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Personally, I would not have let the guy get that close to me. I'm only 5'8", 150 lbs, so I maintain distance in any encounter (which happens almost never). Plus, even if I were 6"4", at that distance he could easily attack you with his fists or a weapon and you would have little or no warning. You would be in a reactive mode, rather than proactive. I would have placed my hand up in a "stop" fashion without touching the guy, issued a verbal command to "stay away from me" and simultaneously began to slowly back up towards my door. This keeps some type of barrier between you and the BG. If he pushes your hand away or pushes up aganist your hand, I would have drawn my gun. If he did not back up at that point, I would have shot him twice in the COM. Rememer that in Texas, you only have to have the perception of an imminent physical threat to use deadly force. You perceived that threat. That criteria was clearly met, IMO, and you would have been justified to kill the guy.
Next, I second the suggestion to invest $400-500 in a 8mm digital camcorder, one that has night vision. Set it up on a tripod in your window, out of view, and let it continously record while you are asleep. Talk to your neighbors about everyone keeping a watch out for everyone else. Don't mention the troublemakers, per se, just that you appreciate them looking out for you, and you will do the same. Talk to the building manager about what needs to be done to evict someone. The manager may be afraid of these guys and is playing ostrich, hoping the probpem will disappear (which it won't). Review your lease agreement carefully and find the clauses for eviction. Subtlely let your building manager know that if he doesn't address the problem per the lease, you may be forced to seek redress in civil court.
Finally, don't back down. These guys are cowards and bullies. It takes someone with a strong backbone to stand up to them.
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