Overkill?

Sorry, but no...

...Marqus Hill, has been charged in the death of 18-year-old Irving Santana early on a Sunday morning. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, police said the shooter had found the youth and two friends breaking into cars.

To some, this will seem like a law-abiding citizen doing society a favor. Except that death isn't the penalty for car theft, if that is what it was, and shooting someone 13 times with a .40 caliber handgun is overkill that goes beyond defending property.

You might already know my feelings on this -- but again, I really don't think there's any crime against a person that doesn't justify deadly force. If said deadly force being exhibited serves as a warning to those who would go breaking into people's cars or committing other petty crimes I can't see that as being anything but good. We don't have a time machine and we can't see into the future, but it'd have been interesting to see what kinds of crimes Mr. Santana would have committed down the road had he lived. Speaking of that, why is there all this rigmarole about Marqus Hill's actions but none about Irving Santana's previous criminal record? Was he looking for his Bible before his Sunday devotional? Somehow I very seriously doubt breaking into people's cars was his first offense.

And as for Mr. Hill...once again, if he's so dangerous, why is he not locked up?

(h/t David Codrea)