Doubly Victimized

CAMBRIDGE, Minn. (AP) — A farmer accused of chasing down a suspected thief and holding him at gunpoint until authorities arrived now faces a more serious charge than the alleged thief himself. Kenneth Englund, 74, was charged with second-degree assault, a felony. Englund's target, who the sheriff said admitted stealing about $5 worth of gasoline from Englund's neighbor, was charged with misdemeanor theft.Sheriff Mike Ammend said people can't take the law into their own hands, and that Englund's actions were "an invitation to a shootout. There's so many things that could have gone wrong here."

• JJ Commentary: There’s something very wrong with this scenario. Government has taken away our rights to defend ourselves and our property. Laws intended to protect the innocent now favor the guilty.