zzzz wrote:
There is a fair chance that the guy is not the bike thief. If you were the police, you might arrest him, but there is a legal process that would assess his guilt, not an on-the-spot determination in any case.
So lets say the dude is not the bike thief. Maybe you think all black people or homeless people, etc. look alike. Or the photos that you saw of the suspect is of him, but not of the actual thief.
So now, you'd stopped the guy for apparently no reason, and harassed him, and brandished a weapon. If the guy has a gun, and you are in a stand-your-ground state, wouldn't he be within his rights to kill you because he is legitimate fear of his life?
I would think so, yes.
I made the decision to confront burglars almost 15 years ago when my house was burglarized. This isn't something I have done lightly.
Beside the point, but I have no doubt I stopped the right person, both by his appearance and by his reaction when I spoke to him. The only chance I was wrong is if he has an identical twin or close sibling who wears the exact same clothing and wears the same backpack. Possible for school age children, very odd for middle aged adults.