Posted by Eugene Volokh:
As They Say, "When Seconds Count, the Police Are Only Minutes Away":
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_04_12-2009_04_18.shtml#1239985644
The [1]Roanoke Times has the story, including the audio of a 911 call
that "represents close to 13 minutes of conversation between [the
homeowner], his wife and a 911 dispatcher"; it's not clear exactly
what fraction of the 13 minutes was the time it took the police to
respond, but it appears that it took many minutes for the police to
arrive: "About seven and a half minutes after Hoover calls 911
[because Jones was outside shouting], Jones shatters the glass door
with a wrought-iron chair and tries to come in." This may well not be
the fault of the police, but it does reveal the value of private
self-defense and not just of relying on the police.
Here's the summary,
In the 911 recording, Jody Hoover calls the sheriff's office and
tells a dispatcher that there is a "strange man outside our home,
and he's hollerin' and he's crying out. I don't know what's going
on with him."
Hoover hands the phone to his wife while he gets his
double-barreled, 12-gauge shotgun.
Jones can be heard yelling and repeatedly banging on the back
sliding glass door.
Hoover's wife tells the dispatcher that the man is talking about
Vietnam and 1969, and that he asked Jody Hoover for the date.
Hoover talks to the man from inside. "I don't want to hurt you," he
says. "I can't let you in.
"Please, just go away. Please."
About seven and a half minutes after Hoover calls 911, Jones
shatters the glass door with a wrought-iron chair and tries to come
in.
Hoover told authorities that he shot at Jones twice. Deputies
arrived at the house as the shots were fired. Jones was pronounced
dead at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital....
In 2005, Jones was found guilty in Botetourt County of brandishing
a firearm and in 1999 and 2000 he was found guilty in Roanoke
County of driving under the influence.
I should acknowledge that it's of course possible that, after this
extremely drunk man broke the door with a chair, he wouldn't have hurt
the residents (or at least wouldn't have hurt them much). We can't
know what would have happened. But I'm glad that the Hoovers didn't
have to run that risk.
Thanks to Hill Welford for the pointer.
References
1. http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/201127
_______________________________________________
Volokh mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.powerblogs.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volokh
