...and don't forget people have a right to intervene in order to stop a felony in progress -- aside for the right most people have, in most states I guess, to make a citizen arrest. As for purse-snatching, who knows how much money is in a stolen purse to make that crime one witnesses a felony ($500 or above in Texas law?), or not a felony? So, instead one does NOTHING to stop the crime then? Or does nothing to retrieve the stolen property?
Yes, these victims SHOULD be carrying so they can look after THEMSELVES, but that's another topic...
Of course, it should be assumed by anyone about to "get involved" that in trying to make an arrest, the situation might escalate when the "suspect" resists such arrest, and you'd end up needing to protect yourself (like cops do), so you DO need to have a gun on you to get involved safely. And multiple "suspects" make that even more dangerous. Preferably, do NOT get involved like those 2 guys in the news recently who came to the rescue of a woman being attacked by a "group of men," and 1 of the 2 would-be rescuers was killed and the other wounded by said "group of men." Yes, a VERY admirable response by those 2 men, certainly, but what were they thinking would happen to THEM being unarmed and facing said "group of men" (and this low-life "group of men" will be back out on the street in no time while we still have 1 dead and 1 wounded decent citizen -- but that's another topic, too).
Moral of that incident (and hundreds like it): Don't get involved unless you are armed -- or expect to be added to the victim list for nobly trying anyway.
But you know, the "better" Texas laws re: use of a firearm -- such as allowing one to stop a crime, deal with "criminal mischief," protect personal property and even retrieve stolen property -- are only actions allowed "at night." Texas criminals just need to start doing all that predatory activity during the DAY and avoid that extra risk of getting shot "at night." As we know from all the sorry repressive/restricting gun laws (ownership of, carrying of), complicated laws re: the use of firearms for self-defense/reaction to criminal attack only hinder decent citizens from responding to crimes and put them at further personal risk, yet do nothing to deter, put at risk or stop the criminals who are committing said crimes.
I'd like to see Texas change the "at night" to ANY TIME. Or just drop the "at night"/"during the night time" so it DOES apply to ANY time, 24/7. Is a crime at night any less potentially dangerous than one committed in the broad daylight of an afternoon? Hardly...
As I've said before, the only "justice" most criminals see is at the hands of an armed citizen, preferably accompanied by flashes of light and loud noise (criminals don't see "justice" in court, that's for sure).
That "citizen response" should not be infringed upon at all (or second-guessed at by people who weren't there).