Cams,
Help me I'm trying to square this circle. Is it not reasonable for a homeowner to answer a 12am door to a knock on the door with some means of protection, including a gun, baseball bat, or blade ? Especially if a look out the door peep hole & reveals nothing.
The only reason I'm alive today after my 'swatting' is I went to the door at 11pm looked through the peep hole and saw what I thought a cop.
Now a ex-Fed Marshal I served with in the 'Rice bowl' said to me "nothing illegal about answering a door with a firearm".... but had I, I would have been another Veteran shot dead on in his home without committing any crime....This shite has to STOP....Protect the police, and their job is to protect the public, Nest Pas ?
Rat
Well my friend I cannot say what is reasonable for other folks, wouldn’t even try, situation dictates course of action. Always.
I’m saddened by what you went through and find it embarrassing for my job that these things happen. I understand it all too well after also getting my ass bundled by f***tard cops for legally carrying a firearm after I threw some dirtbag through a store window. I was then fired upon, twice, while handcuffed to a wall, lost my LTC, had items stolen from my vehicle after it was towed and was mocked as being Rambo during my booking process, after being shot at by these same idiots. I feel you man.
I decided to be the cop I wish I had met, not the ones that almost killed me and ruin my life.
For your question, your friend is absolutely correct, there is no law against answering your own door while being armed. None. it’s your property.
Personally my pistol is always on or next to me, it’s just automatic now and never out of arms reach.
I wouldn’t open my door unless I could visually clear whoever was out there. On my front door there’s 3 small “decorative” frosted pains of glass, but one of them is one way glass so I can see perfectly out of it but nobody can see in. My side door/screen porch entrance is clearly marked “beware of dog-go around front” so if they’re legit I’m already inside their head and they’re following directions, if they’re not responding to that, it gives me an extra moment to prepare that they are acting as a threat now. A lot of times a knock or doorbell is just a distraction to get you to step outside or to get you to unlock the door and then the bad guys kick it in on your face. it’s easier for them than trying to kick a hardened doorway.
If I cannot see the person clearly but they’re talking to me, and I’ve done this before, I will tell them to step back several feet so I can see better and see if they have anything in their hands, how many there are or how they’re dressed etc. If they ID as police, I’d tell them to use their flashlight and hold up ID or call for uniforms to be present before I open the door or I’d even call the local dispatch myself and have them confirm that police are at my residence for some reason.
Other than that I’m not coming out and if someone breaches it’s game on.
If you’re at the door for someone knocking and you’re armed, but not as paranoid as me, and you decide to open the door, just stick your roscoe in the back of your pants before doing so. It’s right there if you need it, and nobody else can see it if you don’t.
I drilled into my family and friends that they absolutely have to call before coming over, that way I never get lax with a doorbell or knock. It’s an immediate stranger alert.
Think about your rice bowl days, you lose good men up to a point and then everybody starts looking like the enemy no matter who they are or where they are, triggers get pressed a lot quicker because you really don’t know who the enemy is anymore and mentally you refuse to lose any more friends. it starts getting into your head that they’re f***ing everywhere doesn’t it.
I’m not comparing wartime service with policing, it’s very different obviously, but, the resulting mental anxiety, anger, sadness, fear and jumpiness is exactly the same after a while when you see your co-workers or compatriots across the country being ambushed and executed while simply responding to noise complaints or even sitting in their vehicle having a cup of Joe. You can’t change or re-learn/un-learn that type of psychology in the human mind simply because it’s not a military environment. Once that’s there it’s there and that’s just being human.
Like I said last night, I wish I had the answers to it, I just don’t, because it involves humans, and humans will always act differently, unpredictably. I’ve seen both sides. I’ve been on both sides. It’s a very fine line to walk after a while.
