Burglar throwing rocks at my window

[cekim]

For now, my plan is to hide behind my bed, aim gun at locked bedroom door and wait for bad guy to bust it down.

Not waiting for them to get that far into the house... Not to mention, the Bed makes for lousy cover

 

[drgrant]

That panic room idea is awesome! I hadn't thought of using one like that before. When I build my underground off-grid dream bunker in Montana someday, that's exactly how I'm going to have the place set up. What if the bad guy has a flashlight though? Could I set up some kind of strobe system throughout the house that'd only blind him but not me? Hmmm.... well anyway, all that stuff will matter only if the bad guy gets past my automated laser point defense system.

For now, my plan is to hide behind my bed, aim gun at locked bedroom door and wait for bad guy to bust it down.

I still like my coffin secure container idea....

http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=908071

 

[Sleepytime]

Ok, scratch the confronting tactic... how about balloons filled with piss? Drop them from the upper window. Just make sure the piss bombs were made after a night of drinking dark beers and coffee. 3 or 4 should do the trick, stored in a bucket next to the window were the sunlight can make them nice and warm.

"Yes, officer, A man tried to break into my house. Description, well, you really can't miss this one!"

 

[cekim]

I did have a flash bang, The gun I was armed with was my model 629 loaded with my special EC type rounds. I think it actually goes bang flash.

Lightspeed > speed of sound... Still "flash-bang"... (though its a close one at that range)

The EC load likely won't leave you alive long enough to be "disoriented" though

 

[Tucobkg]

Thanks guys for all of the advice. Mostly it was common sense. If he comes back again while I'm home I'll dial 911. I'm always armed in the home. If not on my direct person, One is nearby.

I would not have confronted him at all, that might have escalated the situation. You didnt know if he may in fact be armed himself. Arm yourself and call 911 from inside the house. If he made it inside your house, that is a different matter.



About 20 years ago when I was renting an apartment in Newton, I was awakened by two punks at my bathroom window. It was around midnight in the summer and the window was open except for a screen and a venetian blind. I could hear them but they could not see me. They were discussing if they should break in and how to do it. I quickly armed myself and dialed 911. Then I just stood in the hall until they entered. As soon as the first guy got in, I turned on the light and told him to freeze. The second guy ran just as the cops showed up. They caught him and proned him out. I made the second guy lie down on the floor, and told the 911 operator that the front door was unlocked and I had the other guy at gunpoint. The cops came in and made me put my gun down and then cuffed him.

Nobody got shot and they got caught. After it was all over, one of the cops told me I should have shot him and put a steak knife in his hand. Yeah, thanks for that advice sir.....

It was pretty exciting though.

 

[Realtor MA]

Even if I was not in MA, but in a more lenient jurisdiction, I still would not go outside. I don't know how many there are outside. I don't know where they are. They know where the doors are. They may be armed. Doors are fatal funnels. I'd rather they were coming through that fatal funnel towards me than for me to be going through that fatal funnel towards them.

I'll stay inside. Even discounting the possible legal entanglements, it is safer inside.

+1 Don't ever go looking. Best to avoid the fight. LEO has to search and detain. We don't. If your loved ones are sleeping down the hall that's a different story. You may be forced to move through the house to get to them. Otherwise, get armed and make the phone call.
One other note. You mentioned that "there are 'kids' breaking into cars". I think it would look very bad if it was determined that you had made that statement at a neighborhood bbq and then you were forced to hurt a kid breaking into your car. Even if the kid was armed you probably don't look good in the newspaper. And nobody looks good in court. Sad but true.

 

[Realtor MA]

one of the cops told me I should have shot him and put a steak knife in his hand.

Not the best advice but you've gotta love where this guy is coming from!

 

[OCB]

What kind of dog do you have? Small, yappie dog or something larger? Do you think the BG was able to hear your dog? I find it a little disconcerting that the BG was not deterred by the barking. Maybe he was just casing your house and didn't have any intention of going inside... or maybe he had a plan to deal with your dog, i.e. he was armed. just a thought.

 

[cevtv]

Ok, scratch the confronting tactic... how about balloons filled with piss? Drop them from the upper window.

Then you'll get sued for using a "Biological Weapon" on them, plus they'll be covered in your DNA........

 

[Lynne]

Yeah - rub it in D. You're in the live free state - YOU can do that.

Thanks guys for all of the advice. Mostly it was common sense. If he comes back again while I'm home I'll dial 911. I'm always armed in the home. If not on my direct person, One is nearby.

STAY on the line with the police - tell them someone's trying to break in and you have a Class A license - you won't do anything as long as your life isn't in danger. Tell them you want to stay on the line with them - do not hang up. If bad guy looks like he's making progress before the police get there - YELL to him (or her, I'm not biased) that the police are on their way and you are armed. You now have proof (because the call is recorded) that you gave the Ahole warning. It's called covering you back side.

 

[Du510]

Confront him? Why?

Here in my town, police response is a couple minutes tops. Why would I go outside and put myself in possible jeopardy? I don't know how many burglars there are. There may be more than one. They may be armed. Just because I have a gun and am the "good guy" doesn't mean I will prevail.

Call 911 and be a good witness. You're no good to your family if you are dead.

Sensible advise.

When I run through these scenarios in my head, my rule of thumb is to only use the weapon defensively, and never in an offensive position. Figure that'll keep my mental planning on the right track.

 

[clinotus]

Another thread were the OP should have shown even more restraint and waited for the BG to enter the premises at which point he could have flashbanged his own house, planted a Lorcin and become on overnight Internet legend.

 

[theGringo]

derek thanks for the picture can you say please get off of my lawn if this was down deep south you would have i min. to get off the ao oh thats right its ma, call 911 and protect your loved ones inside the home they are very important.

What?

 

[jenlynn724]

And then you would have been sued because your dog attacked an "innocent jogger". I would have armed myself and called the cops. As long as he was outside of my house no lead would be flying in his direction.

Well, to be throwing rocks at my window that's not visible from the street, you would need to be in my yard, behind a 6 foot fence.. If you are there uninvited I say you're fair game.

 

[Lynne]

Well, to be throwing rocks at my window that's not visible from the street, you would need to be in my yard, behind a 6 foot fence.. If you are there uninvited I say you're fair game.

Here, here!!

 

[cekim]

Well, to be throwing rocks at my window that's not visible from the street, you would need to be in my yard, behind a 6 foot fence.. If you are there uninvited I say you're fair game.

Indeed, just don't forget to align your jury optics for MA[sad2]

 

[George D]

Dude, you live in Hopedale, just call it in. A cop on the roof of the PD building with good optics can hit anything in town without even leaving the station.

But seriously, a good Mag Lite helps identify, blind and scare teenagers.

 

[Sleepytime]

If it happens again try and snap a picture of the perp. Wait between throws and snap the picture with the flash off. Then from another window yell out, in your best Walter Matheu voice, "I told you kids to stay off my lawn!"

 

[Squished]

I'm shocked no one here suggested firing warning shots....I've been waiting for that reply.

If it's a small town as suggested just call it in, probably some young town kid being stupid.

 

[KMM696]

I'm shocked no one here suggested firing warning shots....I've been waiting for that reply.

Well, since the price of ammo went way up, and availability is way down, it's just not worth it anymore.

 

[M1911]

Well, to be throwing rocks at my window that's not visible from the street, you would need to be in my yard, behind a 6 foot fence.. If you are there uninvited I say you're fair game.

Inside your home you have no duty to retreat. In most states, outside your home, even in your own fenced yard, you have a duty to retreat.

 

[packingungal]

And then you would have been sued because your dog attacked an "innocent jogger". I would have armed myself and called the cops. As long as he was outside of my house no lead would be flying in his direction.

Sending my family dog into an unknown potentially dangerous situation does not appeal to me. I suppose if I knew for sure my life was in danger might be one thing - but this scenario seems like a different thing.

 

[Mark from MA]

+ 1

That's how we roll in Hubbardston....I know my state cop neighbor who would be the first to arrive wouldn't have an issue with it....he'd be thanking me for keeping the neighborhood clean. When you've got no police coverage at night due to budget cuts, there's really little choice you have now isn't there.....

 

[M1911]

When you've got no police coverage at night due to budget cuts, there's really little choice you have now isn't there.....

You don't have to go out and confront them. You can choose to do so or choose not to do so.

 

[Pete85]

You didn't handle it the wrong way. I would have at least tried to see him and if possible, get some pictures for the police. Something as simple as snapping a couple photos with your cell phone can help the police match fingerprints at the scene with those of the other area break ins that you mentioned.

Don't be confrontational, as long as he's outside and you're inside, he's no threat to you, only to your property.

 

[pdm]

You didn't handle it the wrong way. I would have at least tried to see him and if possible, get some pictures for the police. Something as simple as snapping a couple photos with your cell phone can help the police match fingerprints at the scene with those of the other area break ins that you mentioned.

Don't be confrontational, as long as he's outside and you're inside, he's no threat to you, only to your property.

+1.

C'mon people. Page 6 before someone says "pics"?

 

[Doc Holiday]

I hear Harbor Freight has some ok color video camera's for reasonable prices. Just an idea. May not be top of the line, but getting them placed in the right direction, and placing something in veiw that you know the height of, you can give a reasonable description, height, possible weight, clothing, and possible race. Spending a $100 or 2, is so much better than the $1000's or tens of $1000, to defend and/or survive an attack from the BG or Mother May I Mass.

 

[Mark from MA]

You don't have to go out and confront them. You can choose to do so or choose not to do so.

Agreed. It would depend on the situation.....

Someone throwing rocks at my window may lead me to think as soon as I walk out the door I'd get jumped by a second BG....so it's a tough call. Probably best to stay inside call help and hope the situation doesn't escalate.

That said, I'm in the middle of the woods, in decent acreage, not even close to a road, so if there's someone in my yard, they are definately not supposed to be there. The worst thing is to let them get in and get the upper hand, help is not going to arrive for a while....

 

[Realtor MA]

Inside your home you have no duty to retreat. In most states, outside your home, even in your own fenced yard, you have a duty to retreat.

+1 It's called 'self defense' not 'self offense'.

 

[ArmedMainer]

Agreed. It would depend on the situation.....

Someone throwing rocks at my window may lead me to think as soon as I walk out the door I'd get jumped by a second BG....so it's a tough call. Probably best to stay inside call help and hope the situation doesn't escalate.

That said, I'm in the middle of the woods, in decent acreage, not even close to a road, so if there's someone in my yard, they are definately not supposed to be there. The worst thing is to let them get in and get the upper hand, help is not going to arrive for a while....

Very well said Mark. Because none of us know the lay-out of the OP's backyard it's hard to give good advice on the internet. Someone throwing rocks at a window on the other hand is not something to be taken lightly when child abductions and burglaries are on the rise. Unfortunately with all the budget cutbacks relying on the local PD to protect you or having the time to pursue the BG is beyond wishful thinking. I know many here will disagree with me but I would've carefully exited the house and confronted whoever was throwing the rocks and nipped their actions in the bud. Whoever it was NOW knows it is safe for them to retry whenever and whatever they wanted to do. Hopefully the "whatever" doesn't involve the OP's wife or kids, the rest he can replace.