Man stands his ground to protect neighbor, kills own son

The idea and premise of "Stand Your Ground" self defense legisaltion took yet another strange twist this time in Connecticut.   A man shot and killed his 15-year-old son during what he apparently thought was the attempted robbery of a neighbor's house, according CNN.

"Something like this is a tragedy, a loss of human life," State Police Lt. Paul Vance said.

The Castle Doctrine is incorporated into Connecticut law governing the use of physical force in defense of premises. This law states that a person who possesses or controls a premises, or is licensed or privileged to be on such premises, is justified in using reasonable physical force upon another person when he or she reasonably believes it to be necessary to prevent or stop someone from criminally trespassing.

Deadly force is reasonable only (1) to defend oneself or another; (2) when one reasonably believes deadly force is necessary to prevent an attempt by the trespasser to commit arson or any violent crime; or (3) to the extent the person reasonably believes it is necessary and only to prevent or terminate an unlawful entry by force into his or her dwelling or place of work (CGS § 53a-20).

The incident occurred in New Fairfield about 1 a.m. Thursday when a woman called her neighbor, Jeffrey Giuliano, and said she thought there was a robber in front of her house.

Police say the woman, whom they declined to identify, said the robber was dressed in black, wearing a ski mask and holding a shiny object. CNN affiliate WFSB reported the woman is Jeffrey Giuliano's sister.

Giuliano confronted the person, whom he apparently didn't realize was his adopted son, Tyler, and shot the boy when he "came toward him in a threatening manner," according to police.

Tyler Giuliano was pronounced dead at the scene. His father has not been charged with a crime.

"We're all waiting for that million-dollar answer: What was going through (Tyler's) mind that night?" said New Fairfield resident and politician John Hodge. "Something like this really hit us hard. We do want to get the real answers here."

Hodge added that New Fairfield is "close-knit community" where "certainly nothing of this nature" has occurred in recent memory.

Tyler Giuliano was a sophomore at New Fairfield High School.

Police say they are continuing to investigate the incident.

To read more: http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/28/justice/connecticut-father-kills-son/index.html