NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville police now said a suspect is claiming self-defense after he shot a man holding a machete on a road in Antioch.
Police said the suspect and another person decided to follow a man in a white pickup truck, claiming the truck was stolen. The incident happened Friday at 4856 Goodwin Road around 3:30 p.m.
The suspect told police the driver of the white pickup stopped the vehicle and branded a machete. It was then police said the suspect shot the man wielding a knife.
Authorities with the Metro Nashville Police Department said the investigation is ongoing and had no further information to provide at this time.
In Antioch, a man thought a truck was stolen. Then ended up shooting the driver. (newschannel5.com)
Two things: I hope that the driver of the pick-up actually got out and advanced with the machete in a threatening manner and that the local prosecutor is not one seeking the spotlight.
Still more information is needed, but I am going to quote Jim Cirillo once again.
”You are not sworn to endanger your life to apprehend a dangerous criminal, nor you are paid to do it.”
PS: I also hope their lawyer is good and cheap.
Going to be a tough sell, but I do not know details.
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Chasing someone that stole your pickup, (assuming the pickup belonged to one of the men) without engaging authorities and/or recording it is bad. Any prosecutor can… no will turn this into vigilantism. And, what if the pickup did not belong to one of the men? Perhaps the driver was defending himself?
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Then again, if I was pursuing someone who stole my truck, I would not assume they were going to pull a machete. I would think they would speed away, or abandon the truck at a red light, or whatever. Not get out and try to kill me. I know it is naïve, but one does not think rationally during times of mild stress.
Ahmaud Arbery comes to mind. There is no legal right in any of the states to kill to protect property other than in a home invasion. Where I live in Tennessee, for instance, it is legal to *threaten* life-threatening force in order to protect property, but it is not legal to actually kill. It’s hard to claim self-defense when you are pursuing someone who is fleeing.
hh, mostly true. I think TX has some exceptions, as does NH (you can use deadly force against arson).
However, was the person with the machete advancing towards the shooter, suggesting that an attack was imminent? If so, if a reasonable person would consider the circumstances that way, then deadly force is certainly allowed in any civilized state.