My break-in story

[illinoisdeerhunter]

I'm new to this site but, I've read many of the threads in the last few days and felt compelled to post my 'break-in' story.
Two years ago , this coming fall, I had a break-in. I teach government and coach football and it was a friday night. I live in a fairly rural part of central Illinois, my nearest neighbor is aobut 1/2 mile away. By midnight, I'd gotten home from coaching a football game. My 17 year old daughter wast still out and I was tired and hit the sack. My bedroom is in the basement. I was startled awake by loud voices and, in a moment of sleepiness, I first thought it was still midnight and is was my daughter and her boyfriend in the livingroom watching TV. I later found out it was actually 3AM. It was just a few moments later that my (then) wife woke me up to tell me that the voices were a strange man in our house.
He was yelling, "Hey, are you in here! Come out were I can see you!" repetedly.
I grabbed my M1 carbine with 2, 15 round clips in the stock bandolier, rammed a clip home and readied the rifle as I approached the stairs.
At I came up the stairs, carbine poised, I entered the livingroom to witness this strange man go from, "Hey, ...come out where I can see you." to "Mister, please don't shoot me!"
It all seemed like a blur yet it all seemed to last a hundred years...at the same time.
I didn't know it at the time, but my 5 year old son was right on my tail advancing nearly step-for-step with me and my (then) wife was already on the phone dialing 911 to get the county sheriff's dept.
I've always told the kids in my classroom, one never REALLY knows how they will react in one of these situations until one is thrust into it. Many of my former students have returned from military, especially a bunch who returned from the first Desert Storm, to support this idea.
It's kind of funny looking back. The main thing running through my mind as I held this intruder at gun point was, "I really don't want to get blood on my new floor." I was fairly certain that my children were safe. Later, I found out that my 15 year old daughter slept through the whole incident...with her door wide open. My 17 year old had come home earlier and was curled up under her bed shaking nearly uncontrollably, as she told me later.
Response time isn't so great living in a rural area. After about ten minutes I did something that the deputy said he'd never heard of before. I demanded the man's ID and forced him to sit in a chair on the front porch. I stayed in the house with my gun trained on him through the screen door. I did this, as I recall, because it began to disgust me to think this man was in my house. The possibilities of his darkness intentions drew over me and raced through my thoughts. Had he followed my daughter home? (by then I'd realized she was indeed home.) Did he have an accomplice? Was he attempting to rob me. Was he planning to rape one of my teenage daughters? Was he just drunk and not aware of what he was doing?
He sat out there for nearly 40 minutes, shaking from the cool fall evening, while the one deputy on duty for the whole county raced from the far side of the county where most of the problems occur. My hometown, 8 miles away, sent back up and Officer "Ernie" showed up first. I know Ernie and, after he cuffed the man and waited for the deputy to show, we chatted.
It was only then that the nervousnous of the occasion started to surface. I began to realize, I had the life of another human, the choice to end that life, literally at the tip of my finger. When the deputy arrived, he surmized, (later we found out he was correct), that the perp was very drunk and had been left behind at a road side party about 2 miles from my house. My house was the first one he came across and he thought he recognized it and entered thinking he was in a friends house. (The guy was not only from out-of-town..he was from out-of-state visiting .)
I understand that he plead to criminal tresspass to avoid a charge of home invasion.
Looking back, it was a traumatic experience for my family. My then wife is no longer part of our family. This incidnet wasn't THE reason she left but, it was a small factor. My son still talks about "the intruder" as he calls him.
I used to question those who made bold comments like. "If someone breaks into my house, I'm shooting first and asking question later!"
I still question these types but, now it is with a respect that allows for a bit of understanding yet reminds me..."I've been there and I DIDN'T do that (pull the trigger)." My children and I sleep well at night now, many times with the doors unlocked and open to let in the cool summer night breeze. The "intruder" is ancient history for us. Ancient history that it, until there is a strange 'bump' in the night.
Would I have shot him? I don't really know. I know that I had my finger on the trigger and was calm as I'd be standing in front of my class. Is property worth possibly ending a life? Again...I don't know. I am confident that if any harm had come to my family I would have had no problem pulling the trigger...I think.
The one thing I do know is this, I have a life experience story to share with my students. I'm sharing it with you as well.

 

[igpoobah]

Thanks for sharing... Scary stuff.

 

[jlbraun]

This incidnet wasn't THE reason she left but, it was a small factor.

It is quite common for two people to divorce after a stressful event.

Those of us who have not gone through a defensive situation should be advised that your partner is likely to leave you afterward, even if you were in the right.

 

[748]

"I really don't want to get blood on my new floor."
Yea. My wife would be pissed. Way pissed.
If people break into my house, like kick in the door it could get messy. Because then you know they want to go.
If one guy wanders in b/c my wife left the front door open I would hold him for the cops and maybe rough him up a bit if they did not want to play by my rules. I would want to see his ID and stuff too. Great call on that one.

 

[JamisJockey]

Those of us who have not gone through a defensive situation should be advised that your partner is likely to leave you afterward, even if you were in the right.

Sometimes I think my wife has more confidence in my ability to defend the family and her than I have.
I think the real strain on the relationship would come from the aftermath. Investigations, fear and possible financial ramifications.

 

[illinoisdeerhunter]

JJ,

What you said is sooo true. All marriages have strains, ups and downs. A criminal encounter within the home could very well put a shaky marriage over the top. I saw it happen to a friend.
IMO, it is similar to the reason why law enforcement types have such a high divorce rate (If I understand correctly). Similarly, inner-city urban educators have a much higher divorce rate that their suburban/rural counterpart. Could it be from the everyday stresses put upon people in those situations?

 

[JamisJockey]

In my old job as an ATC, the divorce rate was higher than average best I could tell, too.
Being that the divorce rate in this country is around 45%, (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003701723_webdivorce10.html), it's hard to really say that a stressful incident is really the cause. Even if the wife and I didn't survive the strain, I'd sleep better at night knowing I saved her life if it came down to it.

 

[Caimlas]

My children and I sleep well at night now, many times with the doors unlocked and open to let in the cool summer night breeze.

That seems like an awfully cavalier approach. What's to say it won't happen again, or you don't have a situation where you need the 30 seconds afforded to you by the door while an intruder kicks it in? I'm reminded of that recent situation where the husband survived a burglary but the wife and two teenage daughters ended up raped and burned alive...

I'm guessing the guy got in through a door left unlocked by your eldest?

I had a situation very, very similar to the one you describe - almost to the letter - a couple years back (about 2 years, come to think of it). My wife woke me telling me there was someone in our living room yelling, and I popped up and grabbed my pistol (from the headboard) and went to investigate with it held behind my back. Someone had indeed left the front door open, and he'd found his way in. He'd drunk enough to last until the next weekend, and he was disoriented.

Turned out he was the cousin of the guy who lived up stairs and was lost/confused (I recognized him after hitting the light; he was too drunk to notice the gun I think), but it made me realize the importance of keeping doors locked! To this day I habitually lock doors when I come inside, even if it's in the middle of the day and everyone is home and we live in a much, much nicer neighborhood.

My one thought was, "don't miss, doors are expensive" (he was in front of it). I was freaking out of my mind before I knew what was going on, and I didn't sleep afterwards until well after dawn (5+ hours after the event).

 

[Gunsmoker]

"I really don't want to get blood on my new floor."

I go through certain scenarios in my apartment and this thought is always on my mind. Just because I don't want blood, brains, and bone bits all over my walls and floor is reason enough to just threaten with the gun and not shoot unless absolutely necessary.


Good thing you made it out okay. There could've been a much worse outcome.

 

[SSN Vet]

welcome to THR and thanks for sharing your story.

great sig. line too

I'm assuming IDH is short for your handle.

 

[illinoisdeerhunter]

I supose it may sound 'cavalier' attitude. I do however, live 8 miles from a very small town and half a mile away from my nearest neighbor. The doors open (in warm weather of course) actually help since I can hear my dogs barking MUCH easier if someone comes near the house.

 

[eltorrente]

My 17 year old had come home earlier and was curled up under her bed shaking nearly uncontrollably, as she told me later.

Man - scary stuff for a kid to go through.

It's a good thing you didn't shoot him. This was one of many cases where a drunk/confused person enters the wrong house and ends up with a weapon drawn on him. Sadly, these often end in someone getting killed over a big misunderstanding, so it's a good thing you kept your cool.

I also like how you took his ID and had him sit on the porch to wait for the cops.

Many people on gun forums talk about how they would just blast someone basically no questions ask, but in my mind I'm always envisioning NOT shooting the guy and simply holding him until the cops get there. I would feel terrible for the rest of my life I knew I killed someone as long as there was a possibility of not needing to. Of course, if he pulled a gun or knife on me or something I'd have to pull the trigger, but if he only had my stereo in his hand, I wouldn't shoot him. My property is pretty valuable, and I have lots of nice hometheater equipment and stuff, but NONE of it is as valuable as someone's life (yes, even a criminal's life).

 

[Elmer Fudd]

My children and I sleep well at night now, many times with the doors unlocked and open to let in the cool summer night breeze.

Thanks for sharing your story.

If I were you, I would rethink the unlocked doors and windows on the ground floor. We have two houses, one in the suburbs and one in the country. I have never heard of a robbery or criminal problem in our suburban neighborhood. Out in the country, we have not had a problem, but we are a mile off the dirt road. The far away neighbors on the paved two-lane, in sight of the road, have had their tractor stolen and their house cleaned out twice. We have an alarm system on both houses, with a cell backup on the country place. I lock all doors at night (and all day in the suburbs) at both places, to include outdoor vehicles.

Paranoid, maybe, but we have never been burgled or had an intruder in our home, knock on wood.

 

[FieroCDSP]

We had an attempted breaking last fall between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The sound awoke me (slowly), and my neighbors downstairs thought their cats had knocked over their large turtle tank. By the time we responded coherently, he was gone, but none of us got any useful sleep that night. I'd just start to drift off into unconsciousness and then snap back awake at the least noise. Longest night I've had in a very long time. I'm sure most people are that way.

 

[glockman19]

Deer Hunter,

Welcome to THR and thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[DavidVS]

Thank you for sharing.

Where we live it is "normally" safe to have doors open at night, and I sometimes do during the summer.

A tough screen door (screen over a metal lattice) with a deadbolt is on my shopping list, but it's not enough of a priority that I have purchased and installed it yet.

 

[illinoisdeerhunter]

Putting hardware cloth (heavy gauge 1/4" screen) on a screen door. I already have it on the bottom panel to keep the dogs from pushing out the screen.
My dad never used to lock the doors to the house. As a matter of fact, for a long time, he didn't even have a key to the back door. I recall going on vacation and Dad leaving the door unlocked.
Times have changed though and, I feel they will continue to change...for the worse. they next generation will likely have security cameras and the such standard in the home even in the safeest of neighborhoods.

 

[ceetee]

There are no such things as "the safest of neighborhoods" anymore. I make sure all our doors and windows are locked, whether we're home or away. If I felt secure enough to allow a window open, I'd still get some of those locking devices that you can install on your windows so that they can only be opened a set amount. That way, you can get the breeze while still slowing an intruder down somewhat. I'd never go to bed with a door unlocked.

 

[bruss01]

Where we live it is "normally" safe to have doors open at night, and I sometimes do during the summer.

This is not true, anywhere, anymore. If you want air circulation, there are plenty of screen doors that have reasonable security to them. The experience recounted just goes to show that the unexpected does happen, anywhere, anytime. Glad no one was hurt, but I'm sure the family had an experience they'll remember the rest of their lives.

 

[Browning]

Interesting read, but after all that why would you still leave the door unlocked?

At the very least I'd get a security door with a screen if I wanted to let the breeze in. I'm not trying to start an argument or anything, but you didn't really learn much if you're still leaving your door unlocked all during the day and when you all go to sleep at night. I don't know how you could sleep with an unlocked door, I know that it would nag me until I got up and locked it.

I know that you don't want to live in fear or feel that you're a prisoner in your own home, but I lock my doors during the day, much less at night. That way someone would have to break something in order to get in which would alert us to the break in, then they'd get to meet our dog and then they'd get to meet either me or another armed member of my family while the police were on their way.

 

[illinoisdeerhunter]

Two reasons I feel fairly safe leaving my doors unlocked now.
#1-A small loud dog that bark when a car is with 1/4 of the house.
#2-A very big mean dog that roams the house at night.

I do live in a very rural area. My nearest neighbor is 1/2 mile away. There are times when the only vehicles to go past the house are the mail man and the neighbor. The busiest day on our road is Sunday. As many as 10 cars go by in an afternoon.

 

[orionengnr]

It is quite common for two people to divorce after a stressful event.

Those of us who have not gone through a defensive situation should be advised that your partner is likely to leave you afterward, even if you were in the right.

I would take that as preferable to being murdered together and sleeping eternally in marital bliss....

It's a good thing you didn't shoot him. This was one of many cases where a drunk/confused person enters the wrong house and ends up with a weapon drawn on him. Sadly, these often end in someone getting killed over a big misunderstanding, so it's a good thing you kept your cool.

Many cases? Often end? Oh, really? I've yet to hear of one. Sources, please...

Sounds like a Brady press release.

 

[fatelk]

I have a similar story, though it didn't happen to me. I was reading the paper from the town I grew up in, and there was a story about a guy who woke up at 2am to yelling and pounding on the door. Then a very large, hairy guy busts the door down as the homeowner escapes out the back door. The police arrive and enter the house to find John sleeping on the couch. It seems he was quite drunk and thought it was his house and his girlfriend had locked him out. Believe it or not, they worked it out to where charges were dropped and John was there the next day fixing the door.

The reason it caught my attention was because I know "Big John". He worked for my dad bucking haybales as a teenager on the farm when I was real young. He's very large and a bit scary looking, talks with a stutter. The homeowner would have had every right to have feared for his life and shot him. That would have been too bad though, as John really is a nice guy. I know it's not smart to get drunk and barge into people's houses, but it always ends better when nobody dies.

 

[RexKwonDo]

Many cases? Often end? Oh, really? I've yet to hear of one. Sources, please...

Sounds like a Brady press release.

I dont believe they often end in bloodshed, either, but there certainly are many cases. I've personally had people who meant me no harm wander in or break in to my apartment three times, and into my parents' house (while I lived there) twice. All 5 cases were drunks or drug addicts too stupid to know where they were. I have a cousin who has had many more people than that wander into his house, and scores who have at least tried to open the door. He lives in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, if anyone's local to here.

 

[BADUNAME13]

My children and I sleep well at night now, many times with the doors unlocked and open to let in the cool summer night breeze.

I'd like to Echo what everyone else has said about this.
Having preformed MANY home invasions myself (Relax, In Iraq) I know HOW FAST they can be done.

The few seconds the door will take will give me enough time to draw from the holster, and begin moving to concealment.

In one house I rented I was in the country... but I had a screen door with decorative metal work for when I wanted air.

I also lock all exterier doors WHENEVER I go through them, inside or out.
Many home invasions happen during the day... when they expect everyone to be at work.

Teach your 17 year old Daughter how to shoot, and arm her... Do you want her 'trembling under her bed' when she moves out?