Would-Be Car Burglar Shot By Armed Citizen

MORRISVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA — When one car owner saw a thief breaking into one of his vehicles at 5 a.m., he took matters into his own hands and got into his other car to give pursuit. A high speed chase through the center of Morrisville ended when the carjacker crashed the vehicle into a light post. When he attempted to exit the vehicle, he was greeted with two rounds from the gun of the owner. One of the rounds allegedly hit his arm and he escaped on foot to a nearby convenience store where he surrendered to authorities.

The car thief was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for his wounds and then arrested for multiple crimes. According to FOX 29, investigators are still looking into the scene to see if the owner will be tried for any crimes related in the pursuit of the thief.

Police are trying to obtain a search warrant to search the vehicles for evidence they believe will further implicate the carjacker.

While we’re all for stopping someone from unlawfully taking property, the manner in which this pursuit took place gives rise to more questions than it answers. It’s unclear why the owner didn’t just call police and let them know the license and registration for the vehicle. The pursuit ended up costing the owner more than just the stolen car. Now, that car will be impounded for evidence, the handgun he used to shoot at the suspect will also be taken in as evidence, and the vehicle he drove to pursue the suspect is… You guessed it… Evidence.

This dude lost more than he stood to gain by driving like a madman after this carjacker. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt other than the thief but from the look of the surveillance video that captured the exchange, it was dangerous, erratic, and poorly thought out.

No one wants to lose valuable property to a thief. And, as law-abiding gun owners, we’re allowed to defend ourselves as well as our property from theft and violence. There’s little sign that any of these things were lessened by this pursuit.

Dangerous activity puts more than just you at risk. While it may seem like a good idea, real life has nothing to do with the movies. The second we confuse a Michael Bay cinematic car chase for the real thing, we’re opening ourselves up to quite a lot of danger.

If a round goes off and hits a store window or injures someone, we’re as liable for that as any criminal operating in the area. Be safe, act smart — if you’re not under direct fire, call authorities and report it in. Your property isn’t worth as much as your life or livelihood.