any info on the shooting last night on queen lane? i wasnt home last night but my buddy called me around 10 saying someone fired probobly 10 or more shots and there was a massive police response. About 1130 i came outside to walk my dog and there were 7 or 8 police cars and 4 men on their knees against a wall out front..all of whom were subsequently released...any info??!?

I live apporximately 150 yards from all the shennanigans last night. NBC30 covered the action. It seems someone attempted to rob a home around Queen Lane and Knox Street. The home owner opened fire on the burglar, who ran away. Consequently, the police were searching for the perp with helicopters and police cruisers.

I felt like I was in the Gaza Strip.

From today's Metro:

"The victim of an alleged robbery shot and critically wounded the robber in the 5200 block of Knox Street late Sunday, police said. The 18-year-old suspect remained in critical but stable condition yesterday."

What a crock of hyperbole.

While it's always a tragedy when someone is injured, I applaud the home owner for taking the necessary action against a threat to his or her safety and the safety of their family.

Agreed... if the kid was armed.

Let's see if the kid doesn't sue the family now... assuming he survives.

I'm no professional, but it's safe to assume that the home owner must assume that in the dark, a home invader is armed and is capable of deadly force, thus warranting the equal amount of force in response.

At least, that's how it's supposed to work.

If you break into someone's home, that person has the right to use deadly force, that is, kill you. If you have left the house that person no longer has that right. By the way, the 5200 block of Knox is on the 'wrong' side of Queen Lane, at least at Knox.

I was thinking more along the lines of the burglars who sue for slipping and falling etc... but I also found these:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1711925/posts

http://starbulletin.com/98/02/11/editorial/chang.html

Civil lawsuits of this nature are tricky. The plaintiff's lawyer will use everything collected by police during the investigation and use it against the victim (home owner) This includes, but is not limited to, statements made at the scene, observations by the police and the tapes of the 911 call. Sound bites from the tapes and transcipts of police reports will be damning if the sound bites include:

"Why'd I do that?"
"I can't believe I shot'em"
"I wish I hadn't done that"
or worse
"Oh my god, I murdered him"

After you are finished protecting your family or self, call 911, report the shooting, tell the operator that it was in self defense and then hang up the phone. The operator will ask you to stay on the line and ask you questions. Just hang up and wait for the police, outside and without holding the gun. Do not administer aid to the intruder while you are waiting. Keep your answers to the questions asked by police brief. Be as calm as you can. Any hysteria witnessed or documented could make you look bad in front of a judge and jury. Provide longer statements after talking to your lawyer. If you are going to own a gun, keep a business card of a lawyer handy. (I'm not sure what is worse, handing over money to a Lawyer or a Burglar)

The members of jury will not have any life experience to sympathize with your situation and the plaintiff's lawyer will use that to their advantage.

It is actually better to be tried in criminal court for protecting your home and winning the case than having the police and AG give you a free pass. The positiveresults of a criminal case will serve you well in civil court. Should the current AG not try the case now, a new AG in the future could try the case to prove a point many years down the road and that would truly suck. This scenario is unlikely here in Philadelphia because the AG office is overworked.

Surviving home intruders rarely bring the case to civil court. Wrongful death lawsuits by family members (usually parents) of the deceased intruder are more common.