US News
Quanell X turned away by Texan Joe Horn's neighbors
By M&C US News Dec 3, 2007, 16:32 GMT
Neighbors and local people rallied to the aid of Joe Horn, 61, the Texas man who was recorded by 911 as he shot at two thieves who were ransacking his neighbors home, then who approached him on Horn's property.
A protest led by outsider Quanell X, along with relatives of the two dead thieves, was scheduled Sunday afternoon outside of the home of Joe Horn, the 61-year-old man who opened fire on the two men he believed were burglarizing a neighbor's home.
The burglars, Miguel Antonio DeJesus, 38, and Diego Ortiz, 30, were killed in the shooting, which happened about 2 p.m. on Nov. 14.
CNN reported that hundreds of people with signs of support for Horn lined Timberline Street Sunday afternoon waiting for the arrival of Quanell X, who organized a demonstration outside of Horn's home for 3 p.m. Sunday.
A chaotic scene ensued, with neighbors pushing back Quanell X's protest group away from Horn's residence.
Yard signs lined the 7400 block of Timberline in Pasadena, where the incident took place, as well as on nearby streets.
Residents and Horn supporters waved American flags and carried signs reading, “We love our neighbor for protecting our neighbors” and “Burglary is a risky business.”
Motorcyclist Aaron “Blowout” Morrow, 43, and dozens of his fellow bikers lined Timberline, loudly revving their engines each time Quanell X attempted to speak.
“I support our rights as Americans to protect ourselves and support our Second Amendment rights,” Morrow said.
"He was perfectly within his rights to protect himself and his neighbor, and it's just wrong what Quanell's trying to start," Horn supporter Richard Flores said.
Quanell X believes Horn should be charged in the shootings.
"We're not out here because of race. We're out here because a man took the law into his own hands ... became judge, jury and executioner. That's what we're up against," Quanell X said. "(Horn) gunned those men down in cold-blooded murder."
"We know (DeJesus and Ortiz) were doing wrong. They deserve to go to jail, but don't deserve to be shot down here with no questions asked and nothing to defend themselves. Everybody has the right to go to the justice system. (Horn) was nobody to take that away from them," Stephanie Storey, one of the victim's girlfriend said.
Horn was on the phone with 911 operators when he shot DeJesus and Ortiz with a 12-gauge shotgun. He confronted the suspects as they were leaving the home through a gate leading to the front yard. Both of the men were pronounced dead at the scene.
During the 911 call, which runs about six minutes, the dispatcher repeatedly tells Horn not to go outside or use his shotgun.
"Don't go out the house," the dispatcher cautions. "Don't be shooting nobody."
A few moments later, the click of a shotgun can be heard, then a warning barked by Horn: "Move. You're dead."
Three shotgun blasts follow.
After shooting the suspects, Horn again called police:
"Get the law over here quick. I had no choice," a frantic-sounding Horn says. "They came in the front yard with me. I had no choice."
Texans are allowed to defend themselves with deadly force to protect their own property.
However, it is unclear whether that law extends to using deadly force to protect a neighbor's property.
Horn, in a written statement issued by his lawyers on Nov. 16, also expressed sympathy for the families of DeJesus and Ortiz.
"Any loss of life casts permanent devastation over the lives of everyone involved," Horn said. "The events of that day will weigh heavily on me for the rest of my life. My thoughts go out to the loved ones of the deceased."
The Harris County District Attorney's Office is investigating the case but has not yet decided if the case should be sent to a grand jury.
COMMENT
blog comments powered by DisqusLatest Headlines in US
- 1. Mitt Romney Addresses Tea Party Summit Pictures
- 2. Seven injured as US Navy plane crashes into apartments
- 3. At least three injured in US Navy plane crash
- 4. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, others to face death penalty trial
- 5. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, four others to face death penalty trial
Older Talkback
page: 1
I sympathize with all concerned, but it looks like the shooter did take the law into his own hands.
The police are supposedly given training on when to use deadly force. They are supposed to follow certain procedures. The average Texan, who has a lower level of intelligence than the average american doesn't have a clue. It is in their heritage to shoot first and don't bother to ask questions. With the idiocy you display on these pages, you shouldn't be allowed near a firearm either. Mr. sp1/4. Before you climb on my butt for insulting texans, remember what that great american writer Mark Twain said about the breed: 'Ah, yes, the Texan. The lowest form of humanity.'
'reply to SP4' .....I must tell you-you lost all integrity in whatever point you were trying to make when you insulted someone you do not know or a 'culture' (by location) you know nothing about. State your opinion based on some credible pount of view not by slandering some one else. I suppose if your house was being robbed and your neighbor stood by and watched - you would be asking 'why didn't he do anything?'
You must be another illiterate yank. The word you want is credibility, not integrity. By the way, everybody on this blog knows sp4 and what an idiot he is, so while he is strange, he is not a stranger. And i do know about the 'culture'. My son was in a public place, on a cultural exchange tour when he was murdered by one of those 'cultured' texans. The moron was a highly placed member of the community and he drunkenly drove his cadillac through the crowd. He didn't even get a ticket for illegal parking. So, why don't you crawl away and shut up about things you have no knowledge about. Why don't you just shut the F up, period.
In Re: slander. The word you want is libel. Slander is about speech. Libel is written. To further shoot you down, truth is a defence when a person is taken to court over these matters. So, sue me. But first, check out the history of texas. You will see that they aren't too smart, when it come to civilised things. Heck, take a look at their president.
To the person that thinks Texans are dumb...first of all, you are stereotypical. To lump all Texans as 'dumb' is a stereotype. Let me break down your last comment. You spelled at least 2 words wrong that I can remember. You had at least one grammatical error. Texas was not capitalized...it's a proper noun. And, believe it or not, the WHOLE United States votes on the president. He is the president of the whole country, not just Texas...that's called a governor. Oh, and guess what, I have a college education. Last I checked, Houston was home to NASA and a major cancer hospital. So, why don't you check your facts?
texas was not capitalised on purpose. To cap it would give it some form of credibility. There were no grammatical errors, because I speak English, not american. Bush is from texas, or didn't you know that? As for your college education, in the real world that would translate into Grade 3. Any other points you want to debate, idiot?
Wow,Mr. Smart Texan. You really opened a can of worms. The only reason NASA is in Houston is because LBJ (another Texas president)wanted a Federal project for his home state. NASA wanted it elsewhere, in a more practical spot. Every state has a major cancer clinic. As for smart people and NASA, they sent a mission to Mars with only 1/2 the fuel needed because the specs were metric and some idiot in texas worked in standard. How about a couple of shuttle blow ups? How about the fire in the Apollo craft that roasted 3 atronauts? Want me to go on? If you were smart, you wouldn't have opened your mouth.
That 'good old boy' mentality is not an excuse for taking the law into your own hands. This guy set out to kill, and for what? A robbery. He should have stayed in his house and let the authorities deal with it. I think he was itching to use that gun!!
People who lump everyone in a state, etc., according to the actions of a few are the illiterate ones. We could go on and on about this subject - like everyone who has black hair, short, tall, old, etc., - you get the picture! Show some intelligence!
While I may not have acted in quite the same accordance with Mr. Horn, I do support his actions. To Those who want to call him a murderer, I'll ask: Did he go out looking for victims to kill? Did he premeditate that he was going to shoot two people that day? The answer is obviously. The fact remains that he never would've killed those people, had they not been breaking into his neighbors home and heading for his next. Should he have waited until they actually entered his home to shoot them? I would have to say Yes. He should definately not be charged with murder. People like the degenerate Quanell X; who has been quoted recommending to black people that they 'Mug Whites,' shouldn't be surprised at Mr. horns actions, and definately shouldn't be screaming for a gavel-slamming. I think that maybe if this gets enough publicity, it may sway future would-be criminals from attempting home invasions. In my eyes, what he did was within his right, he felt threatened by these two burglars, gave them a warning, and then shot them. I wish more states were like Texas, as far as their laws go anyways. I'm sure if you were the one whose house had gotten burglarized, and Mr. Horn was your neighbor, you'd be supporting his decision as well. Anyone in the USA has the right at all times to defend their life, and the lives of loved ones or neighbors, even if that means you have to kill a criminal to do it.
quote: 'It is in their heritage to shoot first and don't bother to ask questions. '
That sentence is grammatically incorrect, hayseed. Since you have a compound sentence with two predicates, each one needs to be able to stand on its own, i.e 'It is in their heritage to shoot first' and 'It is in their heritage to don't bother to ask any questions.' Gee, that sounds real sophisticated, Zeke.
Want to try again?
Here endeth the lesson.
BTW, I'm waiting for it to be set up so I can make a donation to the Joe Horn legal defense fund.
If it was me and 2 burglars were standing 15 feet away from me, I don't know what I'd do.
I do know, that I doubt I'd walk up to them and ask 'Excuse me burglars, are you armed with deadly weapons and intend to do me harm?' For all he knew, they could have had guns.
I think getting shot is an occupational hazard of buglary and should be considered when entering the field.
I support Joe Horn and have contributed and bought the t-shirt teequick.com
thank god somebody finally stood up to that racist punk.
JRD
Nice Shootin' Tex! Hey, 30 years old is a ripe old age for a career criminal. Who gives a hoot what color they were. You rob, rape, steal in my yard you deserve to get your butt blown off. In my yard, you will be room temperature soon. You rob, rape, steal in my neighbor's house you deseve anything you get. Boo Hoo, good riddance.
Bring back the Wild West, or maybe in Texas it never left!! I've come upon people stealing gas from a barrel on my property, and I know darn well if I had pulled out one of my many guns and killed them, my sorry ass would be in prison right now!! But, by god, they didn't get away, so it would have been worth it - NOT!!!!
Having had my own home burglarized I can identify with the rage Mr. Horn felt.
I do believe he crossed the line in shooting and I can’t totally condone it. I’m not clear if the perps. were given the chance to surrender and wait for the police.
The thing is he knew no one was home and that worse case they were going to steal stuff. He could not assume beyond that.
I will say this, if I ever caught someone breaking into my own home, I’d be hard pressed not to repeat Mr. Horn’s performance.
Another thing is, that I’ll bet you that burglary rates near that area drop quite a bit. I must say I’m a bit on the fence on this one.
What say you folks?
-Roger
Who cares about grammatics. This is the internet. Grammatics don't count and yes, my shit will be full of errors.
As an African American, I feel he went too far. His life was not in danger. As a mother, I mourn for their mothers and would have killed him for taking the life of my child. Criminal or not, my child is my child. No matter the race, as a parent, all we can do is our best and hope for the best and no, my child has never been in trouble.
As a person that has been robbed 3 times, you better pray that neither of those guys were police informants. The cops will be pissed. I know, because the biggest heist directed towards my home was by a black male that was a police informant and they did nothing to him. Besides, Mr. Horn made the police look incompetent.
As a Texan and a black female, I owned two guns for the longest.
As an ex-NASA employee, NASA does not want to be located here and never has. They are steady finding ways to limit the budget it issues to the Houston location. Like most corporations that are in this part of Texas, they feel our skill-pool is just like our gene-pool, filled with inbreeding (ex: hiring relatives and friends with no new ideas leading to repeated mistakes). Texans of all races are guilty of these type of practices.
Also, the Bushes are not originally from Texas. They moved here for political reasons. Just like they renamed Houston Intercontinental Airport to Bush Intercontinental Airport without discussing it with the citizens, they have changed a lot about Texas without discussing it with us. This is why we ran Tom Delay ass up out of here.
However, as a Texan, Joe not only needs to go to jail for taking the law into his own hands, but for not following the unwritten law in Texas that if you shoot someone that you suspect of burglarizing your house outside of your home, drag the body into your house to make it look like a legitimate kill.
With all that said, even though it is a nuisance replacing property stolen from you, no amount of merchandise is worth a person's life.
By the way, I don't miss.
Overall, us Texans are good, loving, and caring people.
God bless Texas!! I live in California and hearing about Joe Horn made me realize we aren't dead, just sleeping! A couple of illegal pieces of human detritus come to the US and attempt to burglarize a neighbor and they get whacked! I love it. Bottom line is they should have jumped their illegal arses face first on the ground like a Texas cow patty if they valued their pathetic lives. I am so tired of hearing 'their mothers, fathers, wives, babymamas, sisters, brothers cared about them' BS! They are scum and if they cared about them they would have handcuffed them to the bed before letting them go out to destroy peoples lives and steal. Burglary should be dangerous. It definitely used to be before Tennessee Vs. Garner. Thank you Joe for reminding us we aren't dead yet. Good luck and Godspeed. Oh, and to those quannell X fans, HE caused these deaths by encouraging the thugs to commit these acts, and now he's going to protest? That is nerve! Just see his quotes:
Quanell was forced out of the Nation of Islam for publicly inciting violence with his televised, and highly publicized, exhortation to Houston-area blacks:
'[i]f you feel that you just got to mug somebody because of your hurt and your pain, go to River Oaks and mug you some good white folks. If you’re angry that our brother is put to death, don’t burn down your own community, give these white folks hell from the womb to the tomb.'[5][6]
I am an elderly widow and I will be damned if I would let someone steal from me. I do know how to shoot, and I would! I am not a native born Tean, but I chose to live here!!!
Since the goverment will not do its job - somebody has to. These were illegal aliens with multiple aliases robbing a home in broad daylight. I have zero sympathy for these meat sacks.
It is a sad day when a man may face prosecution for protecting the property of his neighbors from scum like this.
From the article: 'Texans are allowed to defend themselves with deadly force to protect their own property.
However, it is unclear whether that law extends to using deadly force to protect a neighbor's property.'
From the Texas Penal Code: '§ 9.43. PROTECTION OF THIRD PERSON'S PROPERTY.
A person is justified in using force or deadly force against another to protect land or tangible, movable property of a third person if, under the circumstances as he reasonably believes them to be, the actor would be justified under Section 9.41 or 9.42 in using force or deadly force to protect his own land or property and:
1.) the actor reasonably believes the unlawful interference constitutes attempted or consummated theft of or criminal mischief to the tangible, movable property;'
Somebody didn't do their homework.
Okay. It is pretty straight forward. The white guy shoots black criminals. Political figures - mostly black - from around the nation swarm to blame the white guy for defending his property according to the law in the previous post. It is a shame that such double standards exist in today's world.
A word to criminals. It wil happen again.
a 61 year old man having the stength and courage to protect his country from foreign invaders is a beautiful thing. Two dirty slimy rats who crawl under a fence into my land only to steal from my neihgbor must be slain. Everyone who doesn't have the balls to stick up for themselves when they'er being disrespected can have fun getting their things stolen and their desendents will live amoungst vermin.
Stephanie Story is a really big liar. She was not engaged to Miguel and they had only been together for two and a half weeks before he died. Miguel was married to this other girl who does not want to come foward because she has a real job as a teacher and they had been together for three years. Miguel and his real wife (Stephanie is not on the Death Certificate, his wife is).
Tell me, what tests do you need to take before you get married? If you are having sex, then whatever one has the other has it. I know Miguel and his real wife persoanally and I can tell you it wasn't Stephanie. There was some sort of rift with his cousin Jairo Riascos and Rebecca Rojas (Jairo's girlfriend) and they are using Stephanie because they think they can get money from Mr. Horn.
Stephanie doesn't even have a job and she is on welfare and she has three kids by three different men. Miguel was in love with his wife, but as all couples they have problems. He is gone and it does not matter anymore, but these newspapers and television shows are paying her good money to tell a story that isn't even true.
Mr. Horn and Mr. Lambert better get ready, because it is all about the money she, his cousin Jairo, Jairo's cousin Rebecca Rojas are all wanting to sue Mr. Horn...by the way, Jairo has some legal troubles of his own right now. He was caught driving a get away car and they are investigating him to see if he really was involved in a break in. Jairo does not work and his Mexican girlfriend Becky brings home his bacon.
To everyone who said that he should not have shoot those CRIMINALS. let me tell you a story.
My grandfather & grandmother were recently victims of a home invasion. They shot my grandfather in the head, then raped my grandmother and shot her. I wish my grandfather would have had a gun so he could of killed them.
page: 1
SP4: The Community StandardDec 3rd, 2007 - 17:01:29
if police are allowed to protect others property with force, why is it that citizens are not supposed to...?
Report this comment