Ever have a jerk unkowingly almost catch one?

[God's Country]

It has never happened to me. I think that if you don't live a lifestyle like the mob or owe some money to the loan shark but can not pay up or dealing drug or living in a really bad neighborhood, then I would think that no one has a motive to really go out looking to do you harm. Why would they want to 'hurt' you?

With this, I am not totally naive either, I am aware but not paranoid. Answering the door while holding a gun behind your back sounds like one is really "hyper" or "nervous".......It is a shame because this is pretty much a free country but people seems to be afraid to go out, let alone opening their doors. he he he..........



1FingrCHan

There were certainly a couple of posts early on where the situation was reversed
ie, being shot at while in a car or having a shotgun pointed at you from a window.
That's ridiculous.

In my case the idiot was literally pounding on my door. Nobody does that, social graces aside. He had all he could do to pull himself together to speak. He was actually red and just looking for an excuse to unload. I may have in an earlier day confronted the sob. He was truly unhinged.

When someone comes to your home and treats your sanctuary in such a manner you have to expect trouble. Your home is just that and nobody should come pounding on the door . This did not occur in Wal-mart where one could simply walk away. When you're in your house where can you retreat to?
Expect the worse and hope for the best.

[Karys]

It has never happened to me. I think that if you don't live a lifestyle like the mob or owe some money to the loan shark but can not pay up or dealing drug or living in a really bad neighborhood, then I would think that no one has a motive to really go out looking to do you harm. Why would they want to 'hurt' you?

With this, I am not totally naive either, I am aware but not paranoid. Answering the door while holding a gun behind your back sounds like one is really "hyper" or "nervous".......It is a shame because this is pretty much a free country but people seems to be afraid to go out, let alone opening their doors. he he he..........



1FingrCHan

I don't think answering the door with a gun in hand is being hyper or nervous. It's my job to protect myself, my family and yes, even my neighbors from harm. I think it's being responsible, especially if someone starts banging on my door at 3 AM. Do I answer the door with a gun in hand every time the doorbell rings? No, but I will every time when I hear a strange knock on the door late at night. It all depends on the situation.

I've never lived any of the lifestyles that you mentioned or lived in a bad neighborhood, but that did not prevent me from becoming a victim in the past. It's possible for anyone to become a victim of violent crime anywhere at any time. As the old saying goes, "It's always better to have a gun and not need it than to desperately need one and not have it."

I know what you mean when you say people are afraid to go out. I have neighbors like that. However, you could never use those terms to describe me.

I don't mean to sound like a badass or a vigilante because I'm not. I'm just an average, hard working guy that takes personal protection seriously and I'm sure you could say that for the majority of the members here if not all of them.

[God's Country]

It's my job to protect myself, my family and yes, even my neighbors from harm.

I'd be careful about the neighbors part. I think pa is vague as it pertains to the use of deadly force to protect others. It's more complicated. I know last summer there was some talk about changing that, but I don't think it got anywhere.

[Karys]

I'd be careful about the neighbors part. I think pa is vague as it pertains to the use of deadly force to protect others. It's more complicated. I know last summer there was some talk about changing that, but I don't think it got anywhere.

I'm with you. That didn't come out like I meant it. Sometimes it's hard to make thoughts from the brain flow down through the fingers and onto the keyboard, especially when discussing a subject like this.

In a situation like that you have to be very careful about the use of deadly force or even getting involved at all.

[1FingrCHan]

its not paranoia if they are really out to get you

He he he, good one. But they would not often come knocking on the front door because they know most people might have a gun handy waiting at the door, they would perhaps or maybe run people over with a car and make it look like a hit and run.

I know it is a cruel analogy but if one is a hitman and if he is out to get somebody, he is paranoid too. It works both way:P



1FingrCHan

[1FingrCHan]

I don't think answering the door with a gun in hand is being hyper or nervous. It's my job to protect myself, my family and yes, even my neighbors from harm. I think it's being responsible, especially if someone starts banging on my door at 3 AM. Do I answer the door with a gun in hand every time the doorbell rings? No, but I will every time when I hear a strange knock on the door late at night. It all depends on the situation.

I've never lived any of the lifestyles that you mentioned or lived in a bad neighborhood, but that did not prevent me from becoming a victim in the past. It's possible for anyone to become a victim of violent crime anywhere at any time. As the old saying goes, "It's always better to have a gun and not need it than to desperately need one and not have it."

I know what you mean when you say people are afraid to go out. I have neighbors like that. However, you could never use those terms to describe me.

I don't mean to sound like a badass or a vigilante because I'm not. I'm just an average, hard working guy that takes personal protection seriously and I'm sure you could say that for the majority of the members here if not all of them.

I agree with what you are saying. If you look at the media, the TV evening news, the newspapers, you would see that people have their radars on most of the "bad news" like person got murdered here and there, drug and gang related killing here and there. Now if the news on TV is about ballet dancing or kite flying, who would be watching the TV news then?......the rating would drop badly.

What I am saying while there are definitely bad guys/gals (hey, I don't want to be a sexist here, he he he.) out there, I still think one should try to find the balance to live peacefully wit hthemselves. Heck, if everyone thinks everyone is out to get them, and everyone and their cousins got finger on the triggers.....what does one call freedom then?

I am not criticizing anyone, I would come to the door armed too if someone knocks on my door at 3:00 AM in the morning. But I give them the benefit of the doubt, maybe their cars broke down and need to use the phone or somebody is looking for direction.....and so forth.


1FingrCHan

[God's Country]

I'm with you. That didn't come out like I meant it. Sometimes it's hard to make thoughts from the brain flow down through the fingers and onto the keyboard, especially when discussing a subject like this.

In a situation like that you have to be very careful about the use of deadly force or even getting involved at all.

Wasn't trying to call you on it. I actually agree with the spirit of the statement and maybe someday Pa will pass similar legislation as Fl.

My fingers are always ahead of my brain. I started this thread and couldn't even spell the subject correctly.

[Justin]

Ive got a somewhat related story. This guy very well may have caught one if I was armed. However, I wasn't armed at the time.

The reason I wasnt armed was because I had just broken up with a girl and moved back in with my folks for a few months, so my shotgun was locked up in the closet(young kids around) and i was only 20 at the time(late summer '01) so i didnt yet own a handgun.

So I was out fishing one night, and get home around 1:30. I had gotten a quick shower, and sat down at the computer to check my email and search for apartments. 5 minutes go by, and all of the sudden the house lit up a little, and it was different than when someone drives by on the street. I hear a bloodcurdling chilling scream. I had never heard a scream like that in all of my life, and I can still remember it as if i just heard it a minute ago. It was a womans scream, and she was screaming for her life. I stood up, and as I was standing, the scream was getting louder, and closer. Started for the front door, and thats when she started pounding on the door. I broke out into a run, through the hall and into the kitchen to the front door, when I hear a loud BANG. I saw her out the window on the door, and she had a look of sheer terror on her face. I ripped the door open and a guy, about my age, jumps onto the porch. I simultaneously became aware of headlights of a car that had wrecked into the front porch. She screamed "hes trying to kill me" and he reached for her and got a hold of her arm. I postioned myself in between the two, pushed her towards the door behind me, and put my forearm to his throat. I screamed at him to let go of her, or I'd f'n kill him. He didnt, so I grabbed him by the shirt with my other hand and put him against the house, choking him. She broke his grip and ran into the house. I slammed his head against the brick wall, and threw him down the stairs onto the hood of the car that had smashed into the porch. By this time my mother had came downstairs and was behind me on the porch, she grabbed my shoulder and was on the phone with 911. I slowed down for a second, when she grabbed me, which gave him enough time to get to the drivers door of his car. I went after him, but he got inside and threw it into reverse before I could get to him. My mom yelled for me to come back inside.(this all happened in less than a minute)

I ran back in and got some pants and my shotgun, went back to the kitchen where my mom was trying to calm this girl down, who was crying histerically. I sat the shotgun on the counter and took a deep breath, the girl came up and gave me a big hug. We calmed her down enough to talk, and she told us what had happened.

Apparently she and her boyfriend had been out drinking with a friend, who was my neighbor across the street and down two houses. They had dropped the friend off and he apparently got violent in the car, and hit her a few times. She jumped out and he screamed he was going to kill her. She started running towards the nearest house, and he chased after her in their car. He smashed the car into the neighbors house trying to hit her, and she took off running towards my house. She made it onto my porch and he rammed the porch and the corner of the house trying to run her down.

The cops showed up a minute or so later, took everyones info and story, put out an APB on the car, and apparently caught up with the guy on the turnpike headed towards Ohio. The girl got a ride home with the cops.

The next day I went down to the police station with my mom, we gave them written statements, cop came to the house to take pictures of the damage, and the damage to the neighbors house.

Had to go to the magistrates office a month or so later, but I was kept outside of the courtroom. He plea bargained his charges down, and i never had to testify.

Besides the girl's scream, the thing I remember most was the OH SHIT look on his face when I opened the door to the porch and he came face to face with me. He was a little guy, about 5'9 150# and im 6'4 and 250.

I saw the girl about 6 months after the incident, I was at the bar shortly after my 21st birthday. She bought me a few drinks and we bs'd for a bit.

[Intrigue]

Yeah, I got one for you.

I live in an apartment complex with some less-than-desirable folk. One of these..Gentleman, and I use the term loosely, is the epitome of alchoholic, and has a pretty bad meth habit (did not know this at the time).

Well, me, my girlfriend, two guy friends, and their girlfriends (so like 6 people) are in my living room watching a movie and enjoying ourselves. All of the girls had enjoyed some wine coolers at this point, and they seemed pretty drunk.

Anyway, this guy starts banging on my apt door, so I go to the door and crack it open, not even bothering to retrieve my gun first (stupid, I know)

He decides to slam his foot in the door to prop it open, and starts asking me if his wife is in my apartment. Apparently, they have had some problems, and she's been running the neighborhood sleeping with the guy across the street (another scumbag woman abusing druggie)

I said "Uh. No, she's not, I don't know your wife, and in fact, I don't even know you. Have a good one, man" and I started to close the door.

He said something along the lines of "Man?! What do you mean by that. Man? What's that supposed to mean, buddy? I hear people up there, where's Becki?!" I told him once more that his wife wasn't here, and then told him to get his foot out of my door jam.

At this point, I hear my friends start coming down the hall (both big guys) and he starts pushing the door (and this is when I notice how much bigger he is than me. I'm about 5'9'' 185lbs, athletic; this guy is about 6'3'' probably 250 with some muscle) and he finally forces it open a bit. I tell the guy to get the f**k out of my house, I don't know his wife. Meanwhile, I grab my folder-knife out of my back pocket just in case, and as the situation reaches its most tense moment, I hear this girly voice:

"EXCUSE ME!"

...it's my girlfriend, drunk off her ass, looking this guy dead in the face. "YOU'RE BEING VERY RUDE! PLEASE LEAVE"

He got this sad puppy-look and said "I'm sorry ma'am" and just walks off (at which point we hear him banging on the next door down).

I was shaking from the adrenalin pumping through my veins, not knowing what I was going to do moments earlier, my two friends were about to pummel this guy, and all it took was an angry little 5'1'' Blonde irish girl with a bad-drunk-temper because our yelling was interrupting the movie.

Needless to say: the Irish are mightier than the sword

Anyway, we called the cops, they were already on the way as he had apparently done the same thing to a few other people just a few minutes earlier. We heard him screaming from down the block at the "F**king Pigs" when, I assume, they came for him.

Yes, I should have gotten my gun first, that's one thing I would have done differently, and yes he has caused additional problems in our neighborhood since then (after CPS took his kids).

Cant..Wait..To get out of this dang neighborhood.

[tes151]

Did you see a badge? The first response to your query "who is it?" should have been "Police Officer Sir !" The 10:30 PM visit for a witness interview of a 7th grader seems a little fishy too.

I suspect cops, like truck drivers, ( me ) keep unusual ( to most people ) hours do to the nature of the job.