Writing on Facebook, a Texas cop and police academy instructor explained to his followers that they can legally shoot and kill anti-racism protesters if they attempt to pull down a Confederate monument on their private property.
According to Phil Ryan, who self-identified as a cop in his post, he was issuing a "public service announcement," justifying legal homicide.
"Criminal Mischief (Vandalism) is a crime," Ryan wrote, "So, let’s say someone is defacing or destroying a monument or a statue, not that it happens, just a hypothetical. That would be Criminal Mischief under Texas Penal Code."
Ryan then outlined the legalities of shooting a person on private or public property by citing Texas statutes on "Criminal Mischief, "Protection of a Third Person's Property," and "Protection Of One's Own Property," before getting down to the right to shoot someone.
"Chapter 9.42 states: DEADLY FORCE TO PROTECT PROPERTY. A person is justified in using deadly force against another to protect land or tangible, movable property," Ryan wrote, noting that deadly force is justified after dark.
He then added, "Bottom line, if someone is destroying a monument or statue that isn’t theirs, you can defend it by force during the day with deadly force at night," before quipping, "Just a little tip, from your Uncle Phil…"
You can see his Facebook post below:
