Self Defense stories

[cakeshooter]

Just found this on an online search...not sure if these have been posted here or not? I did a search and didn't find any...but...

Just finished reading "Jean's Story": http://www.aware.org/arttruelaw/jeansstory.shtml

Think I'm gonna go find one more to read before bed....fascinating reading.

I thought it was interesting near the end of the one above, how they say you should actually practice what to say if you end up having an encounter with a BG.....

[cakeshooter]

...and the story I chose to read before bed (probably a really bad choice):

http://www.aware.org/arttruelaw/antigunmom.shtml



I really like how these are going through what happens, and what can happen, and what to be prepared for, etc.

[Just1more]

OH NO! We just got back from Winston Salem as my daughter interviewed at Wake Forest for grad school there! and its her 1st choice Pick.....

If you like that kind of reading - you should check out the book "Thank God I Had a Gun" by Chris Bird and also Armed Citizens from the NRA website!

I have other gun book type suggestions if interested, let me know and I can suggest a few.
Marilyn

[Mitch10mm]

I already told ya mine lol I always liked the Armed Citizen the NRA publishes. Too often, most often, the mainstream media doesn't report. When they do then they usually have the police chief on to say while they don't recommend it the citizen/victim didn't really do anything wrong per se.

[ByAnyMeans]

I have only had to use a gun once in a self defense situation. Their was no shots fired and the presence of the shotgun made the guy run.



It had just entered the summer when i was away at college. Me and a few others were moving myself and a female friend into an apartment we were renting for the summer. Where I went to school was funny. You turn one way out of the gates of the college and your at million dollar homes on the water but turn left and your in the ghetto.

It took us a few hours to unload and being one of a few guys and the only real big guy I had done most of the lifting. When we were all done everyone left to go run errands and grab supplies for a BBQ that night. I decided to stay back to take a cool shower and a nap.

People must have been watching us unload and then saw what they thought was everyone leaving because I took a quick shower and laid down, maybe fifteen minutes after everyone left I started to drift of to sleep.

I get woken up by glass breaking and I reach for the light by my head knocking it over in a crash to the floor. I take a second to listen and hear my roommates dog going nuts and so I peek at the window up front. It was actually a straight shot from where I was sleeping so it is not as if I went looking to see what was going on but rather focused my eyes and took it all in.


I see a figure outside the window and a hand through the broken window trying to undo the latch. He was obviously not concerned of the big dog inside or the fact that their was in fact a person home because he had to hear all the noise and still kept trying to get the latch undone. I grabbed my shotgun by the bed and racked it* as I brought it to my shoulder. Before I could even get it brought up to my shoulder the hand and shadowey figure where gone.

I never even reported it to the police. I did not want to have to explain where the shotgun was held prior to that day I moved in because it had been kept in my dorm room. It was an older type of window just like at the college and I was working maintenance over the summer so the next day of work I grabbed a window pane and some glaze and fixed the window.




* the discussion of keeping a round chmabered in a shotgun should be kept for another thread.

[cakeshooter]

I imagine there are a LOT of stories of people who prevented a crime by brandishing a weapon and then just never ended up calling the police for one reason or another....

For instance like the woman in one of my original links who was carrying a gun illegally but it likely saved her life...she never, of course, notified police about it.

[dannyb]

My one actual incident was similar. I had just started getting into pistol shooting (I come from the PRNYC originally and had moved here from the PRMA, and all this happened about 25 years ago) and had bought my first revolver/center fire firearm - an S&W Model 19. I kept it locked up in our bedroom, but also had ammo near it. I was home for the day (having worked several nights in a row), with my wife out to work. I heard somebody rattling the front door. I didn't know who or what, I was relatively new to PA and to the neighborhood, so I got the revolver, loaded it (yes yes, now I keep my HD firearms loaded all the time, lesson learned), folded it in a newspaper, and went to the front door.

There was this guy, ignoring the doorbell, rattling the storm door. I opened the front door, knowing that the storm door was locked because he was still rattling it (yes yes, I'm more aware and wouldn't do it now), and saw this seedy guy who started pointing to the doorknob and nodding his head as if to say "Let me in - LET ME IN NOW!" My wife is out, my one-YO kid is napping upstairs, no way I'm letting this bozo in. I unfold the paper so that he can see my right hand on the butt of the revolver. The blood drained from his face and he ran.

I flagged a passing police car and told the officer what happened. He warned me not to really say anything, that he would report a possible prowler, but that I could be accused of brandishing. I think they arrested the guy, he sure looked similar on TV, a few days later.

I am grateful that I was armed and that nothing really bad happened. I'm now a firm believer in being prepared.

[TheGeak]

Could they actually accuse you of brandishing if you're in your own home? Honest question as I'm rather new to the laws and am trying to become as informed as possible

[Shisno]

Could they actually accuse you of brandishing if you're in your own home? Honest question as I'm rather new to the laws and am trying to become as informed as possible

No, his story took place many years ago and the laws have changed considerably since then (the good kind of change). There is no brandishing law in PA.

You should check out some of the stickies. Lots of information. If that doesn't answer your questions try using the search feature. Odds are its been discussed before. If you STILL don't find the answer, by all means ask. There's a lot of knowledgeable people here that will gladly help you on your way.

Also, welcome to the forum.

[TheGeak]

No, his story took place many years ago and the laws have changed considerably since then (the good kind of change). There is no brandishing law in PA.

You should check out some of the stickies. Lots of information. If that doesn't answer your questions try using the search feature. Odds are its been discussed before. If you STILL don't find the answer, by all means ask. There's a lot of knowledgeable people here that will gladly help you on your way.

Also, welcome to the forum.

Thanks so much! I'm working my way through the stickies as I can!