What would you have done?

[ch47gunner]

I'm new here but, after seeing some of the posts about possible scenerios, and the reactions, I was wondering.

Just curious what others would have done in this instance.

Here's the scenario - it's 3:00AM, my wife & I are asleep, my 24yr. old son is asleep in his own bedroom, all 3 bedrooms are upstairs.
My wife wakes me & says she hears someone at the door. I hear at least 3 solid booms at the front door and it sounds as if someone is forcing or kicking the door down. Another boom and then a crash as the front door opens & hits the opposite wall. By this time I've taken a 9mm pistol and my wife & I are on the floor on the opposite side of the bed. The bedroom door is not closed. We both are wide awake and watching as someone comes up the stairs & approaches the bedroom door. The 9mm pistol is cocked & ready.
We both see a man enter the bedroom who appears to be very confused/disoriented and totally bewildered. I don't shoot - I stand-up pointing the pistol at the man. He sees me and starts backing out of the bedroom, then turns around and goes down the stairs. He gets near the front door (which has been kicked open). I warn him to stop and he does. I tell him to give me his wallet and he does (much to my surprise). He's a kid approx. 24 yrs. & still pretty drunk from the night. My son assists me in getting him out the door & we follow him out. He then goes into the house next door where he apparently lived.
We dial 911 and get the cops out to the house. They knock on his door & his mother answers. Apparently he got confused (in his inebriated state) and confused my front door with his and couldn't figure out what the lock problem was, so he kicked down the door. His mother paid for my door and any other damage.
The reason I ask "What would you have done?" is that I see posts which I believe are very irresponsible. I could have shot this guy & probably gotten away with it. I didn't - I took that "split second" to make the judgement that I considered to be the right one.
Just wondering.

 

[kcshooter]

Same situation happened to an ex-marine buddy of mine, this kid was going to his brothers house but was one street off. My friend had forgotten to lock his door, which he claims he never does, and when the kid came in and got to the top of the stairs, my friend didn't shoot but instead tackled him (which is an odd reaction for him). The kid started saying stuff like "knock it off, quit screwing around", etc, and my buddy kinda had an idea at that point he thought he was someone else. Cops got called, things got straightened out, his brother was actually a firefighter and an aquaintance of my friend. Could have gotten really ugly though.
What would I have done? Hard to say, I hope I wouldn't have shot, but you never know. I probably would have called out after seeing he looked confused and disoriented, maybe "freeze" or "move and I'll shoot", but to be honest, I don't know that I wouldn't have with the increase in home invasions.
Glad it turned out well for you though, could have gone much worse.

 

[Spenser]

I really admire the restraint you showed in that situation. It should be a lesson to all of us. Just because you can shoot doesn't always mean that you should. I have no idea how I would have handled it. I hope as well as you.

 

[JoshB]

+1 on you noticing that he was confused. If you didn't things could have ended up much differently.

I probably would have called out after seeing he looked confused and disoriented, maybe "freeze" or "move and I'll shoot",

I'd rather stop him while I had him in my view rather than chase after him. You never know what could happen. You did what you had to though and it worked out.

 

[STS3_SSN705]

WOW! I am really glad that your situation turned out the way it did. I can tell you it would likely have been worse had it happened in my home. If he was the son of my neighbor, then that means that he would not have lived in the master bedroom of his house. We all have similar model homes in my neighborhood and so therefore, he would likely have attempted to enter what would have been his bedroom in his house - which would actually have been the bedroom of one of my kids. He would never have gotten into their hallway. The only thing that would have given me hesitation would have been a positive id that he was my neighbor, which would have given him a brief moment to explain his presence.

 

[Slugthrower]

It is really hard to say what one will do in any given situation. Many like to say they would do this or that. That is what school boys do. Adults know better. It seems reasonable that you didn't shoot the young man. He shouldn't have kicked the door in either. I think this young man was lucky to have a neighbor that has such good judgement. There are many who would have shot him. Heck, there are many who seem to want to shoot people at the drop of a hat. Personally, I think many are just too quick to use a gun.

Good job, Sir.

 

[Tamara]

This is why there's a light on my bedside gun.

Hopefully it will help both myself and the intruder make informed decisions.

 

[jdm357]

I lay awake early this morning thinking about something like this. I'm 21 and recently moved back into my parents' house. My brother just graduated from high school, and his friends do some stupid things (as my friends and I did, and still do to some point). I thought I heard something, like somebody coming into the outside basement door (my brother's room and my room are both in the basement, however his is very close to the basement door). I was pretty sure it was nothing, but I started thinking to myself.. what if it is something. What if there's somebody breaking into our house.. That door doesn't have a deadbolt on it.. it'd be fairly easy to break into, I have done it before when I locked myself out.. I heard someone walking around upstairs, and then heard a toilet flush, so I decided everything was fine. What if it had been a friend of my brother though, just drunk, thinking it'd be funny to surprise my brother, waking him up?

Then I really started thinking. I am very glad to hear your story. You reacted with more restraint than I think a lot of people would have. My only problem would've been.. where do you draw the line? Do you risk it, and make sure you get a clear identity, all the while making yourself more susceptible to getting shot (if the person WAS armed, and had ill intent), leaving the rest of your family vulnerable? Or do you take a shot once you realize it's someone you don't know, or at least think it's someone you don't know? It's definitely a tough call, but I guess everyone realizes this.. These were just some questions that kept me up for a while. Sometimes I think I'm too paranoid, but it does feel better to be prepared.

I guess this is where a good light comes in; and training.

Maybe I need to get a deadbolt for that door, though.

EDIT: I guess I didn't answer your question, but I'm unsure of what I would've done. I guess I'd have to have been there. Hopefully it would've ended this way. It's such a tough call.

Thanks for posting this; makes me, and I'm sure others, reevaluate the (potential of) a similar situation.

 

[Samurai]

Unfair question. Unless we've been there, none of us know what we "would have" done. For all I know (and it's probably a fair guess), upon hearing the door crash open, I would have immediately messed my shorts, and the drunk 24-year-old would have found me crying in a ferral, fetal ball in the corner...

I would like to think that I would have handled it more like you did. Fact is, I just don't know. I wasn't there. In any case, it sounds like you did just fine. My congradulations on a situation well-handled.

 

[Lurper]

The final outcome is what really matters and in this case it was a good one. However, you may not react the same way next time it happens.
If I may offer a small critique, you should have called 911 right away. Unless the intruder is right on top of you, you should grab your gun and phone. Call 911 and stay on the line until police arrive. Be aware that the calls are recorded. Warn the intruder that you are armed and in fear for your life. Order him to lay down on the floor face first, arms spread wide until the police arrive. In this case, the outcome would probably have been similar.

Also, keep in mind that your own critique is offered with the clarity of hindsight. Hesitation just because someone seems confused could get you killed.

 

[Nio]

Another boom and then a crash as the front door opens & hits the opposite wall. By this time I've taken a 9mm pistol and my wife & I are on the floor on the opposite side of the bed.

I never understood what the benefit of laying on the floor is...

I'm sorry, but if there is a wild animal in the house and my kids are in the house, then I'm not going to be resting on the floor.

The bedroom door is not closed. We both are wide awake and watching as someone comes up the stairs & approaches the bedroom door. The 9mm pistol is cocked & ready.

He would never have made it up the stairs. That isn't to say that I would have taken him out then and there, but my kids are up here and I get real excited about wild animals in the house.

I used to have a similar setup in my previous house, and what I did was to install a double flood light with a motion sensor at the top of the stairs. There was a switch on the wall at the top of the stairs so I would turn it on at night. If anyone (or any thing) tried to come up the stairs, the motion sensor would activate the lights and they'd have 300 watts of illumination in their face. That's a strong position from which to make a challenge. It also allows you to make a very clear identification. I always find it terribly sad when someone shoots a family member thinking it was an intruder...

If an uninvited guest doesn't notice the lights and doesn't notice the, "Stop! Do not move!" command, then it's time to help the individual appreciate the seriousness of the situation in other ways. That may be a thrown pillow, some OC spray, or a well placed PolyShok round. Under no circumstances would I allow an uninvited guest to actually reach the landing.

Nio

 

[pax]

Good work, and good call.

Tamara ~ got an out-loud giggle out of the laconic comment.

jdm357 ~ yes, you do need the deadbolt. Far better to avoid being in that situation to begin with.

pax

 

[30 cal slut]

either way i'd prolly need a change of underwear

 

[mattro]

The reason I ask "What would you have done?" is that I see posts which I believe are very irresponsible.

I find it offensive to insinuate that soemone is acting "Irresponsibly" if they would have shot the kid. Unfortunate, but not always irresponsible.

I think the kid's actions were irresponsible, and it could have easily costs him his life. It happens, and it would have been HIS fault.

If my wife was home alone with our 5 kids and DIDN"T shoot the guy after busting our door in at 3am and several loud verbal warnings, I would say her actions were "irresponsible". The alternative is very likely to come home to a bunch of dead kids and a raped/murdered wife. WHY?

If I was home, the intruder NEVER would have made it to the top of the staris.

A family of seven was recently slaughtered in their home here in Indianapolis by intruders (executed 1 at a time, mom, dad and 5 young children), would they be labeled irresponsible if they would have fired when the intruders busted their door down.

 

[pax]

mattro ~

Shooting someone who doesn't need to be shot is irresponsible, if the shooting can be avoided.

The devil, of course, is in the details.

Some folks want to make a simplistic, blanket rule: "Well if ___ happens, I'll just shoot!" And online discourse tends to make that kind of simple statement very tempting. But real life is seldom quite as cut & dried as it can appear on the computer screen.

In writing, you sometimes need to make blanket statements like that in order to get your point across.

In real life, you need to watch all the variables.

I'm optimist enough to think that most folks will watch the variables, no matter what they say online. Few people are wired to want to kill other folks, and will not shoot unless there's really no choice left anyway. But I do think it's irresponsible to post blanket statements without noting that circumstances alter cases.

pax

 

[mattro]

pax, I agree that the details will usually alter the outcomes we proclaim.

I respectfully disagree that shooting someone that is acting irresponsibly and irrationally, but really didn't need to be shot, is irresponsible on the part of the shooter.

imho, it is not always the shooters job to find everyway to keep from shooting soemone.

I don't consider that old lady that shot the JBTs during a no-knock irresponsible. She was scared and they screwed up. They were irresponsible.

 

[Daniel BOON]

Christmas wake up call

one christmas, while visting my daughter and family, I ran out to the store. I was in a hurry, and ran inro the aprtment under neath my daughters(all apt looked the same) I walked down the hall to the kitchen and said "heres the butter you needed" and when I looked up, there stood a very shocked lady at the stove cooking. her hubby came jumping out of the living room as I backed down the hall way and out the door apologising . I'm sure glad accepted my apology. this stuff happens...

 

[mattro]

I didn't hear that it was 3am, and you banged progressively on the door, then broke the door down. That is a huge difference.

 

[Bob F.]

What would I have done? Dunno........ I wasn't there. It would depend on my instincts, how I felt about the situation right then and there. The way my house is laid out it's about 3 step to a corner across the hall which would give some cover and a strong-side position looking down the hall. After I called the dogs off........

Anyway, ya' done darned good this time; nobody hurt, sued or even arrested.
I would have "lit him up" with my Surefire before exiting cover/concealment.

Reinforce that door.

Stay safe.
Bob

 

[Big Calhoun]

My personal take on it is, if I shoot someone and claim self-defense, I can reasonably assume that the responsding officer is going to ask me, "Were you in fear of your life?", and/or, "What made you fear for your life?". For me, just simply saying, "Well, he broke in" is not an acceptable answer that I would be able to leave with.

As the situation was written here, I would have probably reacted about the same with minor differences. My Beretta has a light and laser so I my initial response probably would have been to 'dazzle' the person by cycling the weapon light off and on.

But as Pax stated, it's all in the details. Again, as the situation is written here, I would have reacted fairly the same. But, had I been able to make out a weapon or that there were multiple people breaking in, that could alter the outcome in a drastic way.