Was I wrong to call the cops?

[Bump]

Really strange thing just happened.

So I'm sitting here lurking CP and Reddit. It was about 6:30 pm at the time.

My doorbell rang. People around here always go door to door and it's always an annoying foreign person trying to get money (often french, sometimes asian), so I didn't want to answer the door and I chose to ignore it since I'm not expecting anybody. I keep forgetting to get a no soliciting sign to put on my door.

Well then this guy starts ringing the doorbell over and over and over and over and over and then he starts banging the door really loud over and over and then more ringing the doorbell. It seemed really aggressive.

Mind you, I just watched Batman The Dark Knight Rises like 2 days ago. And without even knowing it, I yelled in a very loud batman voice WHO IS IT???

he yells PLUMBER in a loud manner and he sounded mexican, just to paint a picture.

I yell, I DIDNT ORDER A PLUMBER

The problem with the way my house is, I can't see from any window who is at the door. I have to do downstairs and open the door to see who it is. So I didn't know who the **** is out there and I didn't order any plumber.

So after I yelled "I DIDNT ORDER A PLUMBER!!" he starts banging the door and jiggling the door knob. So I'm like holy shit, this guy is trying to get in my house. I grab my knife and yell "I DIDNT ORDER A PLUMBER, SO LEAVE"

and he continues to jiggle the door knob and he's saying something that I can't make out. And continues to ring the door bell and bang on the door.

So I yell I'M CALLING THE POLICE

he continues to bang the door and jiggle the door knob for about another second and then disappears. Because at that point, my adrenaline is pumping and I already called the police so I march outside with my knife because at that point I want to see who the **** it is and why are they trying to get in my house. No sign of anybody.

There is a plumber van outside the door parked on the street, a reputable company. But nobody there.

He probably had the wrong house, but what kind of plumber keeps banging the door like that?

I told the cops, I don't know this just seemed really really off. They were like that's okay, thats what we are here for and they looked in the van but nobody in there and mentioned they wanted to speak to the plumber.

20 minutes later I hear the van start up and it drives off.

****ing weird.

Everything points to a complete misunderstanding except why did the guy keep banging the door, jiggling the door know and ringing the doorbell after I already told him to leave? Who does that?

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Inmem58

I've pulled several triggers, just not towards someone. If someone is kicking my door in then. You have to react calmly. You can't just go bat shit with the trigger. A few friendly rounds, to try an scare the intruder will do. If you give him a warning or two and doesn't listen, then you pop him one. Keep shooting until the threat is gone. Meaning he's no longer walking towards you. He still could be standing, just not moving. The threat is gone. If he reaches for something then I would shoot until he drops. Basically killing him.

Is this a bad advice contest? If so, I apologize. You NEVER fire a warning shot. NEVER

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Jesus Christ, Pete. You aren't going to be able to hit a person with a taser from that range unless you've already got it aimed in the time it takes him to stab you. This is pretty basic stuff.

I am not talking about a tazer you shoot. I am talking about hand held. You engage in hand-hand, I don't have to stab you or slice you or whatever. Don't even have to be on target...just get the taze on you and you will drop.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Is this a bad advice contest? If so, I apologize. You NEVER fire a warning shot. NEVER

I agree with this. If you are going to fire a round you need to put it center mass.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I am very for real. This is advice straight from the mouts if police officers. Trust me. I worked in liquor stores in very, very bad parts of town. I have had several conversations with law enforcment both friends of family and cops that would come into the store.

One thing you best understand, the criminal has more rights than you do, like it or not.

A liquor store (lights are on, you have a counter between you and the intruder, your wife and children aren't sleeping, etc.) is completely different than being at home and waking up to someone trying to break into your house.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

I'm not advocating being maniacal about the situation. If someone is down, incapacitated but clearly alive, I'm not going to walk over to kill him. It's going to be up to the ambulance to determine whether he lives or dies.

My point is that the initial onslaught is likely to be more than decisive.

That's why you use a hollow point or a 12 gauge. It won't take more than one round to drop them unless you are using a little 22 or 9mm.

[Inmem58]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Is this a bad advice contest? If so, I apologize. You NEVER fire a warning shot. NEVER

I was iffy about that as well. I took a law enforcement class for 2 years and was told that's the common way to prevent a deadly situation.

:-/

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

A liquor store (lights are on, you have a counter between you and the intruder, your wife and children aren't sleeping, etc.) is completely different than being at home and waking up to someone trying to break into your house.

I agree you are granted more liberty in engagment if it is in your house. The fact is though I was at risk a lot more in the stores than most people ever will be in their homes.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Inmem58

I was iffy about that as well. I took a law enforcement class for 2 years and was told that's the common way to prevent a deadly situation.

:-/

I personally would not follw that line of thinking.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I am not talking about a tazer you shoot. I am talking about hand held. You engage in hand-hand, I don't have to stab you or slice you or whatever. Don't even have to be on target...just get the taze on you and you will drop.

Fair enough. Still, I think it's reasonable to assume that, if someone doesn't have a gun, they don't have a taser. If you've got an arsenal at your disposal, don't grab a knife. If you have no other weapon, grab the knife and get yourself into a position where you have the drop on the intruder and are close enough to rush him.

If you can run away because nobody else is home, so much the better, but that isn't usually the case in the middle of the night.

[TribalElder]

If you don't have a revolver called the judge in your home your way behind the curve. I keep the 3" cylinder model on the nightstand. Holds 5 rounds. Round 1 is a 410 shotgun shell shot size 6. Round 2 is size 4 shot 410. Rounds 3 & 4 are triple ot buck. The last round is a hornady 45 long colt hollow point with the plastic tip insert.

Get one of those would be my advice. Call the cops to clean up the mess.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by TribalElder

If you don't have a revolver called the judge in your home your way behind the curve. I keep the 3" cylinder model on the nightstand. Holds 5 rounds. Round 1 is a 410 shotgun shell shot size 6. Round 2 is size 4 shot 410. Rounds 3 & 4 are triple ot buck. The last round is a hornady 45 long colt hollow point with the plastic tip insert.

Get one of those would be my advice. Call the cops to clean up the mess.

You hunt elephant with that thing?

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I agree with this. If you are going to fire a round you need to put it center mass.

Yep. A warning shot gives away your location and endangers everyone else in the area. Firing haphazardly inside a house is not a good idea.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I agree you are granted more liberty in engagment if it is in your house. The fact is though I was at risk a lot more in the stores than most people ever will be in their homes.

Absolutely.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Fair enough. Still, I think it's reasonable to assume that, if someone doesn't have a gun, they don't have a taser. If you've got an arsenal at your disposal, don't grab a knife. If you have no other weapon, grab the knife and get yourself into a position where you have the drop on the intruder and are close enough to rush him.

If you can run away because nobody else is home, so much the better, but that isn't usually the case in the middle of the night.

I am not saying that if you have no choice to not use a knife. I am saying that if a knife is my only means of defense then I am looking to bail first but I agree given no other choice that a knife is better than nothing.

[TribalElder]

Originally Posted by petegz28

You hunt elephant with that thing?

Ha! It's like a handheld jr 12 gauge. Shotgun and pistol combo. Ultimate home defense weapon