Yakima County Prosecutor Says No Deadly Force for Property
Yakima County Prosecutor Joe Brusic says a situation at a Coastal Farm and Ranch in Marysville in which six people pulled guns trying to stop a theft could have turned out a lot worse. Police say two suspects stole tools at the store last month and six people with guns surrounded the suspects' vehicle. As the driver began to pull out of the parking lot, he struck a man and others with guns fired at two of the suspect vehicle's tires.
Did the bystanders do the right thing?
Brusic tells KIT News: "If someone had been shot or killed, whether it was one of the suspects or one of those standing by these individuals that utilized their guns could potentially be prosecuted for murder or manslaughter."
Brusic says that's because state law allows the use of deadly force only when a person's life is in danger. He says the law doesn't allow people to pull a gun to defend or regain property unless it's within a private home. But he says even then a person must feel like their life is in danger.