Uproar as French jeweler charged for killing thief

technically, yes, if he shot the guy in the back but as this thug had already been convicted 14 times, he did society a favor if you ask me. this thug got career criminal written all over him.

I don't know the laws of France, but protection of personal property seems like a reasonable use of force to me. Whether deadly force was too much or not, I cannot say based on the article. If the shopkeeper was beaten, perhaps.

Owning an illegal firearm definitely needs to be charged, in a completely separate case. The use may have been justified.

don't know the laws of France, but protection of personal property

You're not supposed to do justice yourself. You should let the thieves do (so they don't get more violent), then let the cops go after them. Victims can ask some money to cover their loss (but that's never 100%). I'd say the system works well in general for 98% of cases. My aunt works in a bank. They are attacked twice a year, and robbers are always caught. That happened once she was at the window. She gave the guy the 5000 euros they keep ready on purpose, he left and the cops got him at the corner of the street. The 2% of failures concern a few ghettos that have become unmanageable by the police, and otherwise gangs of specialised thieves like those aiming jewelries, but also gangs of car thieves, of pickpockets... With 400 jewelry robberies in 8 months, they should do a special campaign of installing video in streets around each shop and patrolling there systematically, well the system they have for banks.

I cannot say based on the article. If the shopkeeper was beaten

He was inside the shop. Then after the guys left, that was clearly not self defense. The shop owner was 100% wrong to shoot by French law and he knew it. But surely, he has some circumstances that caused him to lose his cool.

Owning an illegal firearm

It's not clear yet. It's easy to get a legal one... for hunting. But you're never supposed to shoot at people with it,

The shopkeeper was beaten.

Who cares if this robber was shot in the back, it's a crying shame he didn't bag the other one too.

Both had criminal records like les Pages Jaunes.... If the Gendarmes had been on the scene they would have done exactly the same thing yet there would be no news to read.

The whole southern coast of France is run by the mafia, Marseilles is awash with AK47's coming back from our oil liberation in Libya and fast becoming a total no-go area for the forces of order.

France should instill order in it's own country first, before going on adventures in Africa, Arabia etc...so this punk thief was shot dead?? Too bad! Idiot punk thief should maybe try working for a living and sorry, STEALING is NOT working! Burn in hell idiot thief and good on this shop keeper who did the RIGHT THING!! If the police are too lazy or useless, what are we supposed to do??

“I’m convinced that he fired to kill his aggressor. When he fired, his life was no longer in danger,” the prosecutor said.

He'll have to prove that 'conviction' in court: intent to kill. The jeweler's mind was in turmoil, thinking 'not again' and just wanted to prevent the thug (not a kid, if you ask me) from getting away. Unfortunately (for the kid) the third shot was fatal.

France needs to got something, it sounds like it has a serious crime problem. If it's not careful large swathes of the country will wind up like Detroit.

"If it's not careful large swathes of the country will wind up like Detroit."

Never, not unless they stop the generous handouts....

It is very difficult to say about it only based on the article. If the shopkeeper was beaten, may be.