Originally Posted by
Bushwhacker
"You can rack the slide, fire a warning shot whatever, but you better have a god explanation if you use deadly force on a guy simply making of with your telly."
I agree, and there lies the nuance of the argument. There is the possibility of both overkill (emptying a magazine into the back of a frail unarmed granny as she's 30 yards from your driveway, who entered your unlocked home by accident due to severe dementia) and being caught with your pants down, hoping you are not harmed while a dangerous criminal brandishes a weapon inside your home. As long as the perp isn't retreating, the threat is very much real and should be treated as such.
Point is, if someone is willing to violate the law by intentionally breaking in, they forfeit some of their rights in the process. What else are they willing to do? Any unknown person or thing inside your residence must first be perceived as a threat. And for the people who think 'what's the big deal don't you have insurance'? that's not the point. Some things are irreplaceable. You give your statement to the police but rarely if ever are items recovered.
You don't have to use deadly force to stop a thief. I'm sure just being confronted at gun point will make them reconsider.