I'm not going to sleep tonight - Just confronted a burglar - UPDATE!

[stripedelete]

 

First, I built a one bedroom apartment in my shop in Atlanta I stay there about 1/2 year.  Why pay rent for two places and besides I like the commute.  My shop is down an embankment, about 100 yards from the road, and about as isolated as you can be in metro Atlanta.

So, I'm laying on the couch checking out Vick79's 70 R/T Charger and I think I hear someone jiggling the office door and twisting the lever.  I've heard bumps-in-the-night before but this one was different.  So I grabbed my shotgun and slipped on some flip flops to see what's up.

When I came around the corner one them was really going at the door and saying something to someone else.  He decided to start on the window.  At the same time I was moving toward him (btw, I was inside - office lights on).  He stopped and cupped his hands on the window.  When he looked left I was about 4 feet away from him with the gun pointed a his head.  At that moment I gave the gun a sturdy rack and instructed him to leave the premises.  His hands went up in the air.  "Oh no, oh no, Please don't shoot. Please don't shoot".  While continuing to punctuate my communications with the f-bomb,  I told him that I was calling 911.  

He said, "it's me Rob" and motioned me out. Then he said he had been mugged.  I never saw the guy before and the second guy was out of view.  I grabbed the handset on the phone and he took that opportunity to exit "stage-right".  

I didnt' tell 911 about the gun part, but,  I told the cop.  He said, "good for you I'm all about the second amendment".  

I have to say, the adrenaline goes "wack" in a situation like that.  Interestingly enough, I found myself in more of a rage than scared.  I was very much on the verge of becoming the aggressor.  Anyone else experience anything like that?

I thought I'd tell you guys about it.  My wife would just worry.

Needless to say, I hope there's some thing good on TV tonight.  

 

[Fred]

First off, glad to hear you're alright and that nothing came of it.  Be careful though, they may yet come back (a little more prepared than this first time).
I believe becoming the aggressor would be the normal process of a clear thinking mind. It's how you get through a tricky situation. I think in the same circumstances, I would feel rage too. After all breaking into your property for whatever reason would put you on the offensive and your state of mind when confronted with that kind of violation would make you extremely angry, scared doesn't come into the equation. At least not until much later, after you've had time to reflect.

[stripedelete]

First off, glad to hear you're alright and that nothing came of it.  Be careful though, they may yet come back (a little more prepared than this first time).
I believe becoming the aggressor would be the normal process of a clear thinking mind. It's how you get through a tricky situation. I think in the same circumstances, I would feel rage too. After all breaking into your property for whatever reason would put you on the offensive and your state of mind when confronted with that kind of violation would make you extremely angry, scared doesn't come into the equation. At least not until much later, after you've had time to reflect.

I hear you, although still suprised.   I guess it's like that Viagra commercial, at certain age things don't rattle you.

A truck driver just came in, so "I went out on recon".  I checked out the perps field of vision at the window.  I think I was one big suprise to his world.  

[polywideblock]

 glad your alright,have you thought about a dog ?even a small one would bark and let you know someone was snooping around.also let them know you know their around

[Alaskan_TA]

Strangers in the night intent on theft do not like surprises or clack-clack noises, especially when served cold at the same moment.  

Been there, done that & they never came back. I called 911 to report it & the State Troopers did not even ask to see the gun.

[JB400]

Glad to hear things went in your favor   You better check things out in the morning and maybe take pix.  You might also think about putting bars on your back doors and windows to act as a deterrent next time.  Thieves won't try breaking in when they're visible from the street.  A motion activated light causes some attention as well.  I don't take kind to people stealing other peoples' stuff.

[stripedelete]

glad your alright,have you thought about a dog ?even a small one would bark and let you know someone was snooping around.also let them know you know their around

Love to have a dog but it's not practical.   After June I sleep in Ohio 5 nights a week until December.  I mostly fly back and forth. 

[bull]

Be careful though, they may yet come back (a little more prepared than this first time).

I seriously doubt that. Crooks don't like resistance, they like easy targets where there's little chance of getting a hole blown in their bodies.

Good for you standing your ground, striped. It took a lot of courage. Fear often manifests itself through anger, especially when a threat of bodily harm exists so your reaction was very natural. The guy's lucky he survived the night thanks to your cool head. I hope they both are found and prosecuted.

[Fred]

Be careful though, they may yet come back (a little more prepared than this first time).

I seriously doubt that. Crooks don't like resistance, they like easy targets where there's little chance of getting a hole blown in their bodies.

Just being careful. You'd be surprised what people will do out of spite or to get even.   

[stripedelete]

My safety concern has always been a surprised burglar as opposed to someone coming in to harm me.   Surprised burglars can get real stupid.

When I built the apartment I wired a three-way "panic" light.  The idea was I could flip a switch and light up the entire perimeter of the building.  I had also figured out how to bar the windows on the cheap.  But I guess I got complacent and didn't follow through.  I better get back at it.

Also, motion activated cameras are pretty cheap these days.  (Another thing I will be getting on when we slow down.)

[stripedelete]

Be careful though, they may yet come back (a little more prepared than this first time).

I seriously doubt that. Crooks don't like resistance, they like easy targets where there's little chance of getting a hole blown in their bodies.

Good for you standing your ground, striped. It took a lot of courage. Fear often manifests itself through anger, especially when a threat of bodily harm exists so your reaction was very natural. The guy's lucky he survived the night thanks to your cool head. I hope they both are found and prosecuted.

Thanks.  When they were gone I checked the safery and it was off.  I had instictively hit it, like when you jump a rabbit.  The take-away here is for the next concealed carry debate/conversation.  I think I can say with certainty, "yes I am prepared to use it". 

[my73charger]

Good for you!    I bet that guy was next seen in the underwear isle at Wal-mart!  Cleanup on isle 5!   

[moparsr2fast]

That's a very rough situation to be in. Maybe if you could have gotten him to drop to the floor ( without shooting him),  and had a suspect for the cops to interogate when they got there. At least it didn't escalate into something far worse.

[skip68]

Wow!   That's a good thing you have a scatter gun.    "4 feet away from him"    man, that's tooooo close for my comfort level.     I bet you kept hearing noises the rest of the night.    Good thing you happened to be awake.     

[Cooter]

Good on 'ya Stripe. Been there once, and only once. Cought some douche trying to break into my old Subaru. I had a Wally world stereo and didn't care bout that, it was the tools in the back I cared for.

I step out on the porch with my trusty Desert Eagle and confront him. Dude was a little more scared than I was, but Like you said, it does become a pisser once you figure you have the threat neutralized. I felt the same way. Couldn't believe he would try it after all the shots fired in the bottom target practicing. "Everybody knows I got weapons, WTF even try it" was my second question while waiting on the cops. Crackheads will steal the soda out of a biscuit without breaking the crust.

[stripedelete]

That's a very rough situation to be in. Maybe if you could have gotten him to drop to the floor ( without shooting him),  and had a suspect for the cops to interogate when they got there. At least it didn't escalate into something far worse.

That would have been satisfying, but, he was talking when I came around the corner, so there may very well have been two.     And I'm no Sgt. York.

[Tilar]

I think I can say with certainty, "yes I am prepared to use it". 

I think we (or most people) reach a certain point in our life that we become a little less worried about what others think or feel when it comes to our own safety. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want to end anyones life.... but I can assure you that if me or my family were threatened by an aggressor, I'd have no issues with unloading on them.

[cdr]

         i like guns      glad you are ok

[Budnicks]

Good to see your OK, nothing stolen & just some sleep disturbed, It's always good to be well prepared for the worst & hope for the best... When I lived in San Jose in the late 1980's, my dog Alfred was going nuts, I went to the window to look & I had a perp/dirtbag trying to steal the radio out of my construction company truck, I caught him in the act... {I worked for & built an Indoor Pistol range in Milpitas area Target Masters & was well versed in weaponry, grew up around guns, I was the range-master & senior instructor at night, for fun mostly... I own a few guns/weapons & know how to use them...} Anyway I walked up on the guy, with my dog standing by & stood about 10' away, aiming at the perp/dirtbag, back far enough where I was out of his reach, if he was to try something, I saw/noticed a knife on his belt & he had a big flat-blade screwdriver in his hand, trying to pry the face off the radio, to steel it... I calmly in my deep voice, said "I have a .45 pointed at your F---ing head, the police are coming & if you move I will f---ing shot you", surprisingly I was remaining really calm, after the initial contact, maybe it's the training or adrenalin possibly or my size advantage, he was a little guy, like 5'8" 150-lbs, I'm 6'2" 250-lbs {or was anyway} & had a firepower advantage, surprise that I had over the guy, the San Jose Police showed up in about 5 minutes or so, seemed like much longer... Ultimately they cuffed him, hauled him off... {one of the Police Officers was a guy I knew pretty well, "Lt. Leroy Pyle" a great competition shooter & Target Masters member, that I had qualified, among others, for his regular quarterly police/other law enforcement shooting qualifications, competes regularly in PPC contests, they used our range for at times}, anyway he/LeRoy frisked the perp/dirtbag guy & found a small loaded & one in the chamber, a POS .25 caliber pistol, in his front pocket, a knife on his side, that I could see, but my dog {Staffordshire Terrier} Alfred was going absolutely nuts, while I was holding the guy at gun point, waiting for the police dept., Alfred/he kept nipping at him & biting him all over, repeatedly, I didn't stop him either, I was actually enjoying it & that was his job, he was doing very well, the guy hardly even moved, only made a few whimpering sounds, until the cops cuffed him & he started crying... Then started yelling at me & my dog, saying I or my dog was going to kill the guy....Damn my adrenalin was going thru the roof after the cops left... I did have to testify against him at his short trial, he plead guilty, to the charges on my property, but not guilty for others & went away for something like the 4th time to prison, they added quite a few extra years for armed robbery & vandalism... I had been ripped off before, the police said "he was a regular in the area, it might have even been him", that stole tools from my truck over a years time or so, he confessed to a bunch of crimes while in custody, he couldn't remember if my vehicles/property were involved or not, but that was his MO, it was to return to properties he had stolen from before, I installed security lights after that... It never hurts to be well prepared, you never know what someone else will do or have... IMHFO Gun Control is being able to hit what your aiming at !!, not what the leftist media is trying to make of it lately, be proactive, be safe....  

[bakerhillpins]

 

Glad to hear that you are OK and that it didn't get out of hand. I must say that I don't really ever want to find myself in that type of a situation.

[charge69]

Glad you and your family are alright! I am happy you ended up not having to shoot him or others that might have been with him but, I am damn glad you had a gun there and were not afraid to use it to protect your property and self. As was said in a thread before this one, there is no telling what a "surprised" burglar might do if he was caught already in the house or building and you were not armed.

Too bad these punks weren't caught by the police also. Stay safe and stay armed. It is your RIGHT to protect yourself from harm. Never count on the police to get there in time to save you or a loved one. The police' job is to clean up the mess and catch the bad guy after a crime has been committed ! They have no responsibility to "protect" you, as an individual, from harm. This is affirmed by numerous court cases all the way to the Supreme Court.

Again, glad things worked out in your favor. Sleeping will be a little harder for a while.

RE: Budnicks Post: Good story and I am also glad it worked out for you too!  Bet that bad guy was hoping the police would get there ASAP to "save" him from either your dog or you with that .45 pointed at him!

[Budnicks]

Glad you and your family are alright! I am happy you ended up not having to shoot him or others that might have been with him but, I am damn glad you had a gun there and were not afraid to use it to protect your property and self. As was said in a thread before this one, there is no telling what a "surprised" burglar might do if he was caught already in the house or building and you were not armed.

Too bad these punks weren't caught by the police also. Stay safe and stay armed. It is your RIGHT to protect yourself from harm. Never count on the police to get there in time to save you or a loved one. The police' job is to clean up the mess and catch the bad guy after a crime has been committed ! They have no responsibility to "protect" you, as an individual, from harm. This is affirmed by numerous court cases all the way to the Supreme Court.

Again, glad things worked out in your favor. Sleeping will be a little harder for a while.

RE: Budnicks Post: Good story and I am also glad it worked out for you too!  Bet that bad guy was hoping the police would get there ASAP to "save" him from either your dog or you with that .45 pointed at him!

Thanks... Yeah he was pretty glad/happy to get in the Police car... I'm extremely glad, I didn't have to do anything, I was lucky really, but I was also prepared, I'm also glad also that I didn't have to do anything, that I would have had to live with for the rest of my life, but I also had to protect what's mine, fortunately it all worked out for the best, my Dog Alfred had some fun, real world training & the San Jose police got a perp/dirtbag off the streets & behind bars where he belonged....

[Mike DC]

   
Glad you're okay.  Glad you played it cool too.   


4 feet is pretty close for comfort.  A guy can grovel in fear one instant and whip out his own weapon the next.  And a second guy who isn't in sight is a hell of a dangerous unknown variable.

[Highbanked Hauler]

Glad to hear that you are OK and that it didn't get out of hand. I must say that I don't really ever want to find myself in that type of a situation.

   Same here, I'd rather not have to plug someone

[Indygenerallee]

Geeze!! Glad to hear your ok! too close for comfort, but I am glad you had the boomstick!!! I bet he shat his pants a bit!!