Adrenaline Rush, was i being paranoid?

[boredelmo]

So just now my dog goes nuts. You dog owners know, this isn't a cat or possum, he genuinely feels something is a threat.

I jet downstairs and out the backyard with the Sig in hand. I see a figure in the backyard of my neighbor's house, a white guy in blue clothes, with some kind of big black metal object in his hand. Didn't seem like a gun but maybe a crowbar. My neighbors are Indian and never goto their backyard. Seems like he was peering into our yard. After approaching the fence facing him, i see him turn around and run. I look over the fence and he's left through the gate leaving it wide open.

My mom just left the house leaving the garage door open and showing that one of the two cars are not home.

I don't know why he ran or what his business was in my neighbors yard, so i grab the snub nose and shove it into my pants as to not be open carrying. I walk down my driveway and i don't see him. Then he comes out of nowhere. I begin following him from quite a distance and he veers into someone elses backyard. I heard loud talking and see him jet back out. I didn't pull my firearm and had it concealed the whole time. I asked him if he was just in the yard of the home a few houses down. By this time i see his Centerpoint Shirt and the black object is actually some kind of radio. He explains that he was checking the meters on all the houses and that he ran because he didnt want to have a confrontation. I told him to that next time theyre going to have to knock and get permission instead of just jumping in the backyard when they feel like it. He wrote it into his little handheld radio computer thingy. I thanked him and went back in.

I did feel kind of silly because one time i was 15 a similar incident occured with the meter guy, except i only had a bat at the time and i was very aggressive in my approach since he was in our driveway trying to get in.

Was i being too paranoid? Anything i did wrong?

P.S. The guy had tattoos all over and piercings on his face. If he wasn't wearing the CP shirt with matching shorts i wouldn't have bought his story and prob called the cops to report it.

 

[glummer]

Was the Sig in-hand when you approached the fence?

 

[Biker]

Relax some. Good Lord, there's enough trouble in the world lookin' for you - don't go lookin' for *it*. If it comes to ya, deal with it but don't go wavin' your arms around and yellin' "Hey, pick me!", because *it will*.

Biker

 

[sacp81170a]

+1 on what Biker said. The minute you stepped off your property armed you were in very dangerous legal territory. Suspicious activity on your property? You have some legal standing to confront it. On someone else's property or on the street?

 

[RoadkingLarry]

And lets not get too "down" on the tattoos and piercings. No piercings beyond one ear but more than a few tats on me. Just because a person decided to decorate or accessorize does not in anyway indicate thay are a bad person or up to no good.

 

[boredelmo]

I've got tattoo's myself and all, but three eyebrow rings on the same eyebrow! Nose ring and ear rings to boot.

 

[Exmasonite]

call 911 first before following a guy to see what he's doing (which is probably something i'd never do. guard the castle where the important things/people are and where the law is on your side)

 

[Joe7cri]

Hey let's not bash boredelmo yet, he might have saved someone from an attack. Did this guy have ID to confirm his story or did you just take his word for it? I find it a little shady that he decided to run because he wanted to avoid confrontation, if he had business in peoples back yards he would have stood his ground and stated that, not run away.

 

[Xenia]

I can see why your dog would be barking like he/she was.

I myself would have gone outside myself to see what was what even though prudence would tell me to call the police. (Chances are after I went to see what was happening I would have yelled at myself for not calling the police instead!)

Meter readers I bet do have a fear of confrontations and barking dogs. He might have been legit and still ran. After all, he might have seen a metal object in the hand of someone running toward him and been afraid.

Adrenaline is powerful, isn't it? I am not sure you were paranoid however. It could have been someone casing the houses. Glad everything turned out well.

This might be an opening to start a neighborhood watch program. The local police would have guidelines to suggest for situations like this that you could have them talk about at a neighborhood meeting.

 

[Hook686]

Are you paranoid ?

Was your fear reasonable ? It does not seem so to me. Unreasonable fear strikes me as paranoia. So I guess that might make you paranoid. However, there is a catch .... "Catch 22" ... if you know you are crazy, then you really are not.

So I'd relax and give the dogs an extra snack for being up on the outside activity.

 

[sacp81170a]

Hey let's not bash boredelmo yet, he might have saved someone from an attack.

Not bashing, just pointing out potential problems. I agree, checking up on a stranger in your neighbor's back yard is a good thing. Having a gun is a good thing, as long as you don't get tagged for brandishing. In the pocket, behind the back, concealed, etc. In Arkansas you can carry open or concealed on your own property with no permit required. It's not clear from his op whether he left his property or not, so I was just pointing out that would be a bad thing to do unless there were an immediate threat to him or someone else. 911 is your friend, if for no other reason that you then become the complainant, i.e. the assumed good guy. Glad it was nothing more than a meter reader. BTW, meter readers have a right to come on your property for the purpose of reading your gas, water and electric meters. It's a condition of your doing business with the utility company. If you don't let their meter readers on your property, they don't have to sell you the utilities.

 

[PPGMD]

The meter reader did something wrong himself also, he shouldn't have run, he should have identified himself and presented company ID instead of running. Running made him look like a criminal that was casing the place.

 

[TonyStarks]

A uniform? Since when did those become hard to acquire? If a meter reader takes off when someone sees them in a back yard, it should raise suspicion. My garbage man doesn't run when i see him picking up my garbage and neither does the news paper delivery guy when he drops off the paper.
On the other hand, if he saw you packing and he was scared, he may run....
I don't think you're being paranoid but following him is about much. Call the police and report it is what i say...

my $.02

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

If i saw someone snooping around and then run when i came outside I would be paranoid too. If he had identified himself there wouldn't have been a problem. But if i were him and someone came out with a pistol I would be scared too. Try to be a little less comfrontational and maybe ask him what he is doing next time.

 

[rdhood]

The guy needs to wear ID/badge. He needs to act in a professional manner (not run off and leave someone's gate open). If he is going to read meters, he can expect FTF interactions with customers.

If I were boredelmo (and no one has even mentioned this yet?), I'd call the company and ASK if they have an employee that fits the description. Where was his vehicle (even if on foot, they usually have a vehicle parked somewhere in the neighborhood)? Who was he communicating with on this radio?

 

[Byron Quick]

Doesn't sound as if it was a radio. It sounds like one of those gadgets meter readers are carrying today.

boredelmo. You went a bit above and beyond what may be wise from both a tactical standpoint and a legal standpoint in your state.


You need to have decided ahead of time how you will react to various scenarios. In the one you describe, I'd call 911, describe the matter and let the supposed meter reader identify himself to the cops.

Are you really up to defend your neighbors? How about the neighborhood?

If you use lethal force in your state to defend others what does your state law say about doing so? Do you know? Might be a good idea to find out ahead of time instead of too late.

 

[Geno]

"Con Energy...Meter read!" "DTE Meter read!" If I don't hear something of that nature, there hadn't better anyone be in my back yard!

I won't say that you did or didn't do well. I wasn't there. You have to determine your confort-level and risk-level. You didn't get hurt, and frankly that the guy took off running...that was dumb! Glad it wasn't something serious, and glad you don't just sit back and assume the police will "handle it."