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And the Pussification of America Continues: Man Arrested For Being A Hero And Stopping A Burglary
Foxnews – A New Hampshire man who fired his handgun into the ground to scare an alleged burglar he caught crawling out of a neighbor’s window is now facing a felony charge — and the same potential prison sentence as the man he stopped. Dennis Fleming, 61, of Farmington, was arrested for reckless conduct after the Saturday incident at his 19th century farmhouse. The single grandfather had returned home to find that his home had been burglarized and spotted Joseph Hebert, 27, climbing out of a window at a neighbor’s home. Fleming said he yelled “Freeze!” before firing his gun into the ground, then held Hebert at gunpoint until police arrived. “I didn’t think I could handle this guy physically, so I fired into the ground,” Fleming told FoxNews.com. “He stopped. He knew I was serious. I was angry … and I was worried that this guy was going to come after me.”No one was injured in the incident, but when the police arrived, they made two arrests. Hebert was charged with two counts of burglary and drug possession. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted. Fleming, meanwhile, is scheduled to be arraigned March 20 on a charge of reckless conduct, which could potentially land him a sentence similar to the one Hebert faces. “I didn’t know it was illegal [to fire into the ground], but I had to make that guy realize I was serious,” Fleming said. “I’ve got a clean record. I really don’t want to be convicted.”
What the fuck New Hampshire? What happened to live free or die? Seriously I don’t even know what to say to this one. This guy did everything exactly right. Saw a burglar. Got his gun. Fired a warning shot and captured the fucking guy. This is exactly what you’d want your neighbor to do. He threw a perfect game of good citizenship. It’s just mind boggling that he’s charged with anything. Hell I don’t care if he put a bullet in this guy’s brain I still wouldn’t charge him with anything. Once you break the law it’s open season on killing people in my book. Maybe robbers wouldn’t be as bold if they knew they could be murdered with no repercussions instead of people getting arrested for trying to stop it. Just truly astounding that I’m even writing about this shit. I’m sure they are going to drop the charges, but it’s still disgusting it even got this far. This guy deserves a parade and everybody knows it.
Pigs are probably butthurt they couldn’t collar the perp themselves. I know a guy who was threatened with arrest because the police couldn’t handle 4 people going in different directions fleeing. The cops were mad because he stood back and got out of the way instead of helping.
What the fuck is wrong with this country?
Florida= chick blows a robbers head off with a shotty and shes a national hero / New Hampshire= guy threatens a criminal and is charged with reckless conduct / Verdict= you want to rob someone, head north no one will stop you now
Absoutely nothing will happen to this guy. He got arrested because he had to get arrested in that situation, he broke the law. But i doubt he will get charged.
* anything will happen to him
Ya the charges will def be dropped. Any half decent lawyer will be able to get him off scot free.
Great…so now he has to pay for the lawyer. WTF! What a waste of time and money even bringing this guy into the station.
Wasn’t NH were Seinfeld and crew was arrested for not helping…I know one is a tv show and the other real life but NH just blows
This lady can get away with killing someone, but this guy shoots the ground and is arrested… Makes no sense
http://abcnews.go.com/US/okla-woman-shoots-kills-intruder911-operators-shoot/story?id=15285605#.T0Uc33ZMqM0
Seinfeld and crew were arrested in Latham, Massachusetts.
This is bullshit though. In NH, you can fire a gun to wake up somebody sitting at a green light.
no jury would convict him for this. The prosecutor just needs to make charges up to make himself seem useful, since nothing else happens in new hampshire. This guy is the neighbor everyone dreams of
The Live Free or Die mentality has been eroding away for years as more and more massholes and other transplants move here because their states are shitholes … then push their liberal beliefs on everyone.
Let this be a lesson. Shoulda shot the guy in the face. He’d get off scot free. Who knew you could learn something useful from a woman?
The law only allows one to use excessive force (using a gun) to protect yourself or others from death or serious bodily injury. Property does not fall under that category. The Robber’s Life is more important than the neighbors iPod. Although it seems unfair, the guy used excessive force to protect mere possessions. Therefore, he broke the law.
fuck off bmm420. to “use force” one would have to actually use it. all he did was fire a warning shot and keep that no good thief from getting away. you’re a dipshit and don’t know anything about the law you scummy fuck.
Pointing a gun at someone is using force. I’m a lawyer. I guess I don’t know anything about the law.
Would the police not have drawn their guns in this situation? Had they rolled up and seen a drug addict climbing out the window of someone’s house you better believe they would have. So I fail to see how it is heroic for the police and a crime for the neighbor.
The warning shot was a bad idea, but I don’t blame him one bit for being scared and he obviously shouldn’t be charged with anything.
Bmm you sound like one of those scumbag public defenders who represents murders and nambla members get a life bro and go lawyer something leave the opinions to the stoolies who know what’s right and what’s wrong not what some ridiculous law says.. I think I just heard an ambulance you better go catch it
Gotta say, as a New Hampshirian, that I’m surprised about this one. True story too on NH changing a lot over the past 40 years, overloaded now as we are with Masshole transplants.
Like what you see here, stoolies? Keep voting Democrat!
Bmm, go occupy something or go to an Obama rally you fucking pussy.
NH went to shit when the “Old Man in The Mountain” fell off… well, the mountain.
I got arrested because someone broke into my house, and my dog bit him. Charges were eventually dropped, but, it was a total hassle.
You have every right to disagree with the law, but bmm420 is absolutely right. If you’re gonna own a gun you can’t be ignorant of the law or you will get fucked. There is no legal defense for a ” warning shot”, you don’t fire a weapon unless your life, or that of an innocent 3rd party, are in mortal danger. And then you only shoot to kill, don’t leave the guy around to tell his side of the story.
Agree with the rest. If you’re going to own a gun, you can’t be a redneck about it. Learn the laws instead of making yourself out to be a pseudo-hero.
The act of firing a warning shot does not necessarily constitute “reckless” behavior under the law in NH. Prosecutor has to prove he engaged in conduct which placed or may have placed another in danger of serious bodily injury by the use of a deadly weapon. Comes down to real risk – e.g. how close he was to the guy, whether there was any actual danger to the guy, etc. Most judges are going to say that if you fire a shot 12 inches from the head of a simple burglar, you have put the guy’s life at risk recklessly. Firing the gun directly into the ground is a much tougher sell for a jury. For example, an attorney might argue: what is more dangerous, pointing the weapon at the guy and not firing (which few would regard as reckless) or aiming the weapon at the ground and pulling the trigger? Objectively, pointing the gun directly at the guy is much more dangerous than pointing at the ground and firing.
The cops found probable cause to arrest the guy (e.g. this was the cops’ decision), but that doesn’t meant the prosecutor chooses to move forward.