How to react to a death threat

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Inform the police.

Lets just say this person does try to act out on his/her threat. The police could say "why didn't you tell us about this person?".

Cover you behind.
 
Indeed, a prosecutor may put you in front of a Grand Jury and ask that question.
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Notifying the police is a good idea... IF you know who's making the threats, or you have some reasonably easy way to identify them.

In one of my examples, neo-Nazis were posting death threats and maps to what they thought my location was on usenet. These threats were made via various anonymous remailers in Germany and Italy. In my personal experience, the police tend to want things handed to them on a silver platter. I would have had to explain the internet to the Fremont, Ohio PD. Then I would have had to explain usenet to them. Then I would have had to explain anonymous remailers to them. It's a virtual certainty that the first thing out of their mouths would have been, "We don't have any jurisdiction in Italy and Germany!", completely missing the concept of what an anonymous remailer does. The threats may have been delivered by remailers in Germany and Italy, but they almost certainly were originating inside the USA. I had about a 0.00% chance of explaining that to small town cops and a less than 0.00% chance of getting them to do anything... as if there was anything they could do in the first place.

Of course ANY goosestepping whackjob could have followed those directions, not just the ones posting them.

All I could do was make sure that I was prepared, provide copies of the multiple threats to my lawyer and other friends, and make sure those making the threats knew that they'd better be willing to die to carry them out.

There haven't been any threats for years, probably in part due to the fact that some of the suspects have done jail time, for in at least one case, kiddie porn.
 
The key thing is to document the threats. And if they continue, keep reporting them. If you have to defend yourself, that documentation will stand you in good stead.

After you've gone to the police, another thing you can do is go to your local newspaper or TV station and show them the threats. Let them ask the police what they're doing about it.
 
someone I do not know says it in anger. I am going to take that real serious.
 
Reading this thread is realy depressing. Whatever happened to the time when men would resolve there disputes like gentlemen? A fistfight, mano-a-mano, instead people have to go around threatening people.
 
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I used to often be the senior guy negotiating a lot of collective agreements and sometimes things would get kinda stressful.

Not often, but sometimes death threats to the home, several bomb threats, followed/chased in cars, and understandably cranky folks yelling threats on picket lines.

I put a sophisticated alarm system in the house, got a dog, got an unlisted phone number and sometimes the Company had off duty police provide security. When running sites out of town, I stayed on hotel floors that need an elevator card and never stayed long at any one place. All at the direction of my employer.

The only change in my behavior was how I started cars. Security told me to keep the door open, feet out, so any blast might throw me from the car.

Nothing ever happened to me and up until a couple of years ago I never personally carried a gun.
 
Threats can be venting, warnings, attempted intimidation by cowards, or a forebearer of things to come. It's difficult to discern the true meaning, so it's prudent to take every threat seriously.
If it's just venting, a warning, or intimidtaion, a police report followed by a police visit with a TRO may diffuse the situation immediately.
If it's the real deal, the police visit and TRO will be uselss at best, inflammatory at worst. The decision of fight or flight is easy to address on a PC, not so easy in real life.
 
Death Threats

I have had a ex-employee who was recently fired make Death threats against myself and
my production Manager.
Everyone I spoke to insisted, like most here, that I go to the police.
I was shocked to find out that the police , at least here in Minneapolis do not seem to care at all.
I drove over to the nearby precinct because I thought it would have more impact that way.
I talked to the officer on duty at the desk, he listened , acted very bored and suggested I call 911 if I felt I was in actual danger, I asked if he needed names , if he was going to write this down , he said no , it was their policy to wait till something happened !!!
I told him that this man had a record, had a drinking and drug problem and I was concerned , he looked bored.
That is why I have my CCW.
P.S. I am purposely not carrying at or near work because of this , I do not think he will kill me only beat the crap out of me, and my biggest fear is being put in jail for defending myself "too aggressively" What a world we live in ....
 
P.S. I am purposely not carrying at or near work because of this , I do not think he will kill me only beat the crap out of me, and my biggest fear is being put in jail for defending myself "too aggressively" What a world we live in
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You need to rethink that. What if he beats you to death instead of beating the "crap" out of you?

I'm ALWAYS more afraid of dying than going to jail.

A good lawyer can keep you out of jail or get you out if you go. No lawyer on earth can get you out of a grave.
 
Wow, this thread makes me glad of two facts: 1) that I was a professional martial artist, and 2) that we have legislated Castle Doctrine in Michigan. We all know when we're being threatened. As to the notion of not carrying, and to standing there and taking your beating like a man, wow... :rolleyes: That's what I call survival of the fittest. The last two fools who attacked me wound up in the emergency room. As I see life, God gave all of us the power to create our own destiny.
 
PattonTime said:
I have had a ex-employee who was recently fired make Death threats against myself and
my production Manager.
Everyone I spoke to insisted, like most here, that I go to the police.
I was shocked to find out that the police , at least here in Minneapolis do not seem to care at all.
I drove over to the nearby precinct because I thought it would have more impact that way.
I talked to the officer on duty at the desk, he listened , acted very bored and suggested I call 911 if I felt I was in actual danger, I asked if he needed names , if he was going to write this down , he said no , it was their policy to wait till something happened !!!
I told him that this man had a record, had a drinking and drug problem and I was concerned , he looked bored.
That is why I have my CCW.
P.S. I am purposely not carrying at or near work because of this , I do not think he will kill me only beat the crap out of me, and my biggest fear is being put in jail for defending myself "too aggressively" What a world we live in ....
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I suggest you google the words "beaten to death" and see what comes up.
 
Report it.

It helps to have pre-established good relationships with local law-enforcement so that they understand when you say: "I'm not asking you to do anything about it at this point, I just want you to make the situation a matter of public record so it has a prior paper-trail 'just-in-case' the need for a paper-trail becomes important..."

Les
 
If you were going to murder someone, would you warn them first?
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Don't make the mistake of transferring your logic and thought process onto that of a homicidal maniac.

If criminals thought like "normal" folks...they wouldn't be criminals. These people making death threats (even if not criminals) are not acting in their rational self-interest. They are in a self-destructive pattern. Logic would tell them to tweak their resume (in the case of a lost job) and move on.

Transference is why sometimes people get shot, stabbed or beaten to death after giving the criminal their $$. "Why would they do that, they got what they wanted?" -apparently not. "Why would they risk life in prison for murder over the $ in your wallet?" -I don't know, ask them. Don't expect a logical answer though...

If you receive a threat, get it documented if nothing else. If you ever feel you are in imminent danger of severe bodily harm or death (and any "reasonable" person in your shoes would feel same), use enough force (up to/including deadly force) to stop the threat.

"If you think you are about to be in a violent situation, make it violent!" -One of my H2H instructors
 
Goju,

have the below suggestions for you

1.) Call the police and report the threat. It is a pain, but it is important for the simple reason of IF something goes down the supporting documents can help vindicate you or point them toward the offending party.

2.) Call a lawyer. Doesn't hurt to have one on retainer.

3.) Live in a heightened state of awareness when you are out. Give your family a duress code so that you know or they know if someone has a gun to their head or something of that nature.

3a.) Ties in with 3: Develop a plan. It doesn't hurt to do it and it might save your life and the lives of your loved ones. People will strike you where they can hit you.
 
Does this happen a lot?
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It's not unusual in one form or another. You cannot use force against the mere threat of future force. There's no imminence to a mere threat. There's a limit to what you can do other than follow the Scout motto.

Things get really interesting when the nutjob's OWN PSYCHIATRIST calls to warn you he's been daydreaming about cutting you into bits! LOL
 
Report it to the police. In most states making a death threat is a crime all by itself (in Arkansas, it's called a "terroristic threat.")
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Exactly. In Utah, it's called "simple assault."

This thread should be required reading.

Wes
 
PATTONTIME - "P.S. I am purposely not carrying at or near work because of this , I do not think he will kill me only beat the crap out of me, and my biggest fear is being put in jail for defending myself "too aggressively" What a world we live in .... "
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PattonTime, I do not think you are being realistic at all. When someone "beats the crap" out of someone else, that person beaten is always very seriously injured. You could very easily end up in a wheelchair for the rest of your life. It's not like fights you see in the movies, or what you might have experienced when you were a kid out on the school yard. It is down and dirty and the bad guy is trying his utmost to not only injure you but to destroy you!

Two weeks ago I was talking with a young man, who at the age of 33, three years ago, was attacked in a parking lot of a major chain super market here in Boise. He was putting groceries in the trunk of his car about 9:00 pm. He was parked at the far end of the parking lot. He did not see....

Three guys came up behind him and slugged him with a baseball bat to the back of the neck. He went down. They beat him, kicked him, and took his wallet. He told me he only had $35/$40. They "beat the crap" out of him, plus one of them tried to kill him by cutting his throat. (Yeah, I saw the scar.)

Aside from the cut throat, they broke his left wrist and shattered his right arm. He has more steel pins in his arms and hands than a pin cushion. They broke his neck and shattered a couple vertebrae in his upper spine. Several ribs were broken. He has had to have 13 operations on his neck and spine and he still can barely hobble along. He told me that if he did not walk every day, no matter the weather, he could not get out of bed the next day. He can not easily bend over to pick up anything from the ground or floor because of the damage to his spine.

I asked him if the police caught the guys who attacked, beat and robbed him and he said "No, I never really even saw them they hit me so fast. When the guy hit me in the back of the neck with the bat, it was all over for me."

So.... that is what happens when some scumbag piece of dung "beats the crap" out of someone.

Good luck to you, but don't ever think that someone who wants to hurt you and attempts it, isn't out to destroy your life.

L.W.
 
P.S. I am purposely not carrying at or near work because of this , I do not think he will kill me only beat the crap out of me, and my biggest fear is being put in jail for defending myself "too aggressively" What a world we live in ....
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Yeah, not a good Idea. Unless you have some serious hand to hand combat experience.
 
It's simple;

1. Do what is needed to keep yours and yourself safe and know the consequences of any actions that you may take. Think through the "what ifs". Figure out what you are able to do that falls within the laws for your location.

2. Take notes each time something happens. Record events if possible (law?)

3. File a police report for each situation. But, don't expect officers to keep you safe

4. If you feel it is needed file for a protective order. If you are able to get one, the police will help enforce the order. Again don't expect it to keep you safe if indeed there is a real threat.

I once observed an officer tell a friend in immediate danger "You cannot legally carry a firearm here (meaning conceded carry in the city). But you should do what is needed to defend yourself. "
 
If it's serious:

1) Insist upon filing a report, be persistent and polite to the police but refuse to get out of their hair until a report is filed.

2) Notify friends and family, accept help from cool-headed associates.

3) If you have a very regular schedule, change it. Leave earlier or later for work, take alternate routes, go on vacation, etc.

4) If necessary move away either temporary or permanently. If I had children or vulnerable loved ones I would probably exercise this option.

5) If you are capable, use counter surveillance. (This has the potential to be very dangerous, it also has the potential to be very effective)
 
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