A Canadian police chief offered up bizarre advice for citizens handling home invasions - suggesting that people should 'just comply.'York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween advised in a news conference on September 3 that residents shouldn't take matters into their own hands if they are a victim of a home invasion.
'The best defense for most people is to comply,' MacSween said at the conference.
'My advice is to rely on our police service, call 911 immediately and let us take it from there. We saw more often than not when people comply that injuries are not happening.'
But MacSween was quickly forced to defend himself two days later after he was repeatedly slammed by celebrities, as well as the public, for his bizarre advice just weeks after a father of three was killed defending his family during a break-in.
American actor, producer and director Kevin Sorbo refuted MacSween's advice with two examples of tragic victims of recent home invasions.
'A man was just executed in front of his family during a home invasion,' Sorbo wrote on X.
'A 3-year-old girl was just raped by an intruder. Canadian police chief Jim MacSween told his citizens that “your best defense is to just comply."'
Comments tore into the Canadian Police Chief, as one wrote: 'So you’re supposed to just let them come into your home and steal everything and r@pe the women? Thank God we have the second amendment!'
Another replied to Sorbo and said: 'Kevin, these are just 2 examples in Canada in the past month. Crime is truly out of control up here. And yes, the Police Chief told Canadians to just comply.'
'No Chief MacSween, their best defense is not to comply, rather it is to shoot the rapists/intruders dead and protect their families and their homes. But your government took the guns from citizens, didn't you? You prevented Canadians from defending their most basic rights' another commenter angrily wrote.
One added: 'Comply to what? The invaders If your government and police force tell you to comply with this, your country is falling.'
'We are the laughing stock of the world. That statement from the police chief just told the criminals to go ahead, nothing will be done. In rural places, there's no such thing as home invasions,' another declared.
Days after the conference, MacSween said in a statement that his advice was 'suggested as a tactic in the hopes of preserving lives.'
'When I told citizens not to take matters into their own hands, it had nothing to do with politics, or with concern over force used against the perpetrators of home invasions,' he added.
'It was suggested as a tactic in the hopes of preserving lives, should citizens be confront with an armed intruder. When it comes to defending property, material items can be replaced - but lives cannot.'
'There is no one piece of advice to offer to citizens who are faced with an intruder in their home - but calling 9-1-1 immediately and avoiding engagement with the suspects has proven to be an effective course of action,' MacSween continued.
'These situations are dynamic, chaotic, and difficult to assess in the moment.'