How to handle a break in

[BigGuy52]

It's 2:00am, you are awakened from a dead sleep by breaking glass in the first floor of your home. You hear numerous voices.

I've been told different paths to take, but I wonder what is the best?

Option 1> Call 911 from a cell phone you keep with you at all times. Lock yourself and loved ones in a 'safe' room and wait for the cops to arrive.

Option 2> Call 911 on your cell phone. Shoot a round into the floor in a attempt to scare off the bad guys.

Option 3> Call 911 on your cell phone. Arm yourself and clear your home, seeking out the bad guys.

I would think #1 is the best, but I wouldn't want to be trapped in one room.

 

[Ohio Gun Guy]

None of the above.......

I would say:
1. Get armed & secure the family
2. never shoot just to shoot.
3. Go about getting help, without doing anything dumb.
4. Shoot if you have to & Make it count.

 

[highorder]

You are accountable for every round you fire. Never forget that.

 

[smartshooter.45]

i would have to go with option 1. and as your securing your family i would yell downstairs and say " i am armed and the police are on their way!"

maybe this would deter them from taking their time to grab anything and/or deter them from coming upstairs.

 

[Oyeboten]

I dunno...if it was me ( and it has been a few times, ) I'd grab my 1911 or as may be, mosey closer so they can hear me well, and, say "Hey - This House is a REALLY 'baaaaaaaaad' choice for breaking into...but, it's up to you!" And I'd say it rather laughingly, good-humoredly and loud-enough.


Not many would presist...and if they did, then, not-so-good for them.


So far, none have ( persisted ).


I don't have a Cell Phone...anyway.


Had one guy get in while I was sleeping, his was ohhhh, 1993...got in the back door...I woke up, him leaning over looking at me, fairly big guy, I just said "Out!" said it firmly and with no hint of clutter or dis-respect, and as I said it, I instantly pointed at the bedroom Door, said it how one could say it smartly to an seriously errant Dog...and, he thought about it for a second, then turned and left, back through the hallway, and out the back door.


I had my 1911 under my Pillow, never even thought of using it, never thought about it at all...did not even think about firearms...did not have any hint of thought about harming him or fighting or violence or anything, only, "Out!"...Lol...


Oh well...

All's well that ends well, I recon.

 

[Straight Shooter]

Option 1 with a slight modification.

Put your family in a safe spot to account for all of them. Then take a strategic position in which you can't be seen well and are behind cover but can take a clear shot if needed. Loudly and with authority order them out of the house, tell them you have called the police. I think most thieves will leave.

As far as the other options:

Clear the house:
Only if you have to. If a fight starts (they don't leave and become aggressive) you may have to.

Fire a warning shot:
I think firing blind to scare them is a very bad idea.

 

[jpwilly]

#1 Certainly - secure the family and call 1911...oh I mean 911!

 

[YammyMonkey]

I would go with option 1 with the following points to consider:

Worry about securing your family first. Then call 911, give them a brief description, your address & hang up. You don't need the distraction & that recording can't be used against you at some point. You don't know what you'll say in the heat of the moment & if you live in a state where you could end up in court over defending your home a 911 tape with your voice screaming "Die (insert non High-Road word or phrase here)!" will not help you. Likewise an "OhmygodwhatdidIjustdo?" could be construed by opposing council to mean you really weren't threatened & didn't need to shoot the poor future pediatric cardiac surgeon who broke into your house to feed his poor mother (aka meth habit).

Firing a warning shot is plain stupid. Trying to clear your home is nearly as bad & an absolute last resort.

 

[kyo]

since my place is a small 1 floor, I would say grab the gun and wait for the idiot to bust the door down while I hide behind the couch to get ready to put rounds into him. As I do this, 911 on speakerphone. keep dog in the room behind me for her safety. If he comes through the window its the same, just aim for that instead.

 

[rainbowbob]

Get the wife locked down in the bedroom bath on the cell phone.

Take cover in darkened bedroom with firearm aimed at the "funnel of death" (backlit doorway).

If door is breached shoot intruder until he is no longer intruding.

 

[MarineOne]

We live in a two story home with all the bedrooms upstairs, including 2 bath rooms.

1. Clear upper level, acquiring wife and kids and moving them into the master bathroom's bath tub.

2. Getting wife on phone with 911 while I cover the stairs and hold my ground. Fighting from high ground is preffered.

3. Announce that I've dialed the police and that I'm armed.

4. Wait for the police to arrive.



I would not go looking for trouble in this situation and the only valuables I would be worried about would be in the master bath's bath tub, however if someone was bound and determined to win the Darwin Award by coming to the bottom of the stairs then I would be more than able to give them their trophy.



Kris

 

[Bailey Boat]

With my rotten luck if I sent a round into the floor it would hit a water pipe and then I got TWO problems to deal with!!!! Seriously, option 1 is the best....

 

[TAB]

Worry about securing your family first. Then call 911, give them a brief description, your address & hang up.

NEVER, EVER HANG UP!!!

In many places, hanging up makes it like a crank call/ low priotity.

lets say that your not in one of those jurstictions. What if your injured in a fire fight and can't get back to the phone? a 911 operator, could be send EMS, Otherwise it would be the police calling them after who knows how long?

lets take it another way... let say you have a questionable shoot, its your word vs the BGs... I don't know about you, but I want amother wittness.

Finally, lets just say after 5 mins after you hung up, your locked inside your master bed room, there is a loud knock on the door fallowed by "police" how do you know its actually the police and not the BG?

 

[Bradym77]

Tab

how do you know its actually the police and not the BG?

Stay on the phone with 911 operator and have them verify police are in the house.

I wish I had the option of holing up and waiting for the police to arrive. My house has 2 bedrooms on one side, and 2 on the other side. So that means that I'm clearing as I go to get the kids.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

But what if ...those breaking in ARE the police?

 

[TAB]

Stay on the phone with 911 operator and have them verify police are in the house.

I wish I had the option of holing up and waiting for the police to arrive. My house has 2 bedrooms on one side, and 2 on the other side. So that means that I'm clearing as I go to get the kids.

if you read my post it was in reguards to some one that said just hang up after you tell them where you are and whats going on.

But what if ...those breaking in ARE the police?

All the more reason to dial 911... hopefully they will be able to tell you before anything bad happens.

 

[Marcus5aurelius]

1. Call 911
2. Gather family into safe room
3. Arm yourself
4. Aim at doorway (tunnel of death)
5. Wait until police arrive.

 

[Deanimator]

I live in an apartment. There isn't a door in my place that a ten year old couldn't kick in.

1. Arm myself.
2. Check for evidence of a break-in.
3. Call 911 if people are or have been there.
4. If somebody's not in yet, tell them that if they come in, they'll get shot. If they come in, shoot them until they're no longer a threat.
5. If somebody's inside, demand that they keep their hands in sight, not come any closer and that they get on the floor. If they have a weapon or approach me after being told to stop, I shoot them until they're no longer a threat. If they flee, tell 911 that they've fled and if possible, in what direction.

Ohio has "castle doctrine". I have no duty to flee from my own home, and wouldn't anyway, since such flight would probably result in serious injury to me. I'm not going to break a leg or my neck jumping out of a window to protect a home invader. Being in my home contrary to my express order, especially while in possession of a weapon is prima facia evidence of intent to do harm. If you've got a knife or a gun, you're not going to get a warning. You're going to get shot.

 

[jlg]

Never fire a warning shot! If you shoot without intent to kill they will fry you in the courtroom.

Priority #1 - with gun and phone in hand; make sure your family is safe.

Priority #2 - call 911

Priority #3 - position yourself between the threat and your family

If you can do all this without letting the BG know you have the drop even better. I'm not a big fan of verbal warnings either. Never give up the element of surprise. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm not an expert trained house commando; I'm not giving the intruder(s) any warning and I'm not gonna run around the house looking for them either...if I screw up and get shot that leaves my family unprotected.

 

[sarge83]

If the above break in occurs at my house which is a two story house, we do the following.

I grab my .12 gauge and Glock 27 and take up a blocking position at the top of our stairs. The stairs create a funnel point, or a killing zone any miscreants have to come through to get to us. I don't have to hunt and search for the bad guys, they come to me and I choose the point of engagement if they so desire to push it and I will not announce my presence and give away the element of surprise. If they have already chose to break into an occupied home they have made their intentions very clear and they will be met with extreme and sudden violence because of their choice.

My wife calls 911 and takes the kids to our bedroom walk in closet with her Glock 23 and an SKS or a .20 gauge riot gun with buckshot loads.

 

[Fred Fuller]

1) Have a plan.

2) Practice the plan.

3) USE the plan.

One good way to go about developing a home defense plan (to go with your other family emergency plans) is to take the NRA's Basic Personal Protection In The Home Course. The link below will provide a locator tool so you can see if the class is being taught near you. There's also a class description.

====================
http://www.nrahq.org/education/training/basictraining.asp

The NRA Basic Personal Protection In The Home Course teaches the basic knowledge, skills, and attitude essential to the safe and efficient use of a handgun for protection of self and family, and to provide information on the law-abiding individual’s right to self-defense. This is an eight-hour course. Students should expect to shoot approximately 100 rounds of ammunition. Students will learn basic defensive shooting skills, strategies for home safety and responding to a violent confrontation, firearms and the law, how to choose a handgun for self-defense, and continued opportunities for skill development. Students will receive the NRA Guide to the Basics of Personal Protection In The Home handbook, NRA Gun Safety Rules brochure, the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification booklet, and course completion certificate.

The NRA Basic Personal Protection In The Home Course participants must be law abiding, adults (at least 21 years old), and experienced shooters (shooters able to show mastery of the basic skills of safe gun handling, shooting a group, zeroing the firearm, and cleaning the firearm) to maximize what can be learned from this course. Proof of shooting experience can be one of the following: NRA Basic Pistol Course Certificate, NRA FIRST Steps Course Certificate, NRA pistol competitive shooting qualification card, military DD 214 with pistol qualification, or passing the Pre-Course Assessment.
==========================

There are other options, if the class is not available near you or at a time you can attend. The classroom portion of the class is available on DVD from http://materials.nrahq.org/go/product.aspx?productid=ES 26840 , and the textbook can be ordered at http://www.nrastore.com/nra/Product.aspx?productid=PB+01781 .

Circumstances will vary widely with family structure, legal jurisdictions, the floor plans of your house etc. But the basics apply across the board. There are certain things everyone needs to know to formulate a workable home defense plan. This class is a good guide to those things.

lpl

 

[ghoster]

our plan is for me to get youngest ( next room upstairs) and bring to mom while she calls 911 on her cell. get mom secured with 20 guage, (only thing she is confortable with) so she can cover the stairs.

i have no choice but to clear the house as there is 7 other kids. 3 kids are directly below us and i would get them and send them up to mom. she knows the plan so she is looking for them on the stairs. it is a 2 turn stair with nite lights on the landings so it is easy to see them but be in the dark to whoever is on the steps.

the other 4 kids are on the other end of the house so clearing as i go is a nessity. all my doors and windows are backlit with various decoritive solar lighting so it is impossible to not be siloweted if your near them outside. i have night lighted the house for the kids but have done it in a way i can pretty much travel the entire house while staying in the dark myself.

once i have the other kids i call the house with my cell, 2 ring on land line and hang up. mom knows me and kids are in bugs room and can pass info to 911 on our location.

all kids know the plan and know if they hear outside noise run for dad, inside noise lock door an get under bed and wait on dad to come, i will scratch door like the cat when i get there for them to open up.

i hope the 2 very noisy outside dogs take care of any would be bg but if they are in my house i will shoot them without a second thought or a warning. there will be only one side to the story.

 

[Th3_M4d_1r1shm4n]

If I hear breaking glass, it means someone has come through the window. Of my 3rd-story apartment. Which means I am either dealing with Spiderman, or a SWAT team. So I guess I would either ask for an autograph or lay down on the floor with my hands on my head, depending.

Option 1: ideal, especially considering that all I have to worry about is the lady friend, and she'd be in bed right next to me.

Option 2: I was okay with the calling 911 part. But no way am I firing a round into the floor when a.) I have people living in the floor below me who would probably object to being shot at through the floor and b.) there's no way I'm shooting my own friggin' floor, I'd just have to fix it afterward.

Option 3: Again, okay with the calling 911 part. However, I am no awesome special forces operator type, ergo I forgo clearing the apartment and simply shoot anyone coming through the bedroom door.

No, calling 911 and leaving the line open is the best option. Maybe do the whole "I've called 911 and I'm armed" yell like a previous poster mentioned. This is all, of course, providing the intruders make it past my vicious guard dog (see: happy-go-lucky Golden Retriever). Actually, he'd probably be cowering behind the bed, come to think of it...

The sidearm and phone are both on the nightstand, I cover the door while my better half dials (plus, we figure the cops are gonna respond faster to a "crying" female than a guy). And the dog hides in the corner. That's my plan.

 

[answerguy]

An additional reason why the 'warning shot' is not a good idea. It will deafen you temporarily and you need all your senses working in a situation like this.

 

[Deanimator]

An additional reason why the 'warning shot' is not a good idea.

An additional additional reason. WHERE are you going to fire it? I don't keep a clearing barrel in every room. Otherwise, have you penetration tested the walls, floors and ceilings of your home? Do you know where any other residents are at ALL times?