California man loses shotgun, receives scolding

A Watonsville, CA man fired his shotgun at trespassers who drove their vehicle at him after he told them to stop and wait for law enforcement to arrive:

As investigators continued to explore an incident in which a Watsonville landowner fired a shotgun at a pickup truck he found driving on his property last week, law enforcement officials offered some advice on using guns for protection.

Bill McGrath has been trying to catch a group of thieves that have raided his Casserly Road property several times. When he saw a pickup truck driving along his driveway about 4 a.m. on Oct. 18, McGrath initially just watched, he said. However, when the truck pulled within 30 feet of the house where his children were sleeping, he went to confront the driver, he said.

Shotgun in hand, McGrath called to the driver and told him to stop and wait for sheriff's deputies to arrive, he said. When the driver drove the truck toward McGrath, he fired at the radiator and jumped out of the way.

When a deputy arrived, he scolded McGrath, McGrath said. The deputy took the shotgun while investigators determined whether McGrath committed a crime.

And the article goes on to preach about how one should always call the authorities and let them sort it all out after you've been murdered. No, of course they don't say that, but that's what they mean.