OKLAHOMA CITY — Following a series of high-profile shootings deemed justified under the state’s “Make My Day” law, some lawmakers are looking to expand the state’s gun laws to allow citizens to defend themselves beyond just their homes.
The law, nicknamed after the line by Clint Eastwood’s “Dirty” Harry Callahan character in the 1983 film “Sudden Impact,” was expanded last year to allow the use of deadly force by business owners or employees. It currently applies to those who have a “reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily harm” after someone illegally enters their home or business. This year, lawmakers are looking to expand the protections the law provides to include people who may enter a business peacefully but with “violent intent.”
Supporters say several recent high-profile cases underscore the importance of the law.
On New Year’s Eve, a young widow armed with a shotgun and a pistol gunned down a knife wielding intruder at her rural Blanchard mobile home in a shooting Grady County prosecutors said was clearly justified under the law. It also was cited after a shooting Thursday in which a Midwest City homeowner shot and killed an armed invader who was breaking into his duplex.
“This is the third shooting in the last 15 months where a homeowner or resident has killed a suspect trying to unlawfully enter their home,” Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes said after the shooting. “The Oklahoma ‘Make my Day’ law is doing what it was exactly designed to do — allow our law abiding citizens the right to protect themselves from immediate danger while in the security of their home.
“Maybe next time, these violent offenders will think twice about committing first-degree burglaries in Midwest City.”
With a colorful state history that includes hardscrabble pioneer settlers with the lawless days of the wild West, the use of firearms to protect one’s home and family is interwoven into the fabric of Oklahoma society.
“Just look at the thieves, outlaws, vagabonds and gangsters that have seeded Oklahoma’s history,” said state Sen. Steve Russell, an Oklahoma City Republican who has been a fierce proponent of expanding gun rights. “We understand the need to protect ourselves, as do these innocent victims who had to kill these criminals as they burst into their homes.”
Russell says he intends to push this year for fewer restrictions on those who can purchase a concealed carry permit and an “open carry” bill that will allow law abiding citizens over the age of 21 to openly carry a firearm.
Don Spencer, who teaches classes that are required to obtain a concealed carry permit, said students frequently ask about the state’s “Make My Day” law.
“Most people are curious about the point at which it’s absolute that they can defend themselves,” said Spencer, who is also the deputy director of the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association. “Obviously, if the Girl Scouts appear on your door step, you don’t have the right to blow them away.
“But if a guy tries to kick down your door, absolutely you do.”
