So sad

What if this happened here to one of your neighbors? Could you go next door and shoot the guy?

I think if you have reasonable expectation that she would be subjected to rape, sodomy, maiming, or death, then yes........even in Hawaii.  In some other places it is probably a hell yes.

I think if you have reasonable expectation that she would be subjected to rape, sodomy, maiming, or death, then yes........even in Hawaii.  In some other places it is probably a hell yes.

I wouldn't, unless I was fond enough of the neighbor to go to prison for her.  In the great state of Hawaii, you'd be breaking about a half-dozen laws to do so, even if the shoot was justified.  Plus the average juror out here is almost guaranteed to think you're a dangerous vigilante lunatic, running around your neighborhood in the dark with an illegal weapon.

I wouldn't, unless I was fond enough of the neighbor to go to prison for her.  In the great state of Hawaii, you'd be breaking about a half-dozen laws to do so, even if the shoot was justified.  Plus the average juror out here is almost guaranteed to think you're a dangerous vigilante lunatic, running around your neighborhood in the dark with an illegal weapon.

For me case for helping a citizen out was always the Janel Tupuola incident.  That is really one of those situations where you just know it's either you shoot the guy or she's going to die.  Other situations it is one of those where you aren't sure what's going to happen, but this one is definitely you have to act or someone would die.

Even with this I'm not sure what I would do unless I was in that situation.

Even now, years after the fact I don't know how I would react.  I guess it's just one of those things that you don't know what you'd do until you are faced with it.

well the thing about this story is that people should learn you truly are on your own (unless there has been a previous incident which makes a relationship between you and the police department and even then they are not responsible for you if they cannot find you or get to you in time).  There is no law which says that the police have to protect you from anyone or anything.  They legally can stand by and watch someone beat/rape/kill you and under the letter of the law there is no legal precedent which makes it illegal.  Most police officers will help but then again they may not, its up to them as well as staffing to actually dispatch someone to your location.  Bottom line is that they may help you but they are under no obligation to do so if they do not feel like it.