Home invasion or intruder scenario: whats your plan?

[The B]

OK, reading a few more replies here, I think that a lot of people are ignoring the "Castle Laws" here in Oregon. Everything has an exception, but in general, in Oregon, the law likes to side with the resident with in reason.
Not offering legal advice here at all, just saying.

you apparently didn't read the whole thing, though.

 

[pdx lefty]

you apparently didn't read the whole thing, though.

+1

 

[VW_Factor]

If someone got through my gate, or hopped the fence and barbed wire and got through beam perimeter system, they must really have something on their mind about being on the property.

What is the plan? We'd know they were here to begin with, not sure they'd reach the doors or windows without either my wife or I presenting them with the "What are you doing here" line, etc..

 

[Quick_Draw_McGraw]

my wife and i stay in our bedroom (back of the 1 story house). i grab my 1911, she gets the mossberg 500 and the phone. if my niece is there i cross the hallway with my wife watching it, get my niece and get her back to my room and wait for the police to arrive.

i dont have a vest or any other body armor so i don't clear the house, i wait for the police to do that for us. i also stay put and have our description so when the police are there they know we are the home owners. then we go out the window with the police there while they clear the house. i know the local PD and they also know this is our plan so they know were to go to check on us.

 

[clearconscience]

Kill Everything.

 

[The B]

Kill Everything.

hooah.

 

[KRISSTDI]

you're thinking very narrowly. it doesn't always happen that way. what if you hear a weird noise in the night, go investigate, and find some teenage kid holding your TV? his hands are full.. at that moment, is he a deadly threat? how quickly can he become one? can you react to whatever he does quick enough that shooting him is NOT the only options? what if you come home one night and somebody is passed out on your couch? what if you left your door unlocked, and some guy stumbles through and walks into your living room with empty hands? do you wait to see if he's some drunk who mistook your door for his, or do you pump him full of 147gr GDs?

the law will NOT protect you if you shoot a drunk who breaks into your house. the elements of all Burglary charges under the ORS require intent- a drunk has no intent. and if he's not committing Burglary, under the ORS, you are NOT allowed to shoot him.

not implying answers to any of this, just putting it up for consideration.

In California the law has protected someone who shot and wounded a drunk breaking and entering. The drunk had a 5 inch blade on him. So yes in some states it will.

Secondly, your statement about a person with a TV in his hands is considered a viable threat. Is it a deadly threat? That all depends. It could be, absoluetly.

One more thing, a teen is considered an adult at the age of 18. I will call it a burglar not some kid/punk.

I am just playing both sides as it can go both ways with your post. Seen it happen.

 

[The B]

In California the law has protected someone who shot and wounded a drunk breaking and entering. The drunk had a 5 inch blade on him. So yes in some states it will.

Secondly, your statement about a person with a TV in his hands is considered a viable threat. Is it a deadly threat? That all depends. It could be, absoluetly.

One more thing, a teen is considered an adult at the age of 18. I will call it a burglar not some kid/punk.

I am just playing both sides as it can go both ways with your post. Seen it happen.

for emphasis- i'm only talking about Oregon law. i know jack about cali law, and very little about WA.

Oregon law has protected people shooting unarmed drunks breaking into their homes. since it's about the reasonable perception of the shooter, if you can convince a grand jury that you believed the individual was either intending to burglarize your home or was otherwise a serious/deadly threat, you'll be fine. my point was that there are exceptions even to "castle doctrine," and personal blanket policies like "shoot any mother bubblegumer that comes into my home" is very unwise. from a tactical standpoint, an ethical standpoint, and a legal standpoint.

as to who is considered an adult and who isn't- who cares? i'm not any more likely to shoot somebody because of their age. if a 12 year old is actually threatening my life, i will kill him. if a 20 year old busts into my home, and the situation is such that i can, somehow, readily establish that he's not trying to burglarize or do me or mine harm, i will NOT shoot.

 

[HollisOR]

Training, knowing the law, being flexible, 'cause if it does go down, it will probably not be as you expect it. Hopefully it never happens. But like air bags, better to have them and never need them, then to need them and not have them.

 

[just dan]

part of my plan: a good dog.

i've got the wife and two small kids... and a teenager. the teenager is getting to the age where she could possibly be sneaking in/out at any given hour (though it doesn't suit her personality, ya never know). anything i hear, my first thought is "is it her or one of the kids?"

granted, if she's coming in there wouldn't be anything like glass breaking or doors being kicked open... it'd be doors being slammed, crying and/or laughing, and complaining. easy to tell which is which, there.

so, for an actual plan: listen to what's going on. rely to some extent on my dog, who is awfully protective over the kids and an excellent watch dog. sweetheart with a baby and i've seen her put a 200lb man on his rear with ease. dog goes downstairs aggressively, i follow with pistol holstered and awareness of what is going on. even holstered, if someone comes in my house in the dark... i am at an advantage. i know the layout. (and i know there's a million kid's toys all over the floor )

i do not rely on the wife to call 911. i've been in that situation in the not to distant past, and she basically just sat there. i said "someone is trying to break into our car. you call 911, i am going out there to change their mind"
a few moments later i'm chasing off a dude on his bicycle who comes back yelling. dude was pissed and seemingly expected me to back down. when the yelling started, my dog was right there. when i took a step towards the dude, so did the dog. at some point the dog decided he was a valid threat and charged. dude screamed like a girl and rode off impressively fast. dog got steak the next day. i got a "remember that time you didn't call 911 when i asked you to?" to pull out at some later point in time.

years ago, before kids... when i was single and living in a not so great part of los angeles... saw some dude that was breaking into my detached garage. grab my 12ga and head towards the back of the house where the garage is. a second dude kicked in my back door at just that moment. first shot was rock salt, second bird shot. hit the dude with both, but he jammed away. his buddy ran, too. one of the guys dropped a crow bar when fleeing.
i called 911. they arrived some time later. explained what happened.
i filed a report. police asked "do you have another firearm in the house?" fearing they would take whatever i had, i said "no." officer replied "then i'll not take this into evidence and leave you unarmed. in the future consider starting with buck shot. anything less will do nothing to protect you against anyone on meth, and that's what is getting popular." he was one stand up guy with a genuine concern for upstanding citizens. i've heard stories with quite opposite endings.





that was that.

 

[WhyteCheddar]

No matter how clean your shoot is, the potential for it to end up in the hands of a jury render the court outcome something you cannot anticipate.
The old quote that 'it is better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6' rings true. But you potentially will be judged by 12 and then you stand a high probability to go to civil court as well.
This is not meant to discourage any home defense actions, on the contrary, you are obligated to defend it and your family I believe (as I plan to do myself as well). It is just the reality of the situation.
That is why there is the slighest possibility that putting the hammer down on someone walking out of your house with your VCR and favorite snuggie might not always be a good idea.

 

[pdx lefty]

No matter how clean your shoot is, the potential for it to end up in the hands of a jury render the court outcome something you cannot anticipate.
The old quote that 'it is better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6' rings true. But you potentially will be judged by 12 and then you stand a high probability to go to civil court as well.
This is not meant to discourage any home defense actions, on the contrary, you are obligated to defend it and your family I believe (as I plan to do myself as well). It is just the reality of the situation.
That is why there is the slighest possibility that putting the hammer down on someone walking out of your house with your VCR and favorite snuggie might not always be a good idea.

Take the VCR! And the rest of my crap (firearms not included!)! It's all yours! My snuggie? You are going to die of old age before i take that off!

A Man needs to draw the line somewhere!

Lefty.

 

[Redcap]

I live in a very secluded, rural area. If, by some circumstance, a person is found here at night, I'll guarantee they are up to no good. Thus, if the dogs don't get you, I damn sure will.

 

[Grunwald]

Just a thought on your shotgun load. I've heard some self-proclaimed home security expert advise to load your own shells and use paper clips. His reason was that paper clips will still inflict massive damage on the human body, but will not penetrate dry wall, thus keeping people in other rooms safe.
I have not tested this setup, but it does sound reasonable to me.

 

[The B]

Just a thought on your shotgun load. I've heard some self-proclaimed home security expert advise to load your own shells and use paper clips. His reason was that paper clips will still inflict massive damage on the human body, but will not penetrate dry wall, thus keeping people in other rooms safe.
I have not tested this setup, but it does sound reasonable to me.

i suppose it might inflict "massive" skin damage, at close range, but not if they're wearing clothes. it'd hurt like a sonovabubblegum, i'm sure... but incapacitation? no.

if something cant penetrate drywall... which is significantly easier to penetrate than the human chest cavity... how the **** is it going to penetrate the human chest cavity?

 

[Grunwald]

i suppose it might inflict "massive" skin damage, at close range, but not if they're wearing clothes. it'd hurt like a sonovabubblegum, i'm sure... but incapacitation? no.

if something cant penetrate drywall... which is significantly easier to penetrate than the human chest cavity... how the **** is it going to penetrate the human chest cavity?

I'm thinking stomach not chest.

 

[WhyteCheddar]

Take the VCR! And the rest of my crap (firearms not included!)! It's all yours! My snuggie? You are going to die of old age before i take that off!

A Man needs to draw the line somewhere!

Lefty.

 

[Dutchy556]

Just a thought on your shotgun load. I've heard some self-proclaimed home security expert advise to load your own shells and use paper clips. His reason was that paper clips will still inflict massive damage on the human body, but will not penetrate dry wall, thus keeping people in other rooms safe.
I have not tested this setup, but it does sound reasonable to me.

You've got to be kidding...

 

[The B]

I'm thinking stomach not chest.

i don't think it's going to make any difference where.. and gut-shots don't cause incapacitation, anyway.