Friend's Home Invaded - Got Kids... but No Plan

[Lonestar]

A few guys came up with similar thoughts as I did;

1) Beef up interior and exterior doors.
2) Have a plan, and if the kids are old enough to understand it, fill them in on what their role will be if someone breaks in.
3) Dog
4) Alarm
5) Research what weapons are legal in your country and get the baddest thing you can handle effectively.

 

[jonathantan77]

my mom told me once, if someone breaks into your house and you attack them you better damn well kill them or ull get screwed.

I definitely don't agree with that, and I'm sure neither do the principles of this forum. Apologies if I'm wrong, just saying I don't want to get this thread closed due to errant information.

1) Beef up interior and exterior doors.
2) Have a plan, and if the kids are old enough to understand it, fill them in on what their role will be if someone breaks in.
3) Dog
4) Alarm
5) Research what weapons are legal in your country and get the baddest thing you can handle effectively.

Bear in mind that this happened to a friend's family. Hardware-wise, I'm sure they will be beefing things up. I've also given a lot of thought to the hardware in my own house over the past few years - weapons, locks etc. Nevertheless, the question for me was: In that situation, do I open the door to get my kids? (I don't have kids, but you get the picture)

After pondering the responses here, I think that I would - because I would be armed (non firearm), alarms would be ringing and because the police would already be on their way.

Thanks again for the input, and the welcome to the forum.

 

[Caimlas]

I would not care one way or another what the "law" was on the matter. I'd swing for the fences until either they or I stopped moving if my kids' safety were on the line.

Any law which prevents a parent from protecting himself or his family from harm, in his own home, is unjust, counter-intuitive, and something I will readily disobey.

 

[HUZI]

Even as a Australian firearm owner, i think in the event that my home was invaded i think pulling out one of my guns would be a last option, especially with the laws we have around here.

 

[Keith Wheeler]

How the **** did you let them ban guns like that?

I may be wrong, but I think it's due to a lack of a 'bill of rights'.

 

[Saiga39]

What about edged weapons in Australia? I have a friend who is not into guns but is a black belt in Kenpo karate. I don't know much about it but it's one of the disciplines that focuses on weapons. He has this sword that he keeps by the bed and about a month ago in the middle of the night he had someone on his front porch checking his door handle to see if it was locked. He scared the guy off and made the right decision to stay inside and have his wife call the cops.
I think I'd prefer to be shot then be sliced in half!!

 

[up_onus]

in nevada....

Judge Mills Lane ruled justified homicide when an intruder stuck A SINGLE TOE inside their home.

By the sound of it though, your "friend" got off easy. This is a good thing because if their had been any physical confrontation anything could have happened, physically, emotionally, mentally AND concerning a lawyer and expenses. Me personally, if 3 grown men inside my house chased me with OR without my children present....
Lets just ask, have you ever played duck hunt on the nintendo?

 

[Dirty Bob]

Glad your friend and his family are safe. I'm afraid I can't comment on Australian laws. Beautiful country, though. I need to visit that part of the world again.

Here in Texas, a home invasion can be met with lethal force. If they were between myself and family members, I would use the amount of force needed to secure the safety of the little ones, and no more. If they saw a weapon in my hands and fled when I opened the bedroom door, that's OK with me. I don't want to shoot anyone, but I have trouble imagining a prosecution here for defending one's kids from home invaders who had broken into the house at night.

A guy here shot attempted home invaders through his locked front door, and there was no prosecution. The gunshot one was abandoned by his "friends" and died out in the street near the house.

Regards,
Dirty Bob

 

[gunsmith]

My mom stopped an intruder when I was a kid

She is generally anti ccw but in the home protecting her kids is very different.
I was about 7 yrs old or so and my mom and two sisters were watching TV in NYC. A druggie started to climb thru the window
And my mom ran...to return seconds later with dads Enfield with large bayonnet she poked him with the tip of the Bayonnet and backed him out the window!

I would say most Americans really wouldn't prosecute a parent defending their children, & I am willing to bet avowed pacifist become tigers when their childrens life is at stake.

 

[carebear]

Seconded on securing doors, windows etc. and adding dogs and perhaps a legal firearm if available.

From the description it sounds like both the parents and kids rooms were upstairs. If there is a bathroom up there, there is no real need to have the lower part of the house accessible at night. Another door, at the top of the stairs, would add yet another barrier between the ground floor invaders and the kids and folks.

I think I'm stealing this from Ayoob (or Cooper?) but a barred metal gate/ security door painted to match the decor to fill the opening at the top of the stairwell would allow observation and defensive fire by the homeowner while keeping the invaders on the "lower ground" and, if they attempted to break through, at a significant leverage disadvantage. Leave it open during the day, lock it at night. Probably get one with an interior-accessible-only fire release.

With a bath available upstairs it solves the "kids' need water or potty" issues and mom and dad can come and go at will (keyed/coded entry).

Wouldn't take much for someone handy to install, the trick would be convincing the wife.

 

[BullfrogKen]

Jhetfield said: my mom told me once, if someone breaks into your house and you attack them you better damn well kill them or ull get screwed.

Generally, Mom's give good advice. I suggest, while we respect Mom, that we seek advice from competent sources on such matters.


Yes, leaving a room to confront intruders is not prudent. But, were someone between me and other members of my family, prudence goes out the window.