Your Gun Is Trained On An Intruder

[03Shadowbob]

More than likely if he sees you have a gun trained on him and he doesn't move, it is because he is too scared to move. Speak loudly and clearly what you want him to do. If he hauls ass like they should do, then that's OK. Call the po-po and hope they catch him. If he doesn't move then tell him to get on floor, etc.. If he gets on floor, great. Call police and wait for them not taking your eyes off him for one second. If you tell him to leave, get on floor, whatever and he doesn't do it, tell him 3 more times with a very clear message that if he doesn't do one or the other you will have to stop the threat. At that point, I would feel sorry for his next of kin.
This is all assuming he doesn't have something in his hands, but not being sure what he has tucked in his pants. Maybe he is waiting for an opportunity to pull something out.
Now if kids are involved and he is between me and my kids, all comments above are out the window. If he is lucky, he will hear the Remington rack and leave the area immediately.

 

[Eyesac]

Unfortunatly, if a guy is in my house and my wife is home, I'm inclined to yell a order to leave once (if he doesn't comply), then shoot to avoid danger to her or myself. I know plenty of people would warn against it, but that's probably what I'd do. I'm not risking anything when it comes to my wife, period.

 

[Geno]

TexasSigMan has that right. I carry 24/7! It would be by the intruder's luck that I would not have my gun. Perhaps I take this more seriously because of multiple break-ins over the course of my 46 years of life, and especially because of two breakins in our neighbors' houses over the past year.

 

[Rev. DeadCorpse]

I'm in Texas. If he's in my house and my weapon is pointing at him, the trigger WILL be pulled. At least twice.

If you are in my house uninvited, you are a danger to my family and I fear for our safety. I don't care what your intentions are. You've violated our home. That is enough.

 

[BobTheTomato]

Hold on tight so he doesnt take if from you and use it against you

 

[tanksoldier]

You didn't read the article you linked very closely. The law in Colorado allows a resident inside their dwelling to use deadly force against and intruder if they believe the intruder MAY used any force at all against them, no matter how slight. Anyone inside my house uninvited MAY use force against me at some point in the confrontation, even if it's only pushing me out of the way to run out the door.

There was another case just after the law passed. Guy breaks into a home with a knife, residents knock him unconcious with a baseball bat... THEN stab him with his own knife. Case thrown out. the intruded MIGHT have woken up and continued to struggle with the residents. That was in DENVER.

Now, if it's clearly obvious that an intruder is absolutely not a threat I wouldn't shoot them. I could imagine a situation where somebody might be in my house for some reason that really isn't really criminal... maybe they're confused or injured or something unusual like that. Perhaps the intruder drops what he's doing and bolts for the door... I probably wouldn't shoot even though I'd be within my rights.

However, the default setting is to shoot... not because they're making a ham sandwich or stealing the TV (unless it's football season) but because they're in my house and I have no way of knowing what ELSE they might do given the chance... and, frankly, because if _I_ end their career now the little old lady down the street won't have them kicking in HER door tomorrow.

Another story: Lady lives alone three houses down. She was working in her yard, went inside and jumped in the shower. Comes out of shower to find a black duffle bag on her bed with her jewelry and other valuables in it. BG was looting her room while she was outside, probably hid in a closet and then ran out when she got in the shower... or maybe her shower ended sooner than he expected. Either way, if somebody had put a stop to this guy earlier he wouldn't have been working in MY neighborhood that day. Could have as easily picked my house as hers, could as easily have been my wife as they lady in question.

I reiterate. The default setting is to shoot.

A "Make My Day" law does not permit you to shoot an unarmed intruder in your home if they don't represent a physical threat. An empty handed guy 20 feet away doesn't represent a credible physical threat until he moves towards you or produces some weapon. Be careful not to make yourself a criminal by misinterpreting the law.

 

[mpmarty]

If he gets INSIDE my house, either he or I are dead where we stand unless it's christmas eve and he's santa claus.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I don't think I would want to try to hold an intruder at gunpoint while calling the police. I would tell him to beat feet and tell the police his description and if possible which way he went after he makes tracks. If he doesn't, he sealed his own fate.

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

However, the default setting is to shoot... not because they're making a ham sandwich or stealing the TV (unless it's football season) but because they're in my house and I have no way of knowing what ELSE they might do given the chance... and, frankly, because if _I_ end their career now the little old lady down the street won't have them kicking in HER door tomorrow.

Tankgunner nailed it. I let some guy just waltz out of there and 2 days later my neighbor is dead.

 

[Jeff White]

tanksoldier said,

Perhaps the intruder drops what he's doing and bolts for the door... I probably wouldn't shoot even though I'd be within my rights.

Hmmm...are you absolutely certain you'd be within your rights? I seem to recall a case where a Colorado man shot an intruder as he was running away. Last I heard the homeowner was still in prison.

There was another case just after the law passed. Guy breaks into a home with a knife, residents knock him unconcious with a baseball bat... THEN stab him with his own knife. Case thrown out. the intruded MIGHT have woken up and continued to struggle with the residents.

Sounds like an urban legend to me. Got a cite to the actual case?

Another story: Lady lives alone three houses down. She was working in her yard, went inside and jumped in the shower. Comes out of shower to find a black duffle bag on her bed with her jewelry and other valuables in it. BG was looting her room while she was outside, probably hid in a closet and then ran out when she got in the shower... or maybe her shower ended sooner than he expected. Either way, if somebody had put a stop to this guy earlier he wouldn't have been working in MY neighborhood that day. Could have as easily picked my house as hers, could as easily have been my wife as they lady in question.

What does this have to do with shooting an intruder. Your neighbor didn't, she didn't even see the intruder. Are you saying you would have shot the black duffle bag because you couldn't shoot the bad guy? Who was your neighbor supposed to shoot? She never saw the intruder.

Never mind, this explains it;

and, frankly, because if _I_ end their career now the little old lady down the street won't have them kicking in HER door tomorrow.

What makes you think you'd have been able to catch him to execute him and make the neighborhood safe? He hid from a woman who was home alone. What makes you think he'd even have targeted your house because you were there. Your gun is there to defend you and yours. If you think that you are providing society some kind of service by ridding it of goblins then you perhaps you should not own a gun. The antis rail on and on about vigilantism and the online firearms communty does it's best to prove them right. :banghead:

I'm closing this thread, there are about four members who I could ban right now for violating the forum rule against bloodlust. If you haven't read the sticky thread at the top of the forum, read it before you post again.

Jeff