Most Texas Drivers Think They Can Shoot a Carjacker. They're Dead Wrong.

Let me tell you a story about a father in Garland, Texas. He was sitting in his car. With his family. Including several children. A man walked up. Tried to pull him out. Tried to carjack the vehicle. So he shot the guy. Dead. And now? Nothing. No charges. Police said it was self-defense. You saw that headline, didn't you? You probably thought: "Finally, Texas doing Texas things. Stand your ground. Protect your family." But here's the thing nobody told you. The law that protected this man has almost nothing to do with Texas being "pro-gun" or "stand your ground." The law that protected him is actually really specific. Really complicated. And if you think it says what you think it says, you're probably going to prison. 1 People in Texas love to say: "I can shoot anyone trying to steal my car." I've heard it at BBQs. At gun ranges. At car dealerships. Everyone's an expert. "Texas law says I can protect my property." Bullshit. Let me break down what Texas Penal Code actually says. Section 9.31: Self-Defense. You can use force if you reasonably believe it's immediately necessary to protect yourself against someone else's use or attempted use of unlawful force. Section 9.32: Deadly Force in Defense of Person. You can only use deadly force if you would be justified under 9.31, AND when "the actor reasonably believes the deadly force is immediately necessary to protect the actor against the other's use or attempted use of unlawful deadly force." Notice something? Both of these are about defending a PERSON. Not property. Section 9.41: Protection of One's Own Property. You can use non-deadly force to protect your property. Section 9.42: Deadly Force to Protect Property. THIS is where people get confused. Deadly force to protect property is only justified under VERY specific circumstances. Let me quote it: "The actor is justified in using deadly force against another... when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the deadly force is immediately necessary to prevent the other's commission of arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, theft during nighttime, or criminal mischief during nighttime."