Joe Horn Shooting
Joe Horn, a 61-year-old Texas resident, shot and killed two men who were in the act of burglarizing his neighbor's residence. Horn called 911 to report the burglary and was instructed to stay inside his house. He insisted on going outside to confront the burglars. The entire incident was documented on the 911 recording.1
On June 30, 2008, a grand jury failed to indict Horn for any crime in the incident.1
Fast Facts
- Did not shoot them until they were on his property
- Says he felt threatened by their actions
- Texas law allows residents to use deadly force to protect themselves if it's reasonable to believe they could otherwise be killed2
- It also allows for the use of deadly force to protect their neighbor’s property2
- Quanell X was protesting the shooting, but not defending the young men for the burglarizing of the home
No Indictment
Under Texas law, nine out of 12 members of the grand jury would have to vote in favor of indicting Horn in order to have him charged with a crime. After listening to evidence and testimony for two weeks, they decided to acquit Horn. The decision was based on the fact that the law allows for the use of deadly force to protect yourself and Horn felt threatened by the burglars.3
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