Home Intruder Last Night

[Norwestr55]

This is a sad fact of the modern world... we have to be concerned about being victimized by criminals that should be removed from society.

Glad it turned out well, and you've given me many things to think about. Including having the shotty more accessible. As for dropping the hammer on him, not sure I'd want the bio-hazard mess to clean up...

Besides that he was right in front of a new kitchen range! Could you move a couple feet to the left? Thanks.

 

[11Charlie]

not sure I'd want the bio-hazard mess to clean up...

None of us want that. But I would in a heart beat to save me and mine!

 

[CLT65]

Sounds to me like you did everything right. Even if he's not particularly dangerous, he needs to wake up with a 12ga muzzle in his face, to learn just how dangerous it is to enter another man's home uninvited.

 

[nammac]

None of us want that. But I would in a heart beat to save me and mine!

Of course, that goes without sayin', but in the case of no immediate physical threat... I think I'd take a similar path of get the blank out...

 

[OldBroad44]

No, but I don't really think I would blast someone while they were sleeping even in my house. My company had a female break into one of our offices, eat some food from the refrigerator and then curl up on the couch and fall asleep using a company jacket as a blanket. She was found there in the morning by the owner, who was armed at the time. He carefully called the police while she slept. They showed up and woke her up with handcuffs. She posed no real threat to the owner, and told the police she was homeless, cold and hungry.

To be honest, I felt sorry for her in a strange way.

Now if the OP had awoken to this dude ransacking the place or whatever, that would be a threat......

Kruel J, that "feeling sorry in a strange way"--That's compassion. Mercy. Understanding that there but for the grace of God or many things I didn't control go I.

I've had to defend myself to the extent of being ready and willing to kill someone five times in my life. In three cases there was genuine evil predetermined intent, and if I had had to kill someone, I doubt if I would have lost any sleep over it beyond whatever was caused by the formal legalisms. But in two cases, had I been required to kill I would have grieved the rest of my life. The most dramatic, which I described in the current thread on Things that go bump in the night, were quite different. I was being attacked by someone who was crazy, at least at the moment. Crazy rather than evil. And at the time I felt deep compassion emotionally, while intellectually accepting and being ready to kill this person if I must, but doing everything possible to prevent it. Feeling deep sorrow at the time rather than fear or anger. And hoping with all my being afterwards that they might find healing.

Our society is failing in major ways. People who once would have been in mental hospitals are now dumped out on the street and inevitably become homeless. There is an unlimited supply of alcohol and powerful drugs, and close to no effective treatments for addiction. And most treatment homes require you not be on alcohol or drugs. There are essentially no jobs or care for the bottom ten percent of the IQ spectrum. Once, when families were large and stable, they would have been put to work doing simple physical tasks with constant supervision. Now they become criminals or homeless. My Celtic ancestors would have extended food and shelter even to an enemy for three days. A cold, hungry, homeless person could have knocked on any door....

If a stray dog, cold and hungry, found its way into my kitchen, I would at least give it food and shelter for the night. And a homeless person? Alas, humans are potentially so dangerous, I simply could not afford to do anything other than what the OP did. But I would sure wish it was otherwise. And even if I were a lot younger and stronger than I am, no way would I be wanting to beat anyone up.

Increasingly these days we have to defend ourselves against not just the evil but also the crazy and incompetent. And evil, in my experience, is a whole lot easier to deal with than crazy or incompetent.

 

[11Charlie]

Of course, that goes without sayin', but in the case of no immediate physical threat... I think I'd take a similar path of get the blank out...

Oh hell ya!

 

[Certaindeaf]

I hope you remembered to take down those "Gimp Wanted" posters on all the telephone poles.


















just kidding

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

I never leave kitchen knives out . I figure the dog might hear it if somebody gets in the drawers. Glad ya didnt have to clean up a mess

My wife has seen too many horror movies, so she hides the butcher block in the pots drawer and other kitchen knives are hidden.

 

[DuneHopper]

Each night I do my rounds, even if I tipped a bit the night before I always try and make sure I did check. Id rather catch them outside then in. Makes me think once again of doing my rounds everynight no matter how tired I am.

A guy a town over came home and guy was sleeping on his couch, the guy just shot him as he slept. Its a small town.......nothing ever came of it....... there has been some crazy bubblegum since I moved here. One guy broke in a mans house jumped out the window as he was entering the front door, guy ran across his ranch, hoped in his truck shot him and as he fell got ran over.

Tell you committing crimes here people often shoot first ask questions last, not saying thats a good idea. LOL just happends time to time.

Glad your safe, thats some scary bubblegum right there.

 

[P7M13]

@Norwestr55 , glad you're OK. Lots of wisdom expressed here.

You quoted him as sayin, "Sorry, sorry, I know". Dam skippy he knew he was WAY over the line, but he doesn't care because "the cops won't do nuthin'"

He was turning his life around.

 

[coyoteman5]

Homeless, boy he could have gotten a permanent home 6 feet under.

 

[Norwestr55]

I'm just thankful that they scooped him up right away, if he'd have gotten away and hurt or killed somebody next time I would have felt like it was on me. Hard telling what would have happened if it would have been a little 90 yr old gramma on a walker that found him.

On a brighter note (pun intended) I ordered 6 solar powered motion detector 550 lumen security lights that will be here Tuesday. They're recommended by folks in places like Minnesota so I'd imagine that that they don't get anymore winter sun than we do and much worse weather. Gonna light this place up like a Griswold Christmas!

 

[Camelfilter]

I'm just thankful that they scooped him up right away, if he'd have gotten away and hurt or killed somebody next time I would have felt like it was on me. Hard telling what would have happened if it would have been a little 90 yr old gramma on a walker that found him.

On a brighter note (pun intended) I ordered 6 solar powered motion detector 550 lumen security lights that will be here Tuesday. They're recommended by folks in places like Minnesota so I'd imagine that that they don't get anymore winter sun than we do and much worse weather. Gonna light this place up like a Griswold Christmas!

Yah.

When you get them, get familiar with there zones, so you don't spotlight yourself/blind yourself, if you go out to check on something that bumped...

 

[Norwestr55]

Yah.

When you get them, get familiar with there zones, so you don't spotlight yourself/blind yourself, if you go out to check on something that bumped...

Yeah definitely. I'll probably have the neighbors POed!
I'll make sure they're not hitting their bedroom window.And thanks for the tip about Amazon!

 

[Camelfilter]

Yah, no prob!

Thanks for the reminder to get us doing some shotgun work!!

 

[Member 46570]

I suggest looking into some wired Ring Spotlight cameras. I have some and really like them.

Glad things didn't go worse.

 

[johnny bob]

Costco has a 4 camera 4K night owl system for $249 till Sept 2nd.

I just installed one in a retail shop. It's pretty straight forward and super detail.

Costco also has solar powered 180 led triple head motion activated light for about $30. It is 1500 lumens and the 3 faces will cover a wide area. I bought 2 and my brother bought a couple. We are happy with them.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Jacob Wayne Heinz
Criminal trespass 2nd degree
Criminal mischief 3rd degree
Criminal Trespass 1st degree

Also arrested for 2 counts of disorderly conduct in April and Criminal
trespass 2nd degree in May.

Good to hear your OK & how you handled this situation, great job & stay vigilant.
What a piece of work. I'll bet he doesn't GAS about anything or anybody but himself.

 

[Superglide]

The creep is lucky he ran into you dude, and not Walter Sobchak.
Great post and super info on how to be ready (always) and how to react. Sorry you had to experience it.
I am going to Costco tomorrow for the cameras. I saw it on sale, but this spurred me into action.

One thing remains... If he was sleeping in the dog's bed, what the heck did Fido opt to do?

 

[Norwestr55]

The creep is lucky he ran into you dude, and not Walter Sobchak.
Great post and super info on how to be ready (always) and how to react. Sorry you had to experience it.
I am going to Costco tomorrow for the cameras. I saw it on sale, but this spurred me into action.
One thing remains... If he was sleeping in the dog's bed, what the heck did Fido opt to do?

She has another bed in the bedroom. So she sleeps on.... Mine.
Noticed that tonight is the 1st night in 3-5 nights that she hasn't been running outside barking at "cats or possums".
The officer thought the same as I did that he had "groomed" her to accept him. Said it was common operating procedure.
That really ticks me off, having my first line of defense taken out.