• To Hades and the Abyss with the criminal. He broke the law when he broke into someone's garage. He made a monumentlly moronic mistake when he lunged at the guy. While he did not deserve to die he certainly brought it upon himself. The only person at fault here is the criminal.

• F**k the criminal. He broke the law when he broke into someone's garage. He made a monumentlly moronic mistake when he lunged at the guy. While he did not deserve to die he certainly brought it upon himself. The only person at fault here is the criminal.

• F**k the criminal. He broke the law when he broke into someone's garage. He made a monumentlly moronic mistake when he lunged at the guy. While he did not deserve to die he certainly brought it upon himself. The only person at fault here is the criminal.

• Honestly, while I don't feel happy the robber died, I don't blame the kid either. Let us not forget the burglar LUNGED at him. If someone was intruding my home and lunged at me when I went to see what a noise was, you'd better believe I'd use all the force in the world to protect myself. I'm not dying, so we can all feel better about a criminal living. I wouldn't go so far as to say a criminal isn't human, but I will say the second self defense is no longer allowed, then we are a lost culture.

• http://www.johnpontolilloisabadass.com/

• "Baltimoron said: Property is never worth a life. You don't have to hope that the guy gets thrown in prison, but don't cheer for what he did. He armed himself, left his home (it was a detached garage), and actively sought confrontation." wow, your stupid, your garage is your home, just like your yard, someone steps in my yard and lunges at me, i'm gonna shoot them, plain and simple, what if you have a family to protect, if they kill you and then go for your family because you was not able to defend your home. think about it stupid.

• WFTMan, I could not have put that any better myself. People talk about "civility," but if "civility" is giving the rights to the "poor, innocent" criminals, and taking away Average Joe's right to defend himself, his family, and his property, then you know what? I don't want to be a part of this thing that we call, "civility." I was just talking to my father-in-law tonight, and he was saying how a person he knows was recently buglarized. He caught two men attempted to break into his house, and when they ran, he fired a weapon to scare them off. When the police arrived, they collected the two spent shotgun shells, and told the man that if anybody showed up at the hospital with gunshot wounds, HE would be going to jail. The American "justice" system is the least funny joke of all.

• I used to go to a community college in California. There, if I told any of my professors about this, I would undoubtedly get an earful about the value of a human life, obscure pointless laws, the evil death penalty, politics, and so on. I truly believe this is where presumptuous pacifists like Baltimoron (assuming he isn't a C- grade troll) come from: a halfassed education from old hippies that never got over the ideas of "no war at any cost" and a do-anything-you-want society. I also think that's where a lot of the lawyers and judges come from that would put this kid behind bars forever if they had their way. Morality, law and human life are all well and good, but there's a point where common sense needs to trump everything else. The intruder wasn't a human, he was a scum-sucking leech that refused to be reformed, and gave up his own right to life when he chose to rob other people. I don't think this should go away; I think the kid is a hero, and should get a fucking medal.

• I bought today a pepper spray, I almost buy a 2inch foldable blade, but I reconsidered due to the fact that I don't want issues with the police. Nowadays criminals are too bold, they don't need permission to carry weapons, don't care to kill no one, or took YOUR honest to god earned money. This must stop, we must recover OUR RIGHT TO BE UNAFRAID. I also own a katana, I want to belive that I would do the same. LONG LIVE SECOND AMENDMENT

• In Mexico Happened something similar like two weeks ago, but the guy with the saber went to prision, only to be released from charges and be praised by al the mexican otakus

• Toshiro Mifune kicks all kinds of ass. :)

• Johnny Luchador said: I'm just curious what the dude said as the burglar was dying beneath his feet... emonxie said: "There can be only one." Quotable Quote of the day. On a more serious note, however, I agree with the general consensus that criminals (especially repeat offenders) have no worth to our society, and the only reason I'd hesitate to sic my Pit Bull on a robber would be because I know the legal system would have my poor dog put down for protecting its master...

• No one wants to see someone die but the guy was defending himself and his home. http://www.slycomics.com/

• "I also live in Baltimore and think this city gets a bad wrap. Baltimoron is right. As long as you aren't a drug dealer or addict, this city is not too bad." Or don't live near one. You really have no idea how pampered you are.

• I live in Baltimore, about three blocks from where this occurred. I can't decide how I feel about it. On the one hand, if someone were to try to break into my apartment, I'd defend myself by any means necessary, but my primary goal would be to incapacitate, not kill. Nothing I own is worth taking a life over. On the other hand, a lot of the Hopkins undergrads I've encountered are total douchebags... rich, suburban brats with absolutely no street smarts who flaunt their material wealth and then whine when some criminal sees an opportunity. The Charles Village area, where this happened, is a lovely neighbourhood. I've lived here five years or so, and nothing has ever happened to me. Frankly, I just want this whole thing to go away. I'm sick of seeing the news vans.

• About two weeks ago, in Mexico City a man and his wife were robbed and held captive in their own house by masked men, one of the individuals beat the woman severely, while holding a gun...Little he knew, the husband was a former Kendo champion, who freed himself from the ties, jumped for his katana and cut the bastich in half...Police came and took him into custody for 48 hours, then releasing him... The other robbers were captured later.

• On Baltimore being a hellhole, yes it is, I got mugged on campus for 165$ yesterday. So much for school safety.

• @DarrenG: Lol, I was waiting for that. Seriously, while avoiding saying that the guy with the sword was the best of the best and that I lvoe him, you know why there's all this hate. Venting hatred on matters like this is what slows the degeneration of the internet user's mind, allowing the brain to move away from last week's (quite frankly epic) FFF and soften the cerebral sledgehammer that will be this week's installment.

• All this hate now. WHOSE RESPONSIBLE THIS?

• I've been a victim of theft. Guys Broke in and stole thousands of dollars worth of property. If I'd been there, they would have received a glaive to the chest.

• Why the hell is this comment board so serious?! That kid is badass, I'd like to give him a badass high five. Then pay the for the first month of his therapy bill! The guy was a scumbag, scumbags should be shot into the sun.

• Maryland has a weak Castle law. A person is legally obligated to try and get away before resorting to self-defense. Because this guy ran to his detached garage and killed the intruder, he's liable. He'll probably be charged. I also live in Baltimore and think this city gets a bad wrap. Baltimoron is right. As long as you aren't a drug dealer or addict, this city is not too bad.

• Hope the kid can psychologically deal with what he did. But he protected his property and his life, so he "won". Long as he doesn't get in any legal trouble and he doesn't freak his shit, all's fine in my book.

• I don't think enough information is available to draw any real conclusions about what happened and how to interpret the course of events.

• @Reis I love this town. Baltimore is amazing. Just have to go to the right places.

• @superoceanlad I'm a few blocks from where this happened. Oddly, it's not the first sword attack I've heard of. That was a guy living a couple blocks away who was confronted by some 'gangsta' with a knife. Dude runs into his house and fetches a broadsword, with which he chased Mr. Little Knife out of the neighborhood. Never really thought about it before, but there's a lot of edged weapons around here.

• This story has been big news here in B-more. The craziest part to me was a Baltimore Sun article yesterday with the headline, "Sword attacks not uncommon in Baltimore Area." Really? Where/when am I living? They never show that in The Wire. The article went on to say that the B.P.D. crime statistics page listed for 2008 Sword Murders 0. They've got a column. Amazing.

• YOJIMBO! I hear this guy goes by "Mulberry Fields" Jones.

• This story is going to spiral into another example of how screwed up our justice system is. As many of you have pointed out, its practically guaranteed, rather, EXPECTED that the deceased mans family sue the homeowner. The chances of them winning a settlement of some sort are just insane. Just like the prior reference example of the thief falling through the skylight, injuring himself on a knife rack, suing and WINNING. Absolutely INSANE

• about = above.

• @Baltimoron: Don't know about the first part, but second part of your name is correct. I don't think this is great, I think this is awesome. I still think the death penalty should be applied arbitrarily for all crimes that lead to sentences about one year.

• its sad to say but its probably a good thing he killed the guy. if he had say just cut off the guys hand, he probably would have been sued. And he could still get sued by the guys family. A few years ago a cop I knew was chasing a guy down on foot and the guy <B> shot him threw the neck!</b> After being <b>shoot threw the neck</b> the cop shot and killed the guy. His family wanted him fired and wanted to sue for unnecessary force after the deceased had <B> shoot a cop threw his neck<b/>.

• Balti: The article said the intruder lunged at him and the homeowner cut him no more than twice. If someone broke into my house with the intention of stealing something and lunged at me, hell yes I would defend myself. And if I heard noise in my garage in the middle of the night I would no go check out the cause unarmed. This isn't about killing a thief, it's about self defense.

• What is with all the people and mini bats? Really what are you going to do, give him a slight headache? Can you guys not find real size bats anywhere? Personally I have one long sword, one hand-and-a-half sword, and a battle axe (all dull but the axe has a pointed end for getting past plate mail). You can bet your ass that I will grab all three if I can if I hear somebody in my house. The right to defend myself is written into the constitution, as arms are not limited to guns. @Baltimoron YOU don't have to go and confront somebody on your property, who isn't supposed to be there; but those of who do want to protect ourselves and our property (some founding fathers wanted the declaration to say Life, LIberty and the pursuit of Property) have that right.

• Everyone says violence and crime and all that are the downfall of civilization. I say that the lawsuit is. His sister is prolly a low life who wants something out of this. Hoping to sell the story and get a lifetime movie out of it. The goldman family excluded lawsuits are bs in situations like this. This guys family doesn't deserve shit. They wouldn't be suffering now if they had been raised with morals. Fuck em in the ear.

• &#64;Chris "I half expect the burglar's family to sue him if they're anything like him." Oh, the sister has already been making noises about how unfairly her brother was cut down. I'm sure she will. Personally, I'm just happy there's one fewer burglar in this town.

• Batzarro said: "I'd rather your mother mourn than mine" Quoted for truth. The guy defended himself. He killed a man. That's enough punishment. I mean it's not like he's gonna dress as an animal and hack criminals during the night. The Burglar thought he'd get an easy reward. This time his victim fought back.

• &#64;The Admiral Perhaps it's the Japanese equivalent of Lion-o's Sword of Omens? But yeah, was thinking the same thing you were when reading that. It is sad that a life was lost, and probably it would have been...wiser to call the police on this manner. But really, to ponder all the possible outcomes of this situation had things been done differently could drive you mad.

• "There can be only one." e

• I wonder if someone was robbing me in the middle of the night and I pulled out my Soldier Team Fortress 2 replica Rocket Launcher if I would get in trouble for shooting a robber with it. I mean, yea it would probably blow up a part of my house, but Justice MUST BE SERVED. I'm happy for the Swordsman. I'm just curious what the dude said as the burglar was dying beneath his feet...

• Baltimoron: When you talk about the the value of human life vs. the value of property, the reason human life is so valuable is because of the potential, to do good for yourself and for others. Say for example, a machine in a hospital that treats cancer vs., Adolf Hitler. I would say that the value of a machine that helps people is more than the value of a man that has killed millions. This man in the article was convicted before, and was not acting upon his potential when he robbed another house. And would you be defending him if you were in that situation? He lounged at the person with the sword, without a second of hesitation, before he could even ask questions. Would you be telling him how understanding you are as he is punching you in the face, then running off with your valuables?

• The robber got what he deserved. Whoever said that being a professional burglar was a risk-free job? I say give the swordsman a medal and we all move on.

• I wonder if the homeowner should sue the intruder's Estate for emotional stress and such relating to this? My motto is kick them while they are down ...... ok sure the intruder is 6 feet under the ground down but frankly he needs a few more kicks for being such an idiot. Breaking into the same house twice....after just getting out of jail .... Hello Darwin Award Winner!

• On the other side of things, the guy who killed the burglar is probably pretty shaken up. Even in war, the majority of people never kill someone, so I'd imagine that even if it was legitimate self-defense it's got to mess with your mind to know that you've taken a life with your own hands.

• For all of those feeling bad for the perp who got killed did anyone take the time to think he would have killed the nerd? The perp got what he deserved, 99.9% of criminals do not change this guy went right back to a life of crime after just getting released. I have no sympathy for violent criminals, this same line of thinking is why we have so many repeat offenders who rape and murder. People have more sympathy for the offender than the victim, it's lunacy. Look at the CA pervert who had a record and kidnapped/held that girl prisoner for years. He is linked to other abductions and he could have been stopped, he deserves the death penalty. While I am sure the nerd did not want to take a life he defended his own life, it was not about possessions. Put yourself in his situation, he feared for his own life, was robbed & attacked (& robbed previously). He did not ask to be robbed or attacked but he defended himself and there is one less creep on the streets.

• It's one of the risks of breaking into someone's house: the owner being there, and most owners who see a burglar aren't gonna be happy to see them. I half expect the burglar's family to sue him if they're anything like him. I mean, if a guy who broke through a skylight and fell on a knife rack could sue for personal injury, they could sue for this. The world doesn't need criminals. They live off the backs of hard working people who happen to not have enough security to rival a maximum security prison. 29 convictions...Seriously, you'd think they'd keep a bastard like him locked up long enough so he wouldn't have a chance to go for conviction number 30. By the looks of things, he'd probably wished they did.

• I used to keep a plastic cutlass which was a merchandise from Disney's Aladdin under my pillow when I was ten because I was paranoid about the dark. Now I know what would happen if I ever used it... Okay, the cutlass wasn't even sharp, but still, it's something for me to think about.

• &#64;ZSASZ Er...are you really the person to be talking about the justice system, Mr Tallymarks?

• people like baltimoron need to be murdered if the justice system has any chance of progressing beyond the level of retarded.

• I live in the frozen north (aka WI) and in a small community where crime is minor and not a problem. With that said if anyone ever broke into my house without hesitation I would grab my mini louisville slugger and be prepared to defend my family if need be. Why? I could call but I know that the barney fife-ish police in my town would not respond as fast as need be and I imagine in baltimore the response time is prolly not awesome so the guy went to most likely chase off the burglar and what happened was unfortunate. He doesn't deserve punishment or applause. He just did what most men would do.

• Sorry-asshole got what he deserved. At least in Aerica you can defend yourself-here in Blighty if you smacked a rober out you'd probably get sued. Oh and Baltimoron-Cool, we can steal your stuff now. Anything really valuable you have that you won't defend cause it isn't worth a life?

• It's sad that life was lost, but on the other hand... RING OUT! No really, robbing the same house twice, and then LUNGING at a man with a FUCKING KATANA! He deserved to die, he would have taken it from him and killed him! Or inversly, he would have died trying to take a katana from a guy. But more likely, we'd be hearing about how the the guy is dead his house was robbed, and no Katana in sight. A we say in Puerto Rico:"I'd rather your mother mourn than mine"

• "With the 3- to 5-foot-long, razor-sharp weapon in hand..." Is it adjustable?

• Yeah, I find it really hard to feel bad for the idiot who broke in and advanced on a dude with a sword. He could have run away, or better yet, not broken in in the first place!! Also, as a woman, if I heard someone breaking in (especially if I had already JUST BEEN ROBBED), you better believe I'd arm myself. I'd rather be arrested than raped and/or murdered.

• There's been a string of home invasions where I live, somebody's been breaking into houses in good neighborhoods in the middle of the day, beating up the resident, and then leaving without taking anything. I won't lie and say that I <i>haven't</i> considered that if somebody breaks into my house, there's a sharp bat'leth hanging in the back bedroom. I think if somebody came out wielding that, it might scare off a robber.

• Sounds like that bitch got what he deserved lol.

• What bothers me in these cases is when the family of a robber or criminal will cry and moan about how their poor deceased relative was really the victim.

• The police spokesman said the student who wielded the weapon had no advanced sword training. "He wasn't a ninja," Guglielmi said. ---- I can't cheer the guy on for seeking out the robber and then killing him with a sword, although it sounds like it might have been a case of self defense. A man died here, but it's hard to feel too bad about the demise of someone who had no problem terrorizing others.

• Bottom line is everyone should have the right to defend their property. There is no reason that the kid with the sword should get in trouble. Hell if I got woken up in the middle of the night because someone was looting my house, your damn right I would be arming myself with what ever I find would do the same thing. It is bullshit if anyone gets in trouble for hurting an intruder, they are intruding they are breaking the law and have the intent to do harm either to property or life. And who cares if the thief had an exit strategy? He shouldn't have been robbing a house. Don't defend the guy he shouldn't have been there. Hell he shouldn't have been out of jail for all the crimes that he has committed. Should he have died? probably not, but not like the sword kid meant to kill him, but you know what it's a risk you take when you break into a house, so no pity at all. Because if he had lived he would have sued the shit out of sword kid, because he got hurt robbing someone's house. That's what is fucked up about the world we live in. So you know what. Nothing should happen to that kid, at all, you should have the right to defend your house and if nothing else I hope it sends a message to other thieves to maybe stop breaking in and stealing shit.

• I agree completely with Blacklantern, one of our primary rights (even though it's dwindling) is our right to protect our families, our homes and our property. Why shed one tear over some punk-ass thug who saw an easy score. Nerd or no, I cheer the poor schmuck as he will probably have to go through a lot to vindicate his actions. I'm so tired of that "you're just contributing to that downward spiral" bullshit. Criminals get away with shit because people DON'T stand up to them. If this guy thought his own safety was worth chasing this filth down into his garage with a ginsu, than I'm damned proud of him. When victims stand up, criminals will fall down.

• I salute the defender of his property, but also question how smart he was to go outdoor to confront the robber. I have a mini bat in a drawer by my bed in case of a home invasion, but if I hear some outside that is what my phone is for, but now after reading this I might see about getting a tanto or a wakizashi.

• Communist Antipasto: the fact that the dead man had just been released from prison for crimes against property is a good sign that the particular social institution in question is pretty darned secure and that your "not killing petty thieves = the downfall of civilization" hyperbole is just that. Keep in mind, crimes against property haven't been capital offenses in the West since... say... the Enlightenment (which just so happens to be the period in the evolution of philosophy that produced the notion of private property as we know it today). Reis: I live in Baltimore, have for years, and really don't get the hatred and fear people have for this place. If you're not involved in the drug trade your chances of being murdered are about as high as those of someone in Tulsa.

• From the article - "Rice, of the 600 block of East 27th St. in Baltimore, had 29 prior convictions for crimes such as breaking and entering, Guglielmi said. He had been released Saturday from the Baltimore County Detention Center, where he had been held after his arrest by county police last year for stealing a car in the city. He was found guilty in December of unauthorized removal of property and was sentenced to 18 months in prison." 29 prior convictions? I don't think he should have been let out of prison ever.

• I once got into a fight with one of my roommates (he started it). When I finally pulled myself away from him and grabbed my Civil War-style saber off the wall (the metal scabbard makes a cool *schwing* noise when you draw it) he fled the scene. I debated chasing him but thought better of it. I still refer to that beauty as the 'sword that saved my life' whenever my wife asks me to get rid of it.

• Congratulations Blacklantern88, you've allowed yourself to become psychologically dehumanized to a point where you see property as more valuable than life, make judgements about perilous situations based on a woefully incomplete set of details (did the dead man even have access to an exit at that point?), and conceive of actions as events causally isolated from supra-individual sets of patterns and social relations. Good going! Kill 'em all and give yourself a big ol' talk-radio pat on the back!

• <b>THAT'S NOTHING</B> Here in Indianapols a few months back, two old dudes got in a <b>sword fight</b>, one's grandmother got involved and DIED, and then one of the dudes died. People here were like, WTF, a swordfight? http://www.theindychannel.com/news/19167424/detail.html

• Baltimoron: Right to property is one of the pillars of civilization. There's no functional or moral difference between killing the robber who wants your laptop, or rising up in revolt against the (foreign or otherwise) ruler/government who wants you to live in slavery by removing your ownership of the means to live. Criminalization of vigilatism is only required through the idea of due process; something certainly not given by lynch mobs. But in this case justice was served efficiently, and (assuming what I can read on TR is true) correctly.

• Yet somehow nunchuks are more violent than Katanas... It's not the guys fault that the Criminal lunged towards the blade. Pretty much the same as people trying to headbutt Chuck Norris' foot. Besides J-Lo said it clearly: "Self Defense is not murder."

• I'd like to point out that this took place in Baltimore, which is hands-down the worst city I have ever had the misfortune of visiting. It's a fucking hell hole, jam-packed with burglers, muggers and junkies. I imagine that this dude with the sword had just had enough. I was once stuck in Baltimore for 4 days and wanted to stab pretty much everyone I saw by the time I left.

• Hey Balti... Don't be that guy. I'm sure he was going to ask the guy that was invading his property (garage or not, it was his property) what his intentions were but when he approached him, the guy went at him. You hear about robberies turning into murders ALL THE TIME, because the robber didn't know that anyone was home when he broke in. I'm not cheering for the nerd because he has to deal with taking a life, but I'll be damned if I act like the guy he killed was a victim in this. His karma fucked him. Let's not forget, this guy was just released from jail...so he was due for a harsh lesson.

• I'd actively seek confrontation too. Fuck criminals. If the first thing you do out of jail is go rob someone, you've officially given up any rights you had, including your right to live, ESPECIALLY if the first thing you do upon being caught is ATTACK, not RUN. He made a series of bad calls that ended his life. Had he given himself up or ran he would be alive and in jail again, but no, decided to jump someone with a weapon. Totally the criminal's own fault. If this kid goes to jail or gets in trouble at all, its bullshit, plain and simple.

• There's lots of samurai sword attacks in the UK. The last killing was this one: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/7124992.stm If you stick "samurai sword" into http://news.bbc.co.uk/ (see search box at top) you'll get a lot of results.

• Property is never worth a life. You don't have to hope that the guy gets thrown in prison, but don't cheer for what he did. He armed himself, left his home (it was a detached garage), and actively sought confrontation. Bad nerdnews all around.

• I have a genuine katana, WWII era with a surrender tag on it. The tag is signed with an address, 135 Junho Machi, Hiroshima. I got it at an estate sale, some years back. The thing is still razor sharp, tang signed, no rust. The scabbard is in crummy shape, but the blade is fantastic. I can see it easily severing a hand or worse. I'm in touch now with someone who's helping me track down the family of the original owner. I want to return it to them.

• All crowbars are at this point in our history Half-Life replicas.

• Heh, I live in the south. I'd grab the gun I was given for my 16th birthday. This really is sad. From what it sounds like he was defending his home and he didn't really go crazy with it or anything, but it's really sad that it was fatal. I hope the nerd doesn't go to jail though.

• Did he get his laptops and console back? I commend the man for defending his person/home...I just hope he has the means to deal with the result of that self-defense. Beware robbers...nerds are arming themselves.

TotalComments: 77