Katko v. Briney

Katko v. Briney, 183 N.W.2d 657 (Iowa 1971), is a court case decided by the Iowa Supreme Court, in which homeowners Edward and Bertha Briney were held liable for battery for injuries caused to trespasser Marvin Katko, who set off a spring gun set as a mantrap in an uninhabited house on their property.Before July 16, 1967, Katko and his friend Marvin McDonough had been to the premises and found several old bottles and fruit jars which they stole and added to their collection of antiques.To defend the house against further intruders and theft, Edward Briney mounted a 20-gauge spring-loaded shotgun in the farmhouse and rigged it to fire when the north bedroom door was opened.When Katko entered the bedroom, he tripped the trigger mechanism and the shotgun fired into his right leg at point-blank range.The Court ruled that using deadly force on intruders in an unoccupied property was not reasonable or justified and therefore not a defense to the tort of battery.
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