He deserves a medal.

tempus fugit on December 29, 2009 at 11:18 pm

Back in the 1930’s, my pappy used to say, “If the robber runs out of your house, shoot the b@stard, then drag him in.”

Jethro on December 29, 2009 at 11:18 pm

Mr. Croff has a good thing going for him…he didn’t shoot the perp in the back as he was fleeing. That flight shot is usually what juries don’t want to hear.

Stymie on December 29, 2009 at 11:24 pm

I think he has a good chance of being acquitted under Michigan’s new law: where you have a lawful right to be, there is no duty to retreat from a criminal. And Tigh Croff really didn’t have much of a choice. Waiting for the police in a big city is like waiting to be murdered and its a long standing principle of American law that the police have no duty to protect a particular individual. You have a duty to protect yourself when that is truly necessary. In Detroit and for that matter anywhere else in the country.

NormanF on December 29, 2009 at 11:33 pm

I actually once had someoone enter my home in the middle of the night years ago. Long story but I had a gun and in one hand and the phone with the police with the other. I told him if he stepped toward me, I would shoot. Fortunately, he didn’t and no one got hurt.

Allen on December 29, 2009 at 11:58 pm

OK, what’s the said part about killing a burglar? The only sad part is that the homeowner will have all the hassle of a trial and possible conviction and prison sentence. There is nothing you could to to a normal person that would make him become a burglar. The burglar should have been shot sooner and anyone on the jury that votes to convict this homeowner needs to be chained to a streetlamp in the worst part of town to observe the mercy the animals reserve for those that play by the rules.

JURY NULLIFICATION, it’s not just for breakfast anymore.

Scott M on December 30, 2009 at 12:05 am

should of shot him while he was still on the property, then fixed himself something to eat while waiting for the police

seahawker on December 30, 2009 at 1:04 am

I first heard of this law when the Castle Doctrine passed in Florida. But the thing is, and the thing many of you fail to realize, was that the two men were given chase while still in the yard. They had not taken any property, they had not broken in, and the homeowner was not yet in imminent danger. The homeowner did not have to retreat, and he did not — he chased them off the property (which was more than enough, since they were now fleeing), and then murdered one of them. The law says that the homeowner is under no obligation to retreat. It does not give him the right to go on the offensive and shoot someone.

The story as written above does not give enough information for us to know if the two men in the back yard were even trying to break in. They may have been passing through (which happens in big cities), or have been intoxicated and entered the wrong yard, or a plethora of other reasons.

What’s sad is the fact that your defense of the killer could leave open the gates for anyone to shoot and kill a simple trespasser (even one who has entered unfenced property by accident) and get away with it.

Police response time is irrelevant. If the homeowner had a gun, he could have chased them off his property THEN called police. If they came back, he has his self defense in hand. Now that one is dead, the homeowner has put himself in a situation where retaliation may occur. It’s impossible to tell who the burglars even were; if they were members of a gang, he and his kin are at risk of assassination by other members. They may burn his house down, destroy his property, or even kidnap his children (if he has any).

I have been in this situation before as well. My house was broken into two weeks in a row. On the third week, someone happened to be home and chased the guy off before he even got in the house (he left a shoeprint on the door, though). It wasn’t necessary to chase him down and kill him like some barbarian.

Ghost on December 30, 2009 at 1:14 am

The nutroots will go apeshit over this….

sheik yer'mami on December 30, 2009 at 1:39 am

Is there someway that Scott M, Jethro, tempus fugit, seahawker, Stymie, Norman F and myself could get on the Jury?
Surely, Justice would than be served.
Good luck Mr. Croff.

theShadow on December 30, 2009 at 2:10 am

The justice side screams “that’s one less dirtbag who will rob and maybe kill a homeowner in his/her home next time!”. The common sense side says that Croff was well out of bounds by pursuing the perps off of his property and may well face the music and perhaps deserve it for not having more self control. Murder though? I think not. Manslaughter at best. Plead it out to 1-5, off with time served. Case closed. Dirtbag dead. Job well done.

Steve Hauptman on December 30, 2009 at 3:40 am

I have to wonder if it was the shooter or a witness that reported the last exchange before the trigger was pulled. A third party I can see but the shooter? You have to be smarter than that if you want to totally keep yourself from jail. I’d have left out the part of the conversation. This area is tooooo full of libtards to take that chance. Hope he gets off. Nice shooting.
Posters should be aware of their computers being confiscated after a shooting so try to keep questionable statements off it.

Joe on December 30, 2009 at 3:43 am

I see Croff said it. Too bad.

Joe on December 30, 2009 at 3:47 am

Problem #1

TOO many have-nots!

Bob S. on December 30, 2009 at 4:07 am

These types of laws are bound to end up in SCOTUS under a 14th Amendment argument. I’m all for self-defense, and I’m not one of these LE types that don’t think the citizenry should have guns to protect themselves. However, running the guy down far off your property, then shooting him close-up in the chest while in a position of apparent surrender? Oh boy …

StillShakingMyHead on December 30, 2009 at 8:26 am

Nice grouping!

Bigtee on December 30, 2009 at 9:10 am

What a heart warming story that another thug is going to meet his maker.

I think a better story for Croff to tell would be that he was still on his property when he slipped and fell and accidentally shot the intruder.

Jarhead on December 30, 2009 at 10:33 am

I really hope Croff does not get convicted of anything if the story above is very accurate.

I highly doubt it, but are Michigan’s gun laws as good as the ones in Texas? Remember the story of Joe Horn, the Texas man who shot two thieves that were in his neighbor’s yard stealing from his neighbor? He didn’t get convicted of anything and neither should Croff.

Jarhead on December 30, 2009 at 10:48 am

Neighborhood I grew up in. It`s a shame how it has turned out.

Hermster on December 30, 2009 at 11:20 am

So my question is, was Croff supposed to wait until they came back and DID pose a danger, or break in to rob him? They were on his property. And probably not the first time. It is time we get tough on the thugs who have taken good law abiding citizens hostage through fear. Make them fear us instead. We love to come to Detroit and spend time but many of our friends refuse due to the supposed threat from thugs like the ones mentioned in this story. You can cite poverty, a bad childhood, a poor economy. I grew up in poverty but made it out. At the end of the day we all make choices and with those choices come consequences. Everyone is the master of their own destiny. So the economy is bad here. Move. Get an education. Work two, three jobs. Preying on regular people is a cowards way out and one that comes with harsh results sometimes.

Musiccgirl on December 30, 2009 at 11:21 am

Had the homeowner not shot the guy, chances are the guy would’ve come after him once he got out of jail–IF he ever would’ve gone to jail. Shouldn’t the police focus their energies on real criminals?

Another great example of why I travel to Detroit only when it’s absolutely necessary. It makes San Antonio (a much larger city with thousands of documented gangs and a Mexican Mafia presence) pale in comparison.

Richard on December 30, 2009 at 11:45 am

absolutely. lie to the cops about the conversation. “he said he was gonna kill me, and took a step forward. i was so scared!” lie lie lie, and then lie some more. why not? cops lie to us all the time. “it’s required that we come in and look around”; “you need to let me look in your car for my own safety”, “the suspect made a furtive move towards his waistband”, “the underwear bomber guy is just yet another isolated incident with no commonality whatsoever between him and all the other guys who’ve tried to blow up airplanes”, all that crap.

save yourself time and money, and the risk of a nitwit jury ruining your life with a stupid verdict. shoot to kill. quietly – very very quietly – taunt the scumbag as he lays there dying. lie about it. walk away a free man, and no massive legal expenses.

roger the shrubber on December 30, 2009 at 5:58 pm

Roger you are right, he should have said he was if fear of his life and then and only then fired his weapon.My hope is that the Jury lets him go.

You have no idea how having your home violated three times in a week can effect your thinking. Basically the guy was scared to death after three attempts in one week.

ScottyDog on December 30, 2009 at 9:56 pm

Why didn’t he just tell the police that the ignorant thug lunged at him, so he shot him? I would have marched the subhuman back to my house at gunpoint, into the bathroom where the floors are easier to clean, and shot him there.

I hope Tigh gets off. Depends on whether the jury is full of libtards or not. What if this thug had gone off to another home and raped and killed the inhabitant? And yeah, at age 53, he was kind of pushing the limits of his life expectancy for a criminal.

batyah on December 31, 2009 at 1:26 am

Debbie, The fact of the matter is this guy had every right to protect himself. I would imagine that there must have been some part of this guy who was plain fed up with the system not taking these thugs and bullies off the street. The more of us that pack “heat” (and you know I do) the safer people in the country are going to be …. go try to rob someone in Texas.

Happy New Year!

Apophis

Apophis on December 31, 2009 at 2:37 pm

Was Silas not just convicted/sentanced March of 2009?

Shabazz on January 2, 2010 at 1:17 am

“Nice grouping”, I get it, good one. Croft was chasing the criminal to make a citizen’s arrest, to hold him for the police. That’s lawful in Michigan when you witness the commission of a felony, like home invasion here. The criminal stopped fleeing, turned around, faced his arrestor, and taunted him in a threatening manner. Only a hardened criminal or crazy man would do that. At that point Croft reasonably feared for his life and killed the scum bag. He’s my hero! Give him a medal, don’t prosecute him.

Jay on January 9, 2010 at 2:12 am

I wrote a blog post explaining why I think he is being rail-roaded. Read it and let me know your thoughts.

http://detroitcpl.blogspot.com/2010/01/tigh-croff-tragic-hero-or-urban.html

Rick Ector on January 9, 2010 at 9:41 pm

Detroit Cops. Corrupt verminous worthless scum.

Occam's Tool on June 24, 2011 at 1:07 am

If you wish do to me harm when you step onto my property, I will take action.

Tina on September 24, 2011 at 9:21 am