Be careful about showing gun when responding to knock

Interesting article from Reuters, discussing cases where police shot people who legally held a gun. Qualified immunity usually leads to the conclusion that the police were not liable. My thought is that if I respond to noise in my house or yard or to a loud knock on the door, I need to think about not showing a gun until I am certain there are no cops there.

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-police-immunity-guns/

 

Two words: peep hole.

 

I say this every time the subject comes up. If you're so concerned about who's on the other side of that door that you have to go to the door with a gun in your hand why are you opening the door at all?

 

Not showing your gun should always be the goal. There’s lots of variables but generally if you are showing a gun during a tense situation, you are the target.

 

I used the word knock in the title because space is limited in the title, but note that some situations in the Reuters article involved other locations. The article is really about most any situation where police could see you holding a gun.

Mods, I intended this to be in General Discussion. I made a mistake in putting it in Handguns, General Discussion. Please move it. Thanks

 

There are no legitimate reasons to answer a door knock anymore. Do you answer your phone for calls you don’t recognize?

All of my neighbors and family call or text first, as do I.

Out and about, I’m in the concealed-only camp.

 

Rule No. 1 - If you cannot see who is on the other side of the door DO NOT OPEN IT!!!! EVER! Install a camera or a peephole or look out a window that allows you to see the door.

 

I can view who is at the door with out going to and or opening the door. If you can't then your options are limited. Proper lighting offers the home owner an advantage.

 

With my dog having a doorbell is a waste. Any who, I turn on the porch light, take 3 steps to the left and peep out the window that is 90 degrees to the front door.

 

I don't know whether to laugh or to cry!!

When I still had cats my clue was whether or the cats ran to hide under the bed. Then I knew it was a stranger at the door.

 

I "think" this is the same one that was going around a while back due to another loss in court. If it is that one, the department released the body cam and it was easy to see the guy died of terminal stupidity. Neighbor called said the couple was in a heated argument. Cops knock the guy yanks the door open, in boxers, and steps out the door with gun in hand. At that point he realizes too late he screwed up. The way he came to the door he was looking to confront someone gun in hand. The simple solution? Chain on door, allowing you to open an inch and ask who is there, IF you feel you HAVE to open the door. Have gun out of sight, not in front of you in hand.

 

I often think about this with guns in vehicles etc.

For example, I know a lot of people keep a pistol between the seats/under their seat while driving. If you get in an accident (way more likely than a defensive shooting), a cop or other motorist may see the gun when they walk up to your car.

 

For better or worse, I have a large window on my front door. (OK, a little back story: My wife wanted a big window on the door to see the marsh across the road. I reluctantly agreed on the stipulation I would personally build the door. So, the door is secure. Steel reinforced that looks like normal oak. The window is STRONGER than the door itself. It cost over 500 dollars for the window alone. Triple layer laminated shatter, impact, bullet, sound, resistant insulated glass) The jambs are the real weak point but I reinforced those too. Then there are the easily accessible windows on the porch.....yeah, true physical security is pretty hard. We have curtains over our windows and really dont have much valuable stuff. They can have the 32" Vizio that is 12 years old. My gun collection is small and easily replaceable.

So, it is easy to ID anyone at my door.

When someone knocks, I am known to hustle across the hallway from living room to bedroom to ID the person at the door and then pull my gun or not from my holster and answer the door with the gun behind my back. I have a special chain that is extra thick and shorter than usual. Maybe not the most secure but it makes me comfortable.

 

EEGGZACTLY!

 

Maybe not but I literally have an armored plate between me and the threat and I am not opening the door wide for all.

Nothing is perfect.

Maybe ill just stand there and wave to them.

 

I wasn’t saying I would be waving at them with a gun in my hand. That was an admittedly feeble attempt at levity.

I say something about myself that is true but it is not like I do it as a rule all the time. Usually I talk to them through the door. I usually have my gun on me all the time. I go across the hall to look to see who it is and end up out of sight in the bedroom. If I don’t know them but it seems normal I talk through the closed door. If it seems abnormal I pulled my gun while still in the bedroom so it is not seen. If it’s a process server (which I can usually tell since I used to be one, (which is yet another example of impossible tactical situations)) I tell them to leave it at the door and that I acknowledge service.

There are always other factors. Is it day or night? Does said person at the door look like a threat? Act like a threat? Etc.

Im coming to realize S&T is probably just not the subforum for me. I look at things from the context of someone with no kids to protect and the idea that no matter what I do I am not going to survive in the end. Also, we are still more likely to be killed while in an automobile. My time as a process server probably doesn’t help my situation. I survived just fine all those years being in countless totally exposed situations. It gives to the idea that maybe this world isn’t so dangerous after all.

 

Wait why would anyone open the door without knowing who is on the other side? Hell I dont even like opening my door for someone I know.

 

If someone knocks on my door, he/she has either crawled over or under our fence.The gate stays locked whether we are here or not. So they probably aren't here to borrow a cup of sugar!! Maybe wanting to borrow a box of ammo though.