Boy Uses Shotgun to Chase Burglar

hemlock0013 · December 13, 2000, 10:12 AM

I found this on: http://nationalreview.com

From the Spokane Review, Dec. 11
By Jonathan Brunt, Staff writer

As quietly as he could, 13-year-old Nick Burger climbed the basement stairs. It was dark upstairs, but Burger
suspected an intruder was in his Spokane Valley home.

A Spokane County sheriff's deputy later said it would have been wiser if Burger had quietly gone to a
neighbor's house and called for help last Friday night. Instead, Burger said he went forward, through the dining
room, living room and into the hall, carrying the 12-gauge shotgun he had just received as an early Christmas
present.

The pump-action shotgun was loaded and the safety was off. Burger was about to confront a burglar two or
three times his age, and deal with the stress of coming so close to pulling the trigger.

On Tuesday, Burger recounted the story. He had just come from a friend's house and planned a quiet evening of
watching ESPN "SportsCenter" in the basement. He is a sports fanatic, and plays basketball, baseball and
football.

He's also completed hunter-safety courses.

The house was supposed to be empty. Burger's parents were at a Christmas party downtown; his two sisters
were at friends' houses.

From the basement, he heard noises upstairs. But the family is used to hearing weird noises in its heating
system.

A few minutes later, however, he heard an unmistakable sound — a slam, as if it took an extra heave to close
something.

A drawer in his parents' bedroom catches, and makes that sound.

That's when he decided to check upstairs, stopping first at his basement bedroom for the shotgun he had only
used to knock down two quail and a Hungarian partridge. He loaded it with two shells. When he approached his
parents' room, Burger saw a beam from a flashlight bounce off a mirror and hit a wall. The intruder was
rummaging through his parents' closet, dressers and under their bed.

"Hey! Who are you?" he asked the intruder.

The burglar put up his hands. He started walking toward Burger confidently.

Finger on the trigger, Burger backed up until they faced each other in the dining room. They were so close, the
seventh-grader could see the brown in the intruder 's eyes — even in the shadows.

The man, who had a crowbar hanging at his side, claimed he was a policeman.

He asked Burger to let him reach into his pocket for his identification.

Burger warned the man to keep his hands up and leave immediately. The intruder agreed.

Burger kept his aim until the man was out of sight.

From the street, the man yelled to the frightened teen.

"The cops are on their way," said the man, as if he really was an officer and the boy might be in big trouble.

Burger ran to a phone and called his parents. The teen was so hysterical, his father Frank didn't recognize his
son's voice.

With Burger in the kitchen, gun by his side, his parents rushed home. But they had to wait to call police.

"He was so scared, he wouldn't let (his mom) hang up the phone," Frank Burger said.

The man, who entered by breaking a window in a side door, made off with some jewelry and rare coins. Burger's
parents aren't concerned about those losses.

Greg Snyder, Spokane County sheriff's crime prevention deputy, advises against confronting home invaders.
It's better to make noise to let the burglar know someone is home, Snyder said.

"Nine times out of 10, they're going to high-tail it out of there," he said.

Even better, if there's an easy exit, Snyder advises leaving the home and phoning police from a neighbor's house.
Confronting the burglar with a gun needlessly escalates the danger.

"You just brought a deadly weapon into a deadly situation," Snyder said.

Burger said that if he had it to do over, he would have reacted differently.

"I probably would have ran out the door to one of my neighbors' houses," he said. "I wake up three or four
times a night just seeing the (intruder)."

Burger said he didn't call for help because he wasn't sure if he was hearing things, and he didn't want to cry
wolf.

Burger's family calls him a hero, but tells him he shouldn't have taken such a chance.

The family shudders to think how their lives would have changed if the teen had pulled the trigger or the
intruder had wrestled the gun away.

"It's been pretty traumatic," Frank Burger said. "I thank the Lord for watching over my son because who knows
what could have happened."

Burger described the invader as a white male, about 6 feet and 180 pounds. He had brown, graying hair and a
small mustache.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456- 2233.

buzz_knox · December 13, 2000, 10:27 AM

"Confronting the burglar with a gun needlessly escalates the danger. 'You just brought a deadly weapon into a deadly situation,' Snyder said."

So, what's a crowbar but a deadly weapon in the hands of a person who is illegally in your home and advancing on you?

December 13, 2000, 10:33 AM

Come to think of it, isn't that a deadly weapon hanging on deputy Snyder's belt? Is he saying he'd have left it in his car before he went to confront the burglar?

RH · December 13, 2000, 10:40 AM

Have to agree that it would have been better to stay put (armed) or go next door. Isn't that what we preach here, retreat to the safe room, cell phone 911, and all that ? Glad it turned out OK. I hope the state doesn't yet have a "access to firearms by minors" law, or the parents could be in deep trouble.

Dave R · December 13, 2000, 10:52 AM

Have to agree with RH on a tactical basis. If the boy had retreated and called, the burgler may have been apprehended. Low risk of loss of life.

As it turned out, the burgler escaped, and there was significant danger.

If either had been killed, it would have been bad. And, as RH pointed out, if this had taken place in Californa the parents would probably be up on felony charges right now.

HankB · December 13, 2000, 11:48 AM

After arming one's self, retreating to a safe room (with the family, if any) and calling 911 is generally the best course of action in a situation like this.

However, from the original post:

Quote:

...The burglar put up his hands. He started walking toward Burger confidently...

At THIS point - an armed intruder so irrational he was advancing on a person who was holding a shotgun - the best response would have been ... BANG!

Young Nick Burger was very lucky.

And as far as that idiot LEO, Greg Snyder, is concerned, it seems like a deadly weapon in the hands of Nick Burger served to END a dangerous situation, rather than escalate it. (Hey, was this by any chance the town where the PD was rejecting applicants who scored TOO HIGH on IQ tests?)

BadMedicine · December 13, 2000, 01:47 PM

I would have walked him into the front yard and shot him through the knees. Sorry, But I'm an a$$ like that

. The boy already says he has nightmares. What keeps the guy from coming back?

**Dennis** · December 13, 2000, 02:34 PM

Bad Medicine,

I hope you're not in Texas.

If you walked the burglar to the front yard to shoot him in the knees, you would end up being Bruno's "girlfriend" in our state prison. That's what we do for attempted murder in Texas. If you are not stopping or neutralizing an imminent threat of deadly force, (or fulfilling one of the other justifications in Texas Penal Code Chapter 9) your options are limited.

On the other hand, if Mr. Burglar (carrying a crowbar) rushed you in the house, I believe our courts would be tolerant.

(I'm not an attorney, etc. ... standard TFL disclaimer...)

Dorcas · December 13, 2000, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Greg Snyder, Spokane County sheriff's crime prevention deputy, advises against confronting home invaders.
It's better to make noise to let the burglar know someone is home, Snyder said.

"Nine times out of 10, they're going to high-tail it out of there," he said.

...and the tenth time?

citizen · December 13, 2000, 04:18 PM

Do I smell "future TFL'er"?

Sounds like the kid (and family) have learned the value
of 2AM.

Consider he's only 13; how many adults would have screwed this up? All's well that ends well!

BadMedicine · December 13, 2000, 04:21 PM

He turned on me when I blinked, honest.

First of all, it leaves a message, don't come a knockin. Second of all, what, I randomly "attempted murder" on a stranger who broke into my house and advanced on me with a crowbar??? Who're they gonna believe, the half to death frightened kid? Or the criminal whose tresspassing, breaking and entering, theiving (got my jewels in his pocket) and has probably got a record? Thirdly, I have a loading shot gun, and he has a crowbar, if I wanted to kill him, I would have!!

December 13, 2000, 01:47 PM	#7
BadMedicine Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2000 Location: Anchorage Posts: 863	I would have walked him into the front yard and shot him through the knees. Sorry, But I'm an a$$ like that. The boy already says he has nightmares. What keeps the guy from coming back?

December 13, 2000, 04:18 PM	#10
citizen Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2000 Posts: 801	Do I smell "future TFL'er"? Sounds like the kid (and family) have learned the value of 2AM. Consider he's only 13; how many adults would have screwed this up? All's well that ends well! __________________ ILLEGITIMI NON CARBORUNDUM NRA, GOA, AOC Ignorance can be cured, Stupid is forever Life is too short for dial-up

December 13, 2000, 10:12 AM	#1
hemlock0013 Member Join Date: February 17, 2000 Location: Manoa, HI Posts: 93	I found this on: http://nationalreview.com From the Spokane Review, Dec. 11 By Jonathan Brunt, Staff writer As quietly as he could, 13-year-old Nick Burger climbed the basement stairs. It was dark upstairs, but Burger suspected an intruder was in his Spokane Valley home. A Spokane County sheriff's deputy later said it would have been wiser if Burger had quietly gone to a neighbor's house and called for help last Friday night. Instead, Burger said he went forward, through the dining room, living room and into the hall, carrying the 12-gauge shotgun he had just received as an early Christmas present. The pump-action shotgun was loaded and the safety was off. Burger was about to confront a burglar two or three times his age, and deal with the stress of coming so close to pulling the trigger. On Tuesday, Burger recounted the story. He had just come from a friend's house and planned a quiet evening of watching ESPN "SportsCenter" in the basement. He is a sports fanatic, and plays basketball, baseball and football. He's also completed hunter-safety courses. The house was supposed to be empty. Burger's parents were at a Christmas party downtown; his two sisters were at friends' houses. From the basement, he heard noises upstairs. But the family is used to hearing weird noises in its heating system. A few minutes later, however, he heard an unmistakable sound — a slam, as if it took an extra heave to close something. A drawer in his parents' bedroom catches, and makes that sound. That's when he decided to check upstairs, stopping first at his basement bedroom for the shotgun he had only used to knock down two quail and a Hungarian partridge. He loaded it with two shells. When he approached his parents' room, Burger saw a beam from a flashlight bounce off a mirror and hit a wall. The intruder was rummaging through his parents' closet, dressers and under their bed. "Hey! Who are you?" he asked the intruder. The burglar put up his hands. He started walking toward Burger confidently. Finger on the trigger, Burger backed up until they faced each other in the dining room. They were so close, the seventh-grader could see the brown in the intruder 's eyes — even in the shadows. The man, who had a crowbar hanging at his side, claimed he was a policeman. He asked Burger to let him reach into his pocket for his identification. Burger warned the man to keep his hands up and leave immediately. The intruder agreed. Burger kept his aim until the man was out of sight. From the street, the man yelled to the frightened teen. "The cops are on their way," said the man, as if he really was an officer and the boy might be in big trouble. Burger ran to a phone and called his parents. The teen was so hysterical, his father Frank didn't recognize his son's voice. With Burger in the kitchen, gun by his side, his parents rushed home. But they had to wait to call police. "He was so scared, he wouldn't let (his mom) hang up the phone," Frank Burger said. The man, who entered by breaking a window in a side door, made off with some jewelry and rare coins. Burger's parents aren't concerned about those losses. Greg Snyder, Spokane County sheriff's crime prevention deputy, advises against confronting home invaders. It's better to make noise to let the burglar know someone is home, Snyder said. "Nine times out of 10, they're going to high-tail it out of there," he said. Even better, if there's an easy exit, Snyder advises leaving the home and phoning police from a neighbor's house. Confronting the burglar with a gun needlessly escalates the danger. "You just brought a deadly weapon into a deadly situation," Snyder said. Burger said that if he had it to do over, he would have reacted differently. "I probably would have ran out the door to one of my neighbors' houses," he said. "I wake up three or four times a night just seeing the (intruder)." Burger said he didn't call for help because he wasn't sure if he was hearing things, and he didn't want to cry wolf. Burger's family calls him a hero, but tells him he shouldn't have taken such a chance. The family shudders to think how their lives would have changed if the teen had pulled the trigger or the intruder had wrestled the gun away. "It's been pretty traumatic," Frank Burger said. "I thank the Lord for watching over my son because who knows what could have happened." Burger described the invader as a white male, about 6 feet and 180 pounds. He had brown, graying hair and a small mustache. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456- 2233.

December 13, 2000, 10:27 AM	#2
buzz_knox Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 1999 Location: Knoxville, in the Free State of Tennesse Posts: 4,194	"Confronting the burglar with a gun needlessly escalates the danger. 'You just brought a deadly weapon into a deadly situation,' Snyder said." So, what's a crowbar but a deadly weapon in the hands of a person who is illegally in your home and advancing on you?

December 13, 2000, 10:33 AM	#3
Jeff, CA Guest Posts: n/a	Come to think of it, isn't that a deadly weapon hanging on deputy Snyder's belt? Is he saying he'd have left it in his car before he went to confront the burglar?

December 13, 2000, 10:40 AM	#4
RH Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 1999 Posts: 504	Have to agree that it would have been better to stay put (armed) or go next door. Isn't that what we preach here, retreat to the safe room, cell phone 911, and all that ? Glad it turned out OK. I hope the state doesn't yet have a "access to firearms by minors" law, or the parents could be in deep trouble.

December 13, 2000, 10:52 AM	#5
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2000 Location: Idaho Posts: 5,405	Have to agree with RH on a tactical basis. If the boy had retreated and called, the burgler may have been apprehended. Low risk of loss of life. As it turned out, the burgler escaped, and there was significant danger. If either had been killed, it would have been bad. And, as RH pointed out, if this had taken place in Californa the parents would probably be up on felony charges right now.

December 13, 2000, 02:34 PM	#8
Dennis Staff Join Date: November 23, 1998 Location: a small forest in Texas Posts: 7,095	Bad Medicine, I hope you're not in Texas. If you walked the burglar to the front yard to shoot him in the knees, you would end up being Bruno's "girlfriend" in our state prison. That's what we do for attempted murder in Texas. If you are not stopping or neutralizing an imminent threat of deadly force, (or fulfilling one of the other justifications in Texas Penal Code Chapter 9) your options are limited. On the other hand, if Mr. Burglar (carrying a crowbar) rushed you in the house, I believe our courts would be tolerant. (I'm not an attorney, etc. ... standard TFL disclaimer...)

December 13, 2000, 04:21 PM	#11
BadMedicine Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2000 Location: Anchorage Posts: 863	He turned on me when I blinked, honest. First of all, it leaves a message, don't come a knockin. Second of all, what, I randomly "attempted murder" on a stranger who broke into my house and advanced on me with a crowbar??? Who're they gonna believe, the half to death frightened kid? Or the criminal whose tresspassing, breaking and entering, theiving (got my jewels in his pocket) and has probably got a record? Thirdly, I have a loading shot gun, and he has a crowbar, if I wanted to kill him, I would have!!