Nobody goes out of their way to help people anymore because they’re afraid of getting sued for their good deed, or in the case of Dennis Flemming, getting thrown into prison.

Dennis Flemming, 61, held a thief who had broken into his New Hampshire home at gunpoint until the police arrived on the scene. When the police arrived they arrested both the thief and Mr. Flemming who now faces a sentence roughly equal to that of the burglar. The state wants to put Flemming away for about 7 years on a “reckless conduct” charge.

The alleged “reckless conduct” consisted of firing a bullet into the ground to show the thief that he was not going to let him get away. Says Flemming:

“I didn’t think I could handle this guy physically, so I fired into the ground.  I didn’t know it was illegal [to fire into the ground], but I had to make that guy realize I was serious.

It’s upsetting that homeowners can’t defend themselves and protect their neighbors in this manner. It will be interesting to follow this case through to the end and see if justice is served.  See full story here.