Let me know what you would do in this situation - Page 2

Re4mer · June 25, 2009, 10:54 PM

Well Bones its cool you realize your mistake don't beat yourself up too much and just move on. One thing you may want to do if you have not already is train your wife to use the gun too. Perhaps even get her a gun for herself. Two trained people is better than one.

Lost Sheep · June 25, 2009, 11:28 PM

In that situation, I don't think I could just sit around and let three guys break into my neighbor's car and steal who know what all and just wait to file a police report and have near zero chance of restitution or recovery.

I know there is a risk in confronting three guys (known, could be more), but from the description given by bones06 in the original post, it appears the situation would have evaluated as low risk. So, 99% chance of letting three miscreants get away with their crime or 1% chance of escalating the situation? I will take the risk and stand up for my neighbor.

Having said that, there is no way I would fire on anyone unless there was a definite threat. And even if I were fired on, if they were just trying to get away, I would probably let them go. After all, they just added felony charges for when the police DO get there. And I may have saved my neighbor's car.

Would I attempt to apprehend them? No. Talk to them and try to get them to stick around, yes, depending on my (continuing) assessment of the threat level. Now, if my threat assessment changed, and I would never get far from cover, I would immediately change tactics.

Call me foolish, but this sounded like a crime of opportunity, kids just wandering around looking for trouble, not some hard-core bangers.

Lost Sheep.

riggins_83 · June 25, 2009, 11:39 PM

Quote:

My friend who is on the police dept already told me in the past that in a home invasion situation most trained people and inexperienced people rarely make it to their gun in time to defend themselves, even if it was unlocked.

That's counting the fact many people leave doors unlocked, windows open at night, use cheap locks, etc etc. If you setup your house well they'll need to make a lot of noise to get in.. and you can be ready for them.

Nnobby45 · June 26, 2009, 12:02 AM

Did you do the right thing, you ask?

Well, I watched First 48 last night, new episode, St. Louis.

It featured a young man who grabbed his gun, and ran outside to confront a man he thought was burglarizing his neighbors car. The man ran away, but our hero chased after him and fired some shots as the suspect hot- footed it down the road. A bullet hit him in the head.

I can't say how big of an issue the racial slur before the shooting will become. And, there wasn't any evidence that the slain man had even comitted a crime, though he had a criminal record.

The young man has been charged with 1st degree murder. His girlfriend, who covered for him, has been charged with hindering the investigation by lying to protect her boyfriend, and refusing to co-operate.. Neither had criminal records.

None of the shooter's friends who covered for him have been charged.

djohn · June 26, 2009, 12:36 AM

I have kids so my house is booby traped with deadly weapons such as sneakers,skateboards and bicycle's.If they can make past that with out getting handlebars stuck in there eye,MR 45 ACP awaits.

bababooey32 · June 26, 2009, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Let me know what you would've done had this been you

Lockdown the house, get armed, call police.

I might have tried to verbally engage them as you did, but only after steps 1 and 2 above.

Quote:

I ran to the front door

That's a tactical mistake. You just made yourself into a big silouhette target! Kill interior lights and go to a window and peek out. If you must verbally engage, do it from a position where they cannot easily fire upon you.

Quote:

I yelled out the window "freeze m'fers or I'll shoot"

Bluffing = bad. Don't say it if you can't actually do it.

Quote:

drove around looking for them

Biggest mistake of all. The BGs know where you livae and might be ****** that you interrupted their "take". You just left your family at home alone while you go out to....what? Arrest them? What were you going to do? You weren't prepared to do anything (no gun, no cuffs).

I applaud your willingness to help your neighbors and "stand up" against criminals. Just be careful that you do it in a way that preserves your safety and that of your family FIRST!

Jay1958 · June 26, 2009, 10:19 AM

In the first place, if I am investigating an alarm at home, I will have a firearm either in my hand, or holstered on my hip, regardless of the time, ie. day or night.

In the second place, if I saw someone breaking into my car or my neighbors car, if they were not aware of my presence, I would try to call 911 and get the police enroute -without alerting them to my presence- or the fact that they had been "made"... while waiting and watching, I would try to be a "good witness" and make note of anything - descriptions, clothing, license numbers, etc that might help the police later. While watching, I would also be making a threat assessment - any weapons visible? age, size, fitness, how many of them are there, etc. of the perpetrators, etc.

If the perpetrators became aware of my presence at any point, I would have to make a split second decision of the best course of action, based on several factors: are weapons visible? are the perpetrators concealing something they don't want me to see (ie. possible weapons)? are they leaving or heading toward me?

Ideally when they became aware of my presence, I would secure myself in my home, barricade myself and maintain contact with 911 operator until police arrive. If the perpetrators rush toward me before I can withdraw and securely barricade myself, and depending on their specific actions and whether they had weapons and if so, what type and how many, I would have to make split second decisions, based on the factors present at the time, of whether my best option was to retreat and attempt to secure myself indoors or take cover and prepare to fight.

LeopardCurDog · June 26, 2009, 09:41 PM

A better way of keep the gun from the kids is to wear it around the house. An unloaded locked away gun is of no value.

phantom1984 · June 27, 2009, 04:21 PM

First off i have left my gun unlocked in the open when my kids were younger than yours (with me supervising of course) to teach them what it is and not to touch it. Teaching children about guns at an early age (what they can do so on and so forth) is the best way to prevent accidents in the home. No matter what the popular belief is about locking up ur guns If it is locked up you Wont have time to get to it if you need it. If it was me i wouldn't have gone after them especially if i was unarmed and if you shoot them with out fear of your life you will have a lot of legal problems.

June 25, 2009, 11:28 PM	#27
Lost Sheep Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2009 Location: Anchorage Alaska Posts: 3,341	Sorry, I cannot just cover In that situation, I don't think I could just sit around and let three guys break into my neighbor's car and steal who know what all and just wait to file a police report and have near zero chance of restitution or recovery. I know there is a risk in confronting three guys (known, could be more), but from the description given by bones06 in the original post, it appears the situation would have evaluated as low risk. So, 99% chance of letting three miscreants get away with their crime or 1% chance of escalating the situation? I will take the risk and stand up for my neighbor. Having said that, there is no way I would fire on anyone unless there was a definite threat. And even if I were fired on, if they were just trying to get away, I would probably let them go. After all, they just added felony charges for when the police DO get there. And I may have saved my neighbor's car. Would I attempt to apprehend them? No. Talk to them and try to get them to stick around, yes, depending on my (continuing) assessment of the threat level. Now, if my threat assessment changed, and I would never get far from cover, I would immediately change tactics. Call me foolish, but this sounded like a crime of opportunity, kids just wandering around looking for trouble, not some hard-core bangers. Lost Sheep.

June 26, 2009, 12:36 AM	#30
djohn Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2009 Location: CT Posts: 507	I have kids so my house is booby traped with deadly weapons such as sneakers,skateboards and bicycle's.If they can make past that with out getting handlebars stuck in there eye,MR 45 ACP awaits. __________________ Dave.

June 25, 2009, 10:54 PM	#26
Re4mer Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2008 Posts: 240	Well Bones its cool you realize your mistake don't beat yourself up too much and just move on. One thing you may want to do if you have not already is train your wife to use the gun too. Perhaps even get her a gun for herself. Two trained people is better than one.

June 26, 2009, 12:02 AM	#29
Nnobby45 Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2004 Posts: 3,150	Did you do the right thing, you ask? Well, I watched First 48 last night, new episode, St. Louis. It featured a young man who grabbed his gun, and ran outside to confront a man he thought was burglarizing his neighbors car. The man ran away, but our hero chased after him and fired some shots as the suspect hot- footed it down the road. A bullet hit him in the head. I can't say how big of an issue the racial slur before the shooting will become. And, there wasn't any evidence that the slain man had even comitted a crime, though he had a criminal record. The young man has been charged with 1st degree murder. His girlfriend, who covered for him, has been charged with hindering the investigation by lying to protect her boyfriend, and refusing to co-operate.. Neither had criminal records. None of the shooter's friends who covered for him have been charged.

June 26, 2009, 10:19 AM	#32
Jay1958 Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 274	In the first place, if I am investigating an alarm at home, I will have a firearm either in my hand, or holstered on my hip, regardless of the time, ie. day or night. In the second place, if I saw someone breaking into my car or my neighbors car, if they were not aware of my presence, I would try to call 911 and get the police enroute -without alerting them to my presence- or the fact that they had been "made"... while waiting and watching, I would try to be a "good witness" and make note of anything - descriptions, clothing, license numbers, etc that might help the police later. While watching, I would also be making a threat assessment - any weapons visible? age, size, fitness, how many of them are there, etc. of the perpetrators, etc. If the perpetrators became aware of my presence at any point, I would have to make a split second decision of the best course of action, based on several factors: are weapons visible? are the perpetrators concealing something they don't want me to see (ie. possible weapons)? are they leaving or heading toward me? Ideally when they became aware of my presence, I would secure myself in my home, barricade myself and maintain contact with 911 operator until police arrive. If the perpetrators rush toward me before I can withdraw and securely barricade myself, and depending on their specific actions and whether they had weapons and if so, what type and how many, I would have to make split second decisions, based on the factors present at the time, of whether my best option was to retreat and attempt to secure myself indoors or take cover and prepare to fight.

June 26, 2009, 09:41 PM	#33
LeopardCurDog Member Join Date: February 1, 2009 Posts: 81	A better way of keep the gun from the kids is to wear it around the house. An unloaded locked away gun is of no value.

June 27, 2009, 04:21 PM	#34
phantom1984 Member Join Date: June 27, 2009 Location: Owensboro KY Posts: 18	First off i have left my gun unlocked in the open when my kids were younger than yours (with me supervising of course) to teach them what it is and not to touch it. Teaching children about guns at an early age (what they can do so on and so forth) is the best way to prevent accidents in the home. No matter what the popular belief is about locking up ur guns If it is locked up you Wont have time to get to it if you need it. If it was me i wouldn't have gone after them especially if i was unarmed and if you shoot them with out fear of your life you will have a lot of legal problems.