so what can you do about it?
Posted June 15, 2017 7:40 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
ABBOTSFORD (NEWS 1130) – We recently told you the story about how a man in Abbotsford stopped someone from breaking into his home by using a bat, so how far can you go when it comes to defending your turf?
“Your home is your castle, and obviously if somebody breaks into it you’re allowed to use reasonable force to resist that,” says Abbotsford Police Constable Ian MacDonald.
Because law enforcement officers are trained for these situation, MacDonald says cops are usually held to a higher standard when it comes to reacting.
“Sometimes you’re face to face with a bad guy and your instincts take over.”
When it comes using something to defend your turf, MacDonald says protecting yourself and your family is OK, within reason.
“If somebody pushes their way into your home and you grab the closest implement that you have and you whack them with it, provided you don’t cause death and provided you were defending yourself, I don’t think too many people are going to take issue with it.”
But he adds, you can’t simply take the offensive and channel your inner Batman.
“If somebody is stealing your television or even your wallet, it may not at the end of the day be viewed reasonably by the courts if you were to chase them a half a mile down the street and repeatedly hit them with a bat or a golf club.”
In a nutshell, you can defend, but not demolish.
