U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Ripped Off

NCJ Number
77464
Author(s)
E HawkinsHawkins E
Date Published
1973
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This film illustrates the danger to both the victim and the offender during a burglary and notes that citizens and police officers are entitled to use force to protect themselves.
Abstract
Two teenage boys plan to burglarize a home to which one of the boys brings a gun. The boy with the gun is caught in the home and attempts to flee the scene when the police are called. They order him to stop and after the warning they shoot. The film notes that burglary is a forcible felony and because of its seriousness both police and private citizens are authorized to use appropriate force to protect themselves. Thus, the boy caused his own predicament through his ignorance of the law.