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September 17, 2009
Johns Hopkins student kills intruder with samurai sword
Ok, so there's no literal connection between this story and the normal beat covered by the Adjunct Law Prof Blog (to paraphrase Walter Sobchak from The Big Lebowski) but it's too bizarre not to share with all of you. According to the Baltimore Sun, when a Johns Hopkins undergrad heard an intruder in his garage the other day, he "didn't run. He didn't call the police. He grabbed his samurai sword."
But he didn't just wound the intruder, he killed him with a blow described as a "spear laceration." The police also said that although the student didn't have "advanced sword training," he probably had some practice using it. "He wasn't a ninja," [the police said] "He may have been moderately trained or on the intermediate level." He sounds pretty adept to me.
According to one law professor, although it's legal to carry a sword in Baltimore, the student may still be charged with a crime if the D.A. determines that he used excessive force given that the incident occurred in the backyard rather than inside the home.
You can read the whole story here.
Hat tip to the Chronicle of Higher Ed.
(jbl)
September 17, 2009 | Permalink
Comments
You might want to re-read the Baltimore Sun story. The law professor says "it is unclear how the law [of self defense] applies to an enclosed backyard." It was a police spokesman, not the law professor, who said it was legal to carry a sword in Baltimore - the professor did not comment on that issue. The professor did not speculate about whether the student would be charged with a crime. It is not clear how the intruder died, whether from a spearing or from the loss of blood from a severed hand. And the students (there were three of them) called the police. You are correct, however, in reporting that the incident occurred in Baltimore.
Posted by: HBC | Sep 17, 2009 7:23:05 PM
HBC, you might already want to re-read this post. But anyways, not having been at the scene I'd probably give him the benefit of the doubt not having used excessive force. But this was my first reaction when I read the story. A burglar? Killed with a samurai sword? Excessive. But then again, what do I know whether he seemed to have a gun or attack or whatever.
Posted by: B. | Sep 18, 2009 1:31:50 PM
