KCTV5: Missouri law now allows property owners to use deadly force, but a bill making its way through the General Assembly would give babysitters and guests the right to use deadly force against intruders.
Some area residents were surprised to learn that babysitters, grandparents and other guests inside a home weren’t automatically given the right to use deadly force when faced with an intruder or burglar.
“It’s concerning that they wouldn’t be allowed to act at this point in time,” said Julie Powers, a mother of two.
The Missouri House overwhelmingly passed the bill, which was sponsored by Rep. Joe Don McGaugh, R-Carrollton.
“This is a common sense extension of the law that would empower a nanny or babysitter or anyone with the owner’s permission to occupy a property, to defend himself or herself against an intruder,” McGaugh said.
HB 2126 extends existing Castle Doctrine law to include anyone inside a residence with the specific permission of the resident.
The bill is now pending in the Missouri Senate and could come up for a vote later this week.
Laura Horn is a grandmother to seven children and can’t imagine using deadly force. Her daughter, who is the mother of two children, hopes the bill becomes law. “I think I like the prospect of that. If it’s a right for me as a homeowner, I want whoever is in my house protecting my kids to be able to protect them to the fullest,” she said.
One concern raised about the bill is that it was written too broadly and deadly force could be used by a fan at a sporting event.
DCG
