Intruder shot dead – homeowner arrested for murder

Erasmia, a suburb of Pretoria, was the scene of an armed robbery and a murder that has shocked the residents and family. In what appeared to be an armed robbery, the owner acting in self-defense shot at the two perpetrators. One of the suspects died, and the other managed to escape.

The homeowner has been arrested for murder. It can be assumed that the owner was protecting his family and property and when threatened fired a fatal shot. The question is whether the owner intended to kill the suspect. The suspects had no right to access his home, and the only reason they did so was to commit a crime.

It is ridiculous that one is arrested and charged for murder when your own life is placed in danger. Presumably, if the owner did not shoot at the suspects, they would have overpowered the man and killed him. Or perhaps kill his entire family and steal valuables from the home, escaping and if arrested would be out on bail only to commit more crimes.

The owner now faces a charge of murder, and although we might say this is totally unfair, the case will have to be investigated. There will be grounds for justification as the owner shot the intruder in an act of self-defense.

The South African Police have extensive powers of arrest, and as a person was killed, they acted within the law and of course depending on their mood by arresting the owner. The police are trained and have the power to make a decision when a crime is committed. Besides, the police would have to make sure they get a conviction. The courts would probably find the homeowner not guilty of murder as he was defending himself and his family.

It is absolutely unacceptable why he got arrested; perhaps the police were overreacting to the incident of self-defense. What is probably worse is that this innocent person had to be detained by the police and what safety was there in the cells. While all the man was trying to do was protect his home and family, now he has been placed in a life changing situation. A situation that will leave him traumatized. The entire arrest of a law-abiding citizen is crazy.

Laura Oneale  - South Africa Today – South Africa News