A question of self-defence - Fire extinguishers & self defence

[Jim Choate]

On Mon, 23 Jul 2001, Sandy Sandfort wrote:

> Oh really?  Try that experiment on your own car.

Actually I've seen windows break (and broken my fair share) on cars
multiple times. Some from wrecks, some from gunshot (a .38 will bounce off
a windshield for example) some from other things. I even once had a D
based rocket fired directly into the windshield of a 68 Cougar, it was
much larger and going a hell of a lot faster than a fire exstinguisher.
It didn't go through the window. Didn't even break it.

> Side windows shatter into a thousand pieces at the touch of a center punch.
>  A fire extinguisher is decidedly overkill for the job.

A center puch (which focuses the force into a small area) isn't a fire
extstinguisher. And windows are DESIGNED to break into a thousand little
pieces, it absorbs the force of the impact. That way you don't get the
sorts of car accident results that were so common in the country up
through the 60's when the safety(!!!!) glass was put in all cars
(admittedly Genoa isn't in the US). Things like no heads, amputated arms,
chopped off noses and ears, etc.

You should dig up some of the old safety crash films from that time and
compare them to what happens today.

> In any event, the test--at least in the US--for the use of deadly force
> includes the concepts of reasonable fear of death OR GREAT BODILY INJURY.

A fire extinguisher stuck in a window does none of the above.

> Believe it or not, being blinded by a swarm of glass shards is considered
> great bodily injury.

I doubt seriously anyone would be blinded (and I'm blind in one eye from
being struck with a 2x4 so I can speak from 1st person, yes it's great
bodily injury. It's not justification for lethal force).


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