A knock on my door....

[Labeeman]

I spent yesterday working on one of out tractors on our farm and was pretty tired so I went to bed before 10 oclock last night. My wife was still up (it's after 10), and was keeping an eye on my 13 year old son and two of his buddies that were staying over and at the time were outside shooting basketball when I hear them run in the house, we live near Old Goodwood, telling my wife some guy is walking up our drive way (approx. 150 feet) My wife comes to the bedroom and tells me this and says he is now knocking on the door. I quickly get out of bed and walk into the kitchen and look around a corner at our front door just in case it is someone I know and immediately realize it's a complete stranger. I turn right around and run to the room and grab my pistol (SR9C) and walk to the front door. Before I do this I tell my wife and kids to stay in the kitchen just in case. The guy appears to be in his late 20's and hispanic. He was not mexican hispanic, but more like Puerto Rican. He had on jeans and a long sleave shirt with Mardi Gras beads around his neck and his ball cap turned backwards. Actually he was pretty well dressed. I asked him what he needs and he tells me in good english that he is needs help and wants to use my phone. I then tell him that I'll call who ever he wants or the police if he needs help but no he can't use my phone and he doesn't like that answer (I offered more than once to call help for him). He would never tell me why he needed help so I knew this was a BS excuse from the start and really who doesn't have a mobile phone these days. He wasn't hurt as far as I could tell and now starts to yell at me throught the door the same crap he was telling me for the last minute or two , so I finally have enough and tell him to leave. I've had my gun in my hand the whole time by my side and I know he saw it, which I wanted him too, but I never did point it at him or go John Wayne with it. Well I also tell my wife to call the police because it looks like this upstanding citizen is not going to leave. Well when he hears me tell this to my wife he mouths off a few more choice words and turns around and leaves, looking back the whole time he is walking away. I spoke to the police, but he was gone by now and I told him which way he was headed. This scared the heck out of my wife and kids and it took me a while to go back to sleep again and I was up and down all night checking on my kids and house. Looking back, and I guess the reason for my post is I want to hear from the BS community how they would have handled this. I have no formal traing for suituations like this and I just want some useful tips to make my family safer if this happens again. This incident has brought home the fact that every man has the God given right to protect himself and I am greatful for the right to keep and bear arms, because without the presence of the gun I think it would had escalated more than it did. He may have just been looking to call someone for a ride home because I know he didn't live around here, but holy sheet you can't take a chance when the loved ones are involved.

 

[Scott.Thornton]

Other than not having your SR9C in the first place, and having your wife sitting there over the kids with a semi auto 20ga I have nothing. Glad yall are good to go man, and glad you kept a good level head. I'm sure if he would have gotten in the house bad **** would have gone down.

 

[LACamper]

You did the right thing. Friday there was a home invasion in a decent neighborhood in Metairie by 5 people (I need to put up a thread about that one...). It could have just as easily been you.
No mention in your post of a good alarm or a dog... just an observation. They both play a part in your home defense.

 

[tonen123]

kudos to you man. I would say you did the right thing.

 

[Lurker]

When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

 

[Cajun Camper]

You should have had your wife call 911 immediately, don't wait for the situation to escalate. If you don't have a security system get one. Hit the panic button & everyone & his brother is notified. Don't have a dog, get one, a big one.

 

[AustinBR]

You should have had your wife call 911 immediately, don't wait for the situation to escalate. If you don't have a security system get one. Hit the panic button & everyone & his brother is notified. Don't have a dog, get one, a big one.

Couldn't say it better myself. We have two hundred pound German Shepherds and whenever people come to the door for whatever reason, the dogs alone make them go away.

 

[Hitman]

You should have had your wife call 911 immediately, don't wait for the situation to escalate. If you don't have a security system get one. Hit the panic button & everyone & his brother is notified. Don't have a dog, get one, a big one.

911 just for someone walking up to your front door at night?

 

[Jack]

911 just for someone walking up to your front door at night?

Same thing I thought. Way overboard.

I asked him what he needs and he tells me in good english that he is needs help and wants to use my phone. I then tell him that I'll call who ever he wants or the police if he needs help but no he can't use my phone and he doesn't like that answer (I offered more than once to call help for him). He would never tell me why he needed help so I knew this was a BS excuse from the start and really who doesn't have a mobile phone these days.

This is the best thing that you did by far. You offered him a solution to his problem, one he didn't want to take, thus giving you a strong indication his problem was ********. Good job, especially on this part. Some people would've handled this too harshly and told him to **** off, which would've escalated the situation weather he had good intentions or not.

 

[Labeeman]

I've got the dog thing covered. I have 2 cur dogs that are great watch dogs but they are in the yard. I did want to see what was up before calling 911. As soon as I knew he wasn't telling the truth I got my wife to call 911. There is always a possibility that he did need help but that was soon dismissed. Thanks for all the hep and ideas. Looking back I wish I would have told my wife to get her revolver for a backup.

 

[JWG223]

I always answer my door with my 357SIG in hand. That hand stays behind the door, and if hte door is forced open/rushed, I plan to fall back and use it. If a weapon is presented toward me from outside, well, 357SIG bonded ammo chews through thin metal, and I plan on dumping the magazine into them through my door. That is part of why I own it. It cuts metal like a can opener, and does far more on car-doors than 9mm ,.40, or .45, in my own unscientific testing.


Never let anyone you do not know into your home. They may leave you in peace and be the model of polite thankfulness, but don't think they weren't just casing your place for electronics, etc. to jack next weekend. Good on you!

 

[Cat]

You should have had your wife call 911 immediately, don't wait for the situation to escalate. If you don't have a security system get one. Hit the panic button & everyone & his brother is notified. Don't have a dog, get one, a big one.

A lot of great information in this thread except... This


Get a big dog.

Why? So it will bark? Do you know how many large breeds are couch potatoes? What if they aren't home all the time, their lifestyle doesn't permit a dog, they can't afford the proper care for a dog. Big dogs eat. What if there are very very young children in the home. No experience with an oversized exuberant puppy and you have a learning to walk baby? That's ok! Get it anyway.

Dogs are great. But it's thoughtless advice.


I'm transporting a boxer this weekend because it was kicked out of its home wandering uselessly in the streets. I've seen two GSDs kicked out of their home because they're too big and people were too discouraged during the puppy stage. Pisses me off

/soapbox

 

[DiggerP]

Labeeman,

Just an idea we've implemented at our house... wireless doorbell intercom system. For us it was a dual purpose: (1) every college kid that ever needed to sell just one more magazine subscription to win his trip to Hawaii seems to come to my door when I'm changing clothes and (2) my wife doesn't have to get near the door to communicate.

The systems are relatively inexpensive (less than the cost of 100 rounds of .223 these days) and they work great. We added two more "bases" for other locations in the house (about $40 a piece) so that we can answer the door from multiple rooms and I can move from room to room if needed.

In your situation you could dial the phone number for him and let him speak through the intercom (if he was a "good guy"), you can move to another room to retrieve equipment while not giving away your location if he's a BG. And, if anything escalated, you can put him right on the speaker phone with 911 LOL! I never had to use the latter idea, but I've thought about the possibility. You might even accidentally keep the intercom button depressed as you cock your 12 ga. (that's not brandishing is it?).

Just tossing out an idea that serves us for both security and convenience. Camberlain makes a decent little system and I think you can get them at Home Depot.

 

[Hitman]

I've got the dog thing covered. I have 2 cur dogs that are great watch dogs but they are in the yard. I did want to see what was up before calling 911. As soon as I knew he wasn't telling the truth I got my wife to call 911. There is always a possibility that he did need help but that was soon dismissed. Thanks for all the hep and ideas. Looking back I wish I would have told my wife to get her revolver for a backup.

I think you did great. The reality of the situation is that sometimes people do need help in the middle of the night. The good thing is that those that do REALLY need help will take it ANY WAY THEY CAN GET IT. No bullshitting around with weird comments and request.

 

[Jack]

Labeeman,

Just an idea we've implemented at our house... wireless doorbell intercom system. For us it was a dual purpose: (1) every college kid that ever needed to sell just one more magazine subscription to win his trip to Hawaii seems to come to my door when I'm changing clothes and (2) my wife doesn't have to get near the door to communicate.

The systems are relatively inexpensive (less than the cost of 100 rounds of .223 these days) and they work great. We added two more "bases" for other locations in the house (about $40 a piece) so that we can answer the door from multiple rooms and I can move from room to room if needed.

In your situation you could dial the phone number for him and let him speak through the intercom (if he was a "good guy"), you can move to another room to retrieve equipment while not giving away your location if he's a BG. And, if anything escalated, you can put him right on the speaker phone with 911 LOL! I never had to use the latter idea, but I've thought about the possibility. You might even accidentally keep the intercom button depressed as you cock your 12 ga. (that's not brandishing is it?).

Just tossing out an idea that serves us for both security and convenience. Camberlain makes a decent little system and I think you can get them at Home Depot.

Personally, I'm a fan of Aiphone products. Good bit more expensive, but I've seen units that are over a decade old and still running strong.

 

[Cleburne]

I think you did great. The reality of the situation is that sometimes people do need help in the middle of the night. The good thing is that those that do REALLY need help will take it ANY WAY THEY CAN GET IT. No bullshitting around with weird comments and request.

+1

I've had my car break down in the past and had to ask someone to let me use their home phone. Like you, they offered, and did, make the call for me from behind their closed door. I was very grateful for their help.

I think you handled the situation perfectly. And it's good that the kids had enough smarts to get themselves inside before the stranger got too close. Kudos to you all.

 

[sylvest]

I just refuse to answer the door when I don't know the person. They dont have anything I want, I dont want their problems.

 

[JLouv]

I just refuse to answer the door when I don't know the person. They dont have anything I want, I dont want their problems.

My policy as well. The only people im not expecting that I answer the door for are always dressed in ups or FedEx uniforms & my dogs let me know about them as soon as the truck enters the neighborhood.

 

[LACamper]

My wife won't answer the door, or even acknowledge the knock, if I'm not home.
I'm not convinced that's a good plan since they now think the home is unoccupied.

Cat, I get what you're saying. I have a 5 yr old couch potato lab. When someone knocks on my door she races me to the door barking ferociously in her best attempt to pretend to be a high end attack dog (fortunately, the bad guys can't see the 'oh boy, someone's here to play with me!' look!). People outside the door don't know and that's worth something. Many people are afraid of big dogs.
There's another issue though. . They smell fear for a lack of a more scientific term. Dogs just know if someone is untrustworthy. I've seen it several times in my own dogs over they years. I've had seemingly innocent people come to the door (selling magazines, etc.) and the dog's hair is up from stem to stern for no reason.
We've all opened a door when we later realized we shouldn't have. That bit of warning from the dog is important to me. Giving the potential burglar another complication (an 80 pound dog in addition to the home owner) might be enough to pick another family to bother.

Any family that would neglect or release a pet, well... that's another issue.

 

[Gator 45/70]

+1, Pretty much the same here...We trained the Lab to hit the door when someone knock's or ring's the bell...
She many or may not lay the fang's to someone fighting with me, However someone fighting with the wife will be fanged and fanged hard by her..!!!

My wife won't answer the door, or even acknowledge the knock, if I'm not home.
I'm not convinced that's a good plan since they now think the home is unoccupied.

Cat, I get what you're saying. I have a 5 yr old couch potato lab. When someone knocks on my door she races me to the door barking ferociously in her best attempt to pretend to be a high end attack dog (fortunately, the bad guys can't see the 'oh boy, someone's here to play with me!' look!). People outside the door don't know and that's worth something. Many people are afraid of big dogs.
There's another issue though. . They smell fear for a lack of a more scientific term. Dogs just know if someone is untrustworthy. I've seen it several times in my own dogs over they years. I've had seemingly innocent people come to the door (selling magazines, etc.) and the dog's hair is up from stem to stern for no reason.
We've all opened a door when we later realized we shouldn't have. That bit of warning from the dog is important to me. Giving the potential burglar another complication (an 80 pound dog in addition to the home owner) might be enough to pick another family to bother.

Any family that would neglect or release a pet, well... that's another issue.