Here's another glimpse of life in these topsy-turvy, tragi-comic United States.A creepy 21-year old man has improper designs on a 16-year old girl. The girl's mother (a school teacher) desires to protect her daughter from his "dating" advances. Nevertheless, her only requirement is that they not leave together. She offers to let them hang out at her rural home outside Council Grove, Kansas. She even goes so far as to suggest she buy the pizza.
But no. The minor girl wants to go out with her adult "suitor." So the bounder forces his way into the house where the mother finds herself attacked and physically restrained by both her daughter and the thug. The man (who has 50 pounds on her) takes away the mom's cell phone so she cannot call the police.
So the alarmed mother grabs the gun of the house, a low caliber, single-shot rabbit rifle, and goes outside to the car before the pair drive away. The mother demands the man leave her daughter alone and drive away by himself. He refuses and taunts her. What can the mother do? Though she is an experienced hunter who knows how to shoot, she lowers the rifle and points it at the ground.
But as she watches her attacker start driving away with her daughter, the mom's nervousness causes her to pull the trigger. The .223 bullet is fired into the dirt, nowhere near the vehicle or either of its occupants. Nevertheless, the cops show up. And...you guessed it...the only person hauled off to jail is the mom!
The cad who admits he forced his way into the mother's home, who admits he physically restrained her three times and...well, I'm not going to speculate on the possibility of statutory rape...is not charged with anything!
No, it's the mom in trouble. Indeed, she now faces three felony counts which could result in at least a year in prison, a hundred thousand dollars in fines and the loss of her teacher's license.