CNET estimates there will be $74 billion worth of packages delivered this holiday season, and the average American receives 3.5 packages a week.

Safewise said there were over 113 million packages stolen in 2022, and according to them, people only reported 21% of the thefts to law enforcement. That leaves a lot of unaccounted-for packages.

Someone sent me this video, and after some digging, a family in Detroit apparently fabricated the prank that went viral in February 2021. They had a few million people believing it was true, though, and rooting for the homeowner with his AR-15. The longer version of the video is here.

The question often arises about using potentially deadly force to stop someone from stealing our belongings. The answer, in almost all circumstances, is NO.

You need to be able to prove the person you used deadly force against had the means, opportunity, and intent.

The next question you should ask is: Is it a good idea to meet someone at your door like that, even if you are pointing a weapon down at the ground? Again, probably not the best plan, because things can quickly escalate out of control.

The video might be entertaining, but it’s not a good example of how to handle someone taking your Christmas gifts.

With any luck, Santa will later drop off a big load of coal on their roof as a gift from the Karma Gods.

On November 25, around 1 in the morning, Yaqoub Nagi, 17, walked behind the counter of a Citgo gas station in Detroit. Nagi was holding something with his hands together and pointing like he had a gun when the 28-year-old clerk approached him.

The clerk fired several shots, hitting Nagi in the upper body multiple times. When the police arrived, they found Nagi dead from the gunshot wounds behind the counter.

A press release said, “It has been determined that the clerk acted in lawful self-defense when he fatally shot Mr. Nagi.”

The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office said, “Under Michigan law, an individual who is not engaged in committing a crime may use deadly force against another anywhere he/she has a legal right to be with no duty to retreat. The individual must honestly and reasonably believe that the use of deadly force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself, or to another individual.”

Michigan 780.972 Use of deadly force by an individual not engaged in commission of crime; conditions.

Sec. 2.

(1) An individual who has not or is not engaged in the commission of a crime at the time he or she uses deadly force may use deadly force against another individual anywhere he or she has the legal right to be with no duty to retreat if either of the following applies:

(a) The individual honestly and reasonably believes that the use of deadly force is necessary to prevent the imminent death of or imminent great bodily harm to himself or herself or to another individual.

(b) The individual honestly and reasonably believes that the use of deadly force is necessary to prevent the imminent sexual assault of himself or herself or of another individual.

(2) An individual who has not or is not engaged in the commission of a crime at the time he or she uses force other than deadly force may use force other than deadly force against another individual anywhere he or she has the legal right to be with no duty to retreat if he or she honestly and reasonably believes that the use of that force is necessary to defend himself or herself or another individual from the imminent unlawful use of force by another individual.