http://artofmanliness.com/ is one of my favorite sites on the Internet. Not only does it provide pragmatic articles about how to be a man (like How to buy a used car and not be screwed over, Purchasing and using a kitchen knife like a pro, to How to really parallel park), but provides some less-likely-to-happen-but-necessary-for-any-man articles like How to wrestle an alligator. You know, just in case an alligator goes for my daughter and I don't have a weapon on hand.

Today I chose to read about how to legally and successfully perform a citizen arrest. Towards the end of the article it discussed the use of deadly force and mentioned that citizen arrest vary by State. So, I looked up South Carolina's law and found this gem (please note that I’m not a lawyer, and therefore this post shouldn't be taken as legal advice):

SECTION 1. Section 17-13-20 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 17-13-20. A citizen may arrest a person in the nighttime by efficient means as the darkness and the probability of escape render necessary, even if the life of the person should be taken, when the person:

(a) has committed a felony;

(b) has entered a dwelling house without express or implied permission;

© has broken or is breaking into an outhouse with a view to plunder;

(d) has in his possession stolen property; or

(e) being under circumstances which raise just suspicion of his design to steal or to commit some felony, flees when he is hailed."

Approved the 12th day of June, 1995.

From my interpretation, if it is dark and someone is on my property that ~looks~ like he/she has stolen goods. If I ask him what he is doing and he runs, I can shoot him. Furthermore, if he messes with my outhouse, he is a dead man.

Moral of the story: If it is night, don't mess with South Carolina's Outhouses.