<p>[College</a> student kills intruder with sword](<a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2009868301_apussamuraisworddeath.html]College”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2009868301_apussamuraisworddeath.html)</p>
<p>“Police are interviewing the student and his roommates, and are talking to prosecutors about whether to file charges”</p>
<p>What a horrible story. It reminded me of the incident three years or so ago when an intruder killed a student inside his own fraternity house.</p>
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<p>If it’s self defense no charges should be filed. The intruder had no business being in the student’s home. Maybe it’s good riddance.</p>
<p>I agree with you, razorsharp. The student was acting in self-defense. However, it also sounds that the intruder bled to death from his wounds. If that is the case, and no help has been summoned promptly, then there is a chance the student may be charged.</p>
<p>You can’t expect to rob someones house without getting hurt. Think about it, what would you do if it was the middle of the night, and some random guy in black came charging at you like a maniac. First thing I’d do is find someone hard/sharp and jab it in him to defend myself. Especially if that robber is armed. The student acted on common sense. Only a moron would stand there doing nothing. If he was left there to bleed to death, then yes there may be charges against the student, but imo it’s the robbers’ problem. Teaches a lesson about not breaking into peoples homes.</p>
<p>“Guglielmi said the man had been arrested on charges such as burglary several times before, and had been released Saturday from a Baltimore County jail.”</p>
<p>According to the article quoted above, the intruder had been arrested several times already and was fresh out of jail. The student asked the intruder to leave before taking defensive action. Case closed–and the student should be honored for doing his part to address the problem of crime.</p>
<p>local paper has a little more info:</p>
<p>[Johns</a> Hopkins student kills intruder with samurai sword, police say – baltimoresun.com](<a href=“http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-sword0915,0,4027961.story]Johns”>http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-sword0915,0,4027961.story)</p>
<p>I don’t see how they could charge the student. But, who knows, this is Maryland and stranger things have happened. </p>
<p>In fact, IIRC, the Free State brought 2 business owners to trial a few years back for killing burglers in their shop. The shop was burgled (is that a word?) twice. The police were called each time, but unable to catch the bad guys. </p>
<p>After the second robbery, the business owners told the cops that if the burgulars rob the shop again, they will kill them. Well, the owners spent several nights in the shop waiting for the burgulars to come back a third time. They did. The owners killed them. The owners were acquitted. </p>
<p>I don’t see how the State could bring charges against the student when such a relevant precedent is still fresh in the Baltimore memory.</p>
<p>The police were already enroute. He did not delay in calling/getting help. It sounds like the robber bled out quickly. In the state of Florida the student would not still be in jail. In fact, the student would not have been arrested at all if he committed the act in self defense upon a person who had broken in. The robber was a habitual criminal. </p>
<p>I think it is ridiculous that this student is still being held. He didn’t shoot the robber, he went armed with whatever he had in his room. It happened to be a samurai sword. The guy lunged at the student and he used what he had in his hand. Unless there is more to this that that, he needs to be freed.</p>
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<p>burglarized</p>
<p>Killed him with a sword? Now that’s what I call “old school.”</p>
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<p>If the facts as presented so far are true, the student got rid of someone society can live without. The student may have prevented the trauma from theft for hundreds of other people.</p>
<p>If this intruder lunged at him as the story is being reported, the student did what he had to do to preserve his own life. Often times, criminals with a long history of burglaries get bolder and more aggressive in their actions. Thank goodness this student had something with him to protect himself.</p>
<p>How tragic. That student will have to take some time off to deal with this emotionally. He won’t exactly be able to resume classes like nothing happened.</p>
<p>“The student may have prevented the trauma from theft for hundreds of other people.”</p>
<p>Or worse. It sounds like the burglar came at the student in an aggressive manner when asked to leave. If left to the system, the person would have committed many more thefts and possibly hurt or killed someone in the process.</p>
<p>Here you go–only 29 prior convictions: :rolleyes:</p>
<p>And the cops are still detaining this student? </p>
<p>“Police have also not formally released the name of the suspected burglar, but a department source identified the man as Donald D. Rice, 49, of the 600 block of E. 27th St. in Baltimore. Guglielmi said the suspect had 29 prior convictions for crimes such as breaking and entering, and had been released Saturday from the Baltimore County Detention Center after he was arrested by county police in August 2008 for stealing a car in Baltimore.”</p>
<p>Not only that purpleflurp…
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<p>why the hell is he still being held. This man should have his own super hero comic.</p>
<p>blankmind:</p>
<p>I’m sure glad the cops are being careful with this student and keeping HIM detained after they let the career criminal go on weapons charges! </p>
<p>Wondering where all the great constitution defenders are who were so worried about Skip Gates’s arrest? Now, this is a REAL travesty of justice–this student was every bit within his rights to defend himself. Where’s Obama when you need him?</p>
<p>From the article:
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<p>Thats unfortunate. He shouldn’t even have been arrested. It was his house, there were signs of forced entry, the person killed was inside the home and had a long history similar crimes. Even CA defines a reasonable castle doctrine in legal statute:</p>
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