Recent Shooting Of Camden Burglar Brings Up Debate Over Castle Doctrine In Missouri

The call about an alleged burglar in Camden County being shot to death by a homeowner brings up discussion able the Castle Doctrine…a set of laws in Missouri that include the “stand your ground law.”

“So if someone is entering your home and you feel that your life is threatened, obviously you’ve got a duty to protect yourself and your family. And so, you know, I think that that’s that’s something that’s really important. I know a lot of folks in our area, and rightly so, believe that, you know, someone comes into their home, they are justified to shoot them. And each individual situation is different.”

Sergeant Scott Hines also says, if you are involved in such an incident, you need to make the call to 9-1-1 to report what happened and to make sure responding law enforcement can distinguish you from a possible bad guy.

“Describe, you know, what you’re wearing, where you’re going to be standing, things like that.”

The law passed in 2016 in Missouri eliminated a previous requirement that required a victim to first retreat before using force. Unfortunately, at least one study in 2022 found that the gun homicide rate increased significantly since “stand your ground” was enacted.