Do you condone vigilante justice?

[NewsHound]

Here's a bit of background for you:

SYDNEY, N.S. – Police are pleading with people not to take the law into their own hands, after a 62-year-old man was arrested outside a junior high school in Sydney Mines.

James Francis Walters, 62, is accused of using a baseball bat to threaten a teenager he believes vandalized his neighbour's property and attacked the man Saturday night.

Walters was arrested Tuesday afternoon and faces five charges, including uttering threats and assault. He's scheduled to appear in court Thursday for a bail hearing.

Cape Breton Regional Police Insp. Myles Burke said officers are still looking for information about Saturday's attack.

"Emotions run high any time we have incidents like this," he said. "We certainly would discourage citizens from taking it upon themselves to jump into a situation which they may not be best dealing with that."

Since his arrest, Walters has been in police custody, at the request of the Crown prosecutor.

"There is obviously a safety issue for the people on the north side," prosecutor Sheldon Nathanson said Wednesday.

Mike Kuna, Walters' lawyer, said his client is "pretty distraught" about staying behind bars and worries about his wife's safety.

Meanwhile, Walters' neighbour, Greg Jardine, is recuperating from a broken leg. He says he was hit with a brick when he tried to stop a group of youth from damaging his fence.

[shopkins]

Even though we all feel like taking the law into our own hands from time to time it just isnt worth it, look at Mr. Walters for example, he is sitting in a jail cell and paying lawyers fee's instead of the out of control kids who started this. Now he will have a record to follow him, besides isn't that what you pay taxes for, to pay the police to do their jobs, to protect your community!!!

[Hugh O'Flynn]

I believe vigilante justice had it's place in our past, but in today's world I think the police should handle it.
However, I do believe that a person should be able to protect their family and property.

[IAMCAPER]

I think, personally, if they removed/adjusted the Young Offenders Act, things would at least start to improve.

[Hugh O'Flynn]

My wife and I were talking about when we were young. If you damaged someone's property, they beat you, and when you got home, so did your parents. Kids today have no fear of their parents. They know all it takes is a phone call. I think it's more that the parents have some fear of their kids.

[IAMCAPER]

I totally agree with you on that one. The respect and the fear isn't there anymore. I felt the same as you when I was a kid. If an adult got after me I listened because I feared they would call my father to tell him what I did.

My but things have changed.

[johnking]

The young offender act has to go. These little anti christers should be the ones locked up. My way of dealing with them is not law abiding, but i guarantee you they don,t want to come back. Say what you will but between me and my 220 pounds mastiffs [2 of em] these little bastards don,t stand a chance. I don,t like to resort to my dogs being sent out but its better to have people not wanting to cause you trouble than putting up with youths who are dangerous. A good nuts kicking and to have the hell scared out of you by two very large guard dogs will do it.