Level of threat, level of response? (little long)

[six9]

I've been watching my girlfriends house while she is away from school for break. Mostly I feed the cat and get the mail.

Yesterday, I got there a little later in the evening than expected. There was a light on that I hadn't left on from my previous visit and the screen door wasn't latched, which I know I had checked.

I have my concealed and I retrieved the Raptor I keep in the console. I approached the house looking for movement in any of the windows and trying to observe as much as possible. When I opened the door I did so off to the side with my weapon ready.

Nothing in the house looked out of place. I worked from room to room making sure nothing was wrong. When I had finished up downstairs I made my way up to the smaller upstairs. Her room looked fine and then I noticed a problem. Both her roommates door and the bathroom door was closed. The roommates door had been closed since she left for break as well, but the bathroom door was wide open every time because I had left the light on for the cat.

The light was still on and crouched to see if I could see any shadows or movement. Nothing. And then the thought hit me. If there is someone in there what am I actually going to do? If I open the door and see someone can I control my anxiety to evaluate them as a target? Are they armed? If they have a knife and not a gun do I drop them or wait to until they come at me? And at six foot nine inches tall how the hell do I move through a door and check a tub for an intruder in a way that allows me as much protection as possible?

I also wondered, if someone is in here its most likely her roommates ex boyfriend on an panty raid. If I scare him and he comes at me and I drop him is it worth it just to protect a couple thongs?

I opened the door, checked the tub, and found nothing.

Everyone who has keys is at least four hours away. I thought the plumber might have come by to check the sink, but the leaking sink is downstairs and is still leaking. I also doubt he would of come on Saturday. So far I have been unable to find out who turned on the light or closed the door. I have searched the house very thoroughly and found nothing. I've told the girlfriend nothing but have kept a much closer eye on the place. Nothing has happened out of the ordinary. I'm thinking it had to be the landlord, but I can't check that until tomorrow.

But my questions are still there. I spent some sleepless hours last night wondering what if. I'm no military trained operator (obviously), I spend my days studying Parkinson's disease as a grad student. I've been around guns since a young child and I am proficient with my weapons. I've always wanted to take some sort of training but I always get stuck in the lab being a research bitch (until I grad this May). How do you decide the level of threat? How do you decide an appropriate level of response? And how do you do it quickly enough to not be a corpse? I'd like to be alive to attend medical school next year, but I'd also like to not be in jail for stopping a panty robbery gone bad. Anyone have ideas? I'm sure there is no replacement for experience but until I can get some good training it would be good to have some rules to consider.

Thanks!
six9

 

[tigerhawk]

Re: Level of threat, level of response? (little long)

Suggestion 1: Cameras, connected to the internet, that only you have the site information for. That way, you can watch inside the rooms without opening doors yourself. If you have an iPhone, you can even get the images sent to it, so that you can have it with you.

Suggestion 2: Training, ASAP. You need it, and there is no substitute for it.

Suggestion 3: If something about the outside of the house tells you that someone might be inside who is not supposed to be there, call the police. Let them go through the house. That is what they are for.

Good luck!

 

[ArcticLight]

Re: Level of threat, level of response? (little long)

Was anything taken or anyone ever seen?

I prefer one level of response above potential bad guy - not that i"ve encountered this but I'd rather be one level above him - gives me the advantage of hopefully not having ot use it.
12 guage shot gun works well.

In many states you cannot shoot an escaping burglar - and you always hear in the news someone getting killed who "Suprised a burgler". So it's a judgement call that only you can make if/when you end up in that situation.

 

[six9]

Re: Level of threat, level of response? (little long)

Nothing has shown up missing. Nor have I seen anyone. Being as we still have a lot of snow there are a lot of tracks coming and going via the back door that are fairly new and not mine.

Cameras sound like a good idea, but I doubt the girlfriend is going to let me put some internet linked cameras in her bathroom.

 

[padronanniversary]

Re: Level of threat, level of response? (little long)

I just call in the "professionals" and let them do their job of securing the premises. Its one thing if your family is in jeopardy with a home invasion, but simple property is not worth risking ur life over. Let the cops take care of it and search the premises.

Plenty here have more training and more experience clearing rooms that the average street officer, but good for you realizing that you do not have that.

At the end of the day, its just property that can be replaced. Imagine the headache of lawyering up if you had to if something had gone down.

 

[six9]

Re: Level of threat, level of response? (little long)

I spoke to the landlord today, he had in fact been over to check out the sink mistakenly thought it was the upstairs one. The reason I had not told the girlfriend who is not due back until this weekend is that I wanted to make sure it was a real intruder before I said something. She lives perpetual fear about someone breaking into her house.

As soon as people starting saying call the cops I thought to myself "DUH!" You are right, its just stuff, only half of its her stuff anyway

I've looked at Magpul's schedule and then started looking for some other training options. In Northern Colorado whats a good option? Once May comes I should have a free schedule. My lack of training has become glaringly obvious.

What do people think about videos? I kinda feel like the best training is hands on.. This is why we teach our students neuroanatomy on real human brains, pictures just don't do the same thing. But perhaps a video could help me get started??

Thanks for the help so far guys!

 

[SPRINKLE]

Re: Level of threat, level of response? (little long)

You have to be able to convince EVERYONE including liberal Jurors, That you were in FEAR for your or someone else's life. They can have a gun, bat , knife, 2x4, pan, mace, or it may be 5 of them one of you. Did you at that time feel/believe/fear you or someone else was going to be seriously harmed or your/someones life be taken? Just because they are in your home, or have one of these things doesn't mean you can shoot them. You must believe they are going to kill or hurt you so bad it ruins your life (not just a fist fight). and you are not trying to kill them, you just want to stop their action...Did you get the ACTION part them standing there with a knife isnt hurting you. Remember you being 6'9" 2x4 and bats may not go to far in court. also I forgot instead of shooting them could you have ran? They could rack you for getting your gun out of your truck to go in. They would say why didnt you call the police were you looking to shoot someone? But if you always carry your gun in your GF house and while inside you noticed.... are you with me?

always call the police
get training, Hopefully weapon self defense and use of force
after training STILL CALL THE POLICE
most of the time you are safer with out a gun than with one.

remember if 2 guns are pulled someone isnt going home

 

[six9]

Re: Level of threat, level of response? (little long)

Convincing her to get training is coming slowly. Her fear comes from the sad fact that her sister was killed in a domestic incident. She did take the NRA handgun course and (slowly) is applying for her concealed. If only Facebook had gun training built in, my job might be easier.

Bill, Tsprink, good advice.

Quote from Lets Go To Prison, "Three scariest words in the English language, trial by jury." I also never thought about it but I'm sure some states attorney would love to point out that I'm 6'9" inches tall and weigh 255 pounds therefore I should of been able to stop their action without fearing for my life.

Tsprink, I brought the weapon because I noticed something wrong from outside the house. Could they still use that against me? Is it better to carry when possible?

 

[SPRINKLE]

Re: Level of threat, level of response? (little long)

Yes they could/would use that angle.
Mr. six9, you said you believed Mr. Bad guy was going to take your life while hiding in your girlfriends roommates room. YES. Well If you saw something was out of order when you pulled up, and you reached in to your glove box to grab your pistol and you entered the home (thinking somethings wrong enough I need a gun) wouldn't you say you wanted to kill Mr Bad guy. I bet thats why you got your c-carry and your 1911 because you deep down wanted to kill someone. If not why did you go in? Ok then why did you take your gun? Ok then why when at the RM door when you knew for sure something was wrong and at that time you could of ran and called the police. But you opened the door, and took a life. Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury we believe the state has proved that Mr six9 wanted to kill someone l .He bought a gun, got the CC,went into the home, opened the door he wanted to Kill. and now we can never know mr bad guys side.

summed up but you get the point.. its all in how you word what you say

I went to my GF house while inside I found a door shut that normally wasnt. I opened it, noticed a guy with a knife I drew my pistol he charged me, I thought I was dead, he had me cold turkey. but i got lucky and got off 2 rounds stopping his action. I in no way wanted or looked for this but I had no choice and I needed to stop his action. I am sorry this happened but thankful I am alive.

see what I mean

sorry the typings crap I am watching my kids lol

 

[Guest]

Re: Level of threat, level of response? (little long)

I got nothin'.

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[six9]

Re: Level of threat, level of response? (little long)

Gotta love Pulp Fiction.

Luckily, no one was eating her pop tarts and waiting for me with a suppressed Uzi.

Also, I hope to never, ever find myself in the basement of a pawn shop with the gimp and a neo-Nazi rapist.

 

[cavscout1983]

Re: Level of threat, level of response? (little long)

ok so... possible crime scene, possible hostile person(s) inside, no immediate threat to life as all residents are gone.

You made the decision to put yourself in harms way, possibly entering a legal gray area if you did fire your weapon, and you have just walked all over and touched things in a potential crime scene.

Get training for the oh shit situations, add a flashlight to your arsenal and include that in your training, and call the police next time before entering.

It ain't the movies, you won't be the hero...you'll be the guy who got his throat slit by a crackhead or someone all tweaked out and paranoid at the worst. You may face the legal system and lose your freedom if the prosecutor is good. It ain't worth it.

 

[six9]

Re: Level of threat, level of response? (little long)

Training is in order.. Check.
Call the police... Check.

I'm going to post over in the training forum to get some ideas about a good place to start. Like I said I woln't be able to get live training until May, but I'd like to get a good video or book to get started.