Rakim Bradford, Atlanta, Georgia homeowner who shot at kids stealing home packages charged amid questions of the use of gun violence ‘protecting’ one’s property.
An Atlanta, Georgia homeowner has been arrested after shooting two teens who allegedly were stealing packages at the man’s townhouse on Thursday.
Rakim Bradford, 34, upon his arrest faced two counts of aggravated assault and a count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
The two juveniles were shot Thursday afternoon while trying to steal packages from a southwest Atlanta townhome, according to Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum.
Can a property ever use gun violence ‘protecting’ their ‘property rights’?
Police responded to Bradford’s home around 3:30 p.m. to the 800 block of Celeste Lane in the Mays neighborhood, part of the Villages of Cascade complex, following reports of shots fired.
A 15-year-old was shot in the foot. The second juvenile, 16 years old, was taken to the hospital in critical condition, nevertheless was expected to survive, 11Alive reported.
According to warrants for Bradford’s arrest, one of the teens admitted to officers they saw a white delivery van drop off packages at Celeste Lane and ‘agreed to steal the package from the front of the residence.’
‘Before they were able to take it, (the teen) stated that someone started shooting through the door and they fled on foot,’ an arrest warrant stated.
Leading up to the shooting, Bradford was in his house cleaning a firearm when he got a notification about a package at his door.
‘When he went to retrieve the package, he opened the front door to find three males attempting to steal it,’ the warrant stated. ‘Mr. Bradford stated at that time, his firearm went off, and he believed that he struck one of the males in the back.’
Can a homeowner ever resort to gun violence against individuals stealing their property?
Bradford after initially leaving the scene, eventually handed himself in to authorities. At the time of his arrest he was found to be carrying the weapon used in the shootings.
‘The Atlanta Police Department takes gun violence very seriously,’ the chief said Thursday. ‘Anytime a child is injured in our city, we really take that really seriously. We want to make sure know what’s happening.’
The shooting has raised debate over the use of deadly force to protect property. Atlanta criminal defense attorney Joshua Schiffer, who is not affiliated with the case, told 11Alive, ‘Georgians have the right to protect themselves and their property,’ while adding the caveat that the use of deadly force must be justified.
‘Were these two young men on the doorstep acting in a violent or threatening manner, or were they running away? What juncture did the homeowner decide to discharge their personal weapon using deadly force, and were they justified? That’s going to depend on the facts,’ Schiffer told the outlet.
‘At that exact moment, was he realistically and reasonably under an apparent threat?’
Or as this author wonders, had the homeowner simply taken the law into his own hands and decided to shoot at the boys as ‘punishment’ for stealing his property – an act that the law does not support, unless one abets vigilante justice.
