If An Intruder Entered Your Home What Would You Do?

[Khan]

And what if after you turned the lights on you discover it's little 10 year old Johnny from next door lying on your floor?

Why is a 10 year old breaking into a neighbor's house?

 

[aaronc879]

And what if after you turned the lights on you discover it's little 10 year old Johnny from next door lying on your floor?

How did he get through the always locked windows and the double deadbolted front door that I never ever forget to lock anytime of the day or night?

 

[Razor]

Why is a 10 year old breaking into a neighbor's house?

Kids do the strangest things.

 

[Razor]

How did he get through the always locked windows and the double deadbolted front door that I never ever forget to lock anytime of the day or night?

Forgot to lock one of the windows and he crawled in.

 

[free4now]

Why is a 10 year old breaking into a neighbor's house?

He was in trouble so he sought out the safest guy he knows on the block... the guy who cares enough to carry a gun.

 

[Razor]

In a nearby city an old timer shot and killed an intruder in his home. It did turn out to be the neighbor kid that mowed his grass. He was pretty broken up about it.
Just be sure of your target before taking it out.

 

[lets-retire]

And what if after you turned the lights on you discover it's little 10 year old Johnny from next door lying on your floor?

Simple, like others my house is alsways locked tight. Ringing the doorbell will get me there just as quickly and a lot safer than breaking through one of my windows. My alarm system shows when something is not properly secured.

 

[aaronc879]

Forgot to lock one of the windows and he crawled in.

My windows are always locked. I live in Wisconsin were there are maybe a dozen days per year where it's nice enough to open the window without being too cold or too hot and humid so I never open them. Also, those few nice days usually come with either bugs or pollen(or other allergins).
Bottom line, there's no way to get into my condo uninvited without malice intent and it will be treated as such.

 

[Marquette]

And what if after you turned the lights on you discover it's little 10 year old Johnny from next door lying on your floor?

I just wanted to point out, I don't have a gun but, based on my dog's reaction to some of the seedier kids around here, little Johnny wouldn't fare well. Remember, guns don't kill people, but hungry dogs do.

 

[dex]

Why is a 10 year old breaking into a neighbor's house?

a loaded kid is more dangerous than a loaded gun.

 

[RunningBum]

There was a case in NC years ago. A guy was staying home with his sick kid, and heard noises in his garage. Some kids playing hooky from school had broken in. They took off running when he came outside. He shot one kid in the back, killed him.

They took the guy to court and he got a hung jury. The DA didn't try him again. I don't think he really wanted to in the first place.

 

[Goonie]

And what if after you turned the lights on you discover it's little 10 year old Johnny from next door lying on your floor?

Khan and aaron read my mind, and answered accordingly......

Why is a 10 year old breaking into a neighbor's house?

How did he get through the always locked windows and the double deadbolted front door that I never ever forget to lock anytime of the day or night?

......those were my exact thoughts!

He was in trouble so he sought out the safest guy he knows on the block... the guy who cares enough to carry a gun.

Well, since little Johnnie knows me, he already knows (and has been warned repeatedly by his parents and the other neighbors) that I'm a somewhat crazy son of a [-]b*tch[/-] gun......who has a gun, and has been seen shooting poor defenseless little critters out of nearby trees. And I generally like most critters better than I like most people!

 

[Notmuchlonger]

What if what if what if...

 

[Achiever51]

I always thought that I'd know what I'd do if faced with imminent danger, but when I actually did come face to face with it, my reaction was so completely out of character for me that I'm stunned by it even now.

In my case, it wasn't a home invasion, but rather an armed robbery on a city sidewalk when I was still a teen. I was walking home from the bus stop after work -- still daylight -- and was approached by three young females. Two of them had their hands in their pockets, but I did see that one had a knife (I learned later that the other had a loaded pistol in her coat.) The three of them stopped me on the sidewalk and the unarmed one first asked me for money. I said I had none -- I think I had like $3 on me -- and tried to walk around them. The unarmed one then grabbed for my purse.

Now, IF I had ever thought about this beforehand, I would have said that I would never fight someone over my personal belongings. I was positive that I would have handed over my purse, thinking that nothing I own is worth fighting over.

I was wrong.

In my other hand I had a long umbrella, which I was holding in the middle rather than by the handle. As soon as she touched my purse, I became a crazy, screaming lunatic! Really. I don't know what came over me, but I started swinging that umbrella as if I were Babe Ruth looking to hit #60 -- and I was consciously aware that I was trying to do some serious hurt to that person, all the while I was screaming obsenities that I didn't even know I knew! I hit her so hard across the shoulder that I broke the umbrella in half, and then kept swinging the broken umbrella like it was a pair of numchuks. And at that moment, I knew that if I had a gun, I would have tried to kill them.

The injured girl dropped to her knees (she suffered a serious concussion, a broken nose and broken collarbone as I recall), and I turned and ran into the street -- screaming blood murder at the top of my lungs. One of the other girls took off after me, but I didn't know it until later when I realized that she actually tore the belt off my coat. In the meantime, my screams alerted someone to call the police and two cars arrived very quickly.

The officers in the first car pursued the girls and caught all of them. The officers in the second car took me to the station to take my report. I was still carrying the umbrella and I'll never forget the officer marveling at the strength it must have took for me to break the thing in half. Only later, when I learned that the girl with the gun had a lengthy criminal record, did I start to shake. I could not believe that I tried -- I really tried -- to kill them.

I had to go to court for their trials and there I learned that they were suspected of robbing dozens of elderly people over the past couple of years, but none of the older folks either wanted to press charges or could provide a good description of them. All three ended up in prison.

DH and I do not keep guns in our house, and in fact, when our daughter was younger, I was known as the mom who called DD's friends' parents to make sure that no unsecured weapons were in their houses before I'd let my daughter go to their houses.

What would I do if an intruder entered my house? I honestly dunno...with two loud dogs who bark at any noise I hope I never find out. But we do keep a baseball bat under the bed.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

I have never owned a gun, or even been in a fight. However, I always thought if I caught someone
taking my stuff I would react strongly (I'm a fairly big guy - 6'2", heavy build).

My one encounter with theft was at the airport (LAX). I was about to pack up my bike for a flight
to SFX, then ride home. I leaned the bike against the wall, then turned around to unload some
more stuff. When I turned back a guy was about 10' away riding my bike off (slow acceleration
due to being in high gear). I ran over to him, grab the bike in 1 hand, his collar in the other, flung
him about 10', then started inspecting my bike for damage. All I could think of was not ruining
my ride. It never crossed my mind to call the cops or punish him further until later.

 

[Razor]

What if what if what if...

"What if" is what this thread is all about.

 

[Bimmerbill]

I have the means and the training to defend my family and myself. I believe that nothing I own is worth killing anyone over (hey, I have good insurance), but I will fight to the death to protect my family.

NH is a castle doctrine state. I'm not legally obligated to run out of my own home if it's invaded. But I guess I would do that if I could get my wife and daughter out safely.

 

[Texarkandy]

I have the means and the training to defend my family and myself. I believe that nothing I own is worth killing anyone over (hey, I have good insurance), but I will fight to the death to protect my family.

NH is a castle doctrine state. I'm not legally obligated to run out of my own home if it's invaded. But I guess I would do that if I could get my wife and daughter out safely.

I would have no qualms, reservations, or regrets whatsoever about shooting an intruder who broke into my home at night regardless of what purpose they had in mind

(& I wouldn't spend more than a second trying to divine what purpose they might have in their mind)

 

[growing_older]

I think there's a big difference between seeing an intruder actually break in and finding someone unexpectedly inside your house. There's a big difference between the kinds of threats they represent and the likelihood of some kind of misunderstanding.

 

[mathjak107]

self defence laws vary not only from state to state but county to county. for most of us the laws are so complex and full of every situation is different that no one can really tell you much. best advice i can give you is if your lifes not in danger dont shoot and as much as i hate to say it find away to avoid the conflict. even if your found not guilty in a self defence shooting your looking at 50 grand in legal fees. we havent even got to the civil suit yet.

 

[Texarkandy]

..... best advice i can give you is if your lifes not in danger dont shoot ......

I am assuming we are talking about a dead-of-night intrusion in this thread - If you intrude into my home at night, I'm certainly no going to spend a lot of time trying to divine what might be in your mind so I can evaluate whether my life is in danger or not.

 

[Martha]

I. . . As soon as she touched my purse, I became a crazy, screaming lunatic! Really. I don't know what came over me, but I started swinging that umbrella as if I were Babe Ruth looking to hit #60 -- and I was consciously aware that I was trying to do some serious hurt to that person, all the while I was screaming obsenities that I didn't even know I knew! I hit her so hard across the shoulder that I broke the umbrella in half, and then kept swinging the broken umbrella like it was a pair of numchuks. . . .

What a story and what a lesson in how we can act in unexpected ways.

I love this board. Only on the internet can you sit down and have the benefit of the experiences of such a wide variety of people.