Why I will be carrying at home from now on

[Underwhere]

I had a few friends over.
Sitting out backyard near around a small fire.
We had a TV pointing to the back yard.
We were sitting around watching a show. Not being noisy. Not drinking. I have a pretty big back yard and the edges of it are woodsy.

Suddenly I see a guy walk into my backyard and very briskly come towards us. I have a lot of friends and assumed it was one of them coming by unannounced (my friends do this frequently).

As he got closer I realized he wasn't.
It was some guy I had never seen before. In his early 40's.
He threw something into our fire and then just started screaming obscenities at us (me and 3 women).

He had this crazy look in his eyes. He was screaming how our TV was bothering him and how he could smell the fire etc etc.

He became increasingly more agitated. I walked up to him and tried to calm him down by apologizing and saying "all you need to do is ask. I have no problem putting the fire out and going inside" and he continued to scream.

He then proceeded to come up right to my face and I really think he wanted a full on fight.

Now, I've never been in a fight my entire life, nor do I ever want one. I would never want to shoot someone either as I believe things can usually be worked out. However, this guy was definitely off his rocker and completely unpredictable.

This went on for a while but I eventually got him to cool down a little and then leave.

He then proceded to drive up and down the start of my driveway revving the engine.

The only thing I was thinking at the time was "why was I not carrying!" This guy was obviously nuts. What if he had a knife? What if he had a gun?

My friends have always made fun of me asking "why would you have any reason to carry? You don't live in a bad area, you aren't involved with any "bad" people etc".

Well the 3 girls tonight aren't going to say that again. As soon as he left, they asked me whether I had my gun.

I went and got it and then called the police.


I'm still a little freaked out.
My entire life I have never had a confrontation with any neighbor. All my neighbors are very nice and if there is any problem we would always approach it in a nice manner.

I can't stress how strange and erratic this guy was. I am pretty sure he was on some sort of drug or medication.

Pic of my back yard.
It is a cascading back yard. The 2nd level goes back about another 30 feet before it slopes up again to the tree line. It's hard to see the 2nd level in the pic.
I think he lives in one of the houses beyond the trees up near the top of the picture.

 

[Underwhere]

You are a hobbit that has just discovered that evil can find you anywhere you are...yes, even in the Shire.

I'm glad everything turned out okay for you and your friends. Next time you might not be so lucky so better to be prepared.

BTW, he probable was on something and that makes it even scarier. There is nothing worse than dealing with somebody who is not participating in the same version of reality that you and your friends were. Lord only knows what was going through his head, he was probably on meth or something.

I'm not sure what he was on. I didn't smell alcohol but it could very well have been something else.

I really am not describing it well as even when I re-read my thread it sounds like almost nothing at all.

Imagine sitting in your back yard at night just enjoying a small fire when a guy just runs up to you from the shadows and starts a confrontation.

The 3 women were absolutely terrified after he left. They went inside and locked the doors/windows.

 

[tele_mark]

What did the cops say after you gave them your report?

 

[ArmedMainer]

What time of night was it and how far away does your neighbor live from your house? Could you have been bothering him or was he just being a jerk? Our neighbors in Maine have had some pretty big parties well into the morning and obviously didn't care if we heard their taste in music. I've heard in Maine fireworks are illegal and if you set some off in a rude neighbors driveway at 2:45AM the police will come and shut down said party. Don't know if its true but that is what I've heard.

 

[jhrosier]

Add a can of OC and a cell phone to your list of "must haves."
You don't get to shoot someone for being rude.

Jack

 

[Slim]

He had this crazy look in his eyes. He was screaming how our TV was bothering him and how he could smell the fire etc etc.

He became increasingly more agitated. I walked up to him and tried to calm him down by apologizing and saying "all you need to do is ask. I have no problem putting the fire out and going inside" and he continued to scream.

He then proceeded to come up right to my face and I really think he wanted a full on fight.

Never, ever allow someone to invade your personal space like this during a confrontation. Especially if you've already identified them as being agitated and behaving irrationally. If he had a knife, or decided to nail you with a head butt or sucker punch from 2 ft away, having a gun would probably not have made any difference.

Lesson learned: You let him get too close.

You should have just moved the party inside and called the cops, and got a gun ready in case he decided to invite himself in.

 

[Adam_MA]

I'd a knocked him the f*** out!

 

[Admin]

Never, ever allow someone to invade your personal space like this during a confrontation. Especially if you've already identified them as being agitated and behaving irrationally. If he had a knife, or decided to nail you with a head butt or sucker punch from 2 ft away, having a gun would probably not have made any difference.

Lesson learned: You let him get too close.

You should have just moved the party inside and called the cops, and got a gun ready in case he decided to invite himself in.

+1 Lesson learned. If someone appears to be that angry and you feel it may lead to a physical confrontation make sure you keep a safe distance to allow yourself ample time to counter.

 

[N.E. CHARTERS]

Some people are just wierd

He most likly was drugged out on something or just Crazy.

Its OK to hit Crazy people on PCP or Math Amphedimines as they wont remember who you are when they wake up.


However.

Dont dont say where your bonfire was? It may be in a volitile firehazard area in which the guy may be right??

Are you in California? Folrida, Georgia?


You Gotta Know when to Hold em; You Gotta Know ehn to Fold em & You Gotta Know when to RUN!

 

[Major Blood]

I'd a knocked him the f*** out!

+1

If he was that messed up and was intent on doing you harm with a weapon, odds are he would've been brandishing it when he approached you...most drug crazed loonies don't think to conceal their weapon. He sounds like he was just a blowhard that wanted to vent and throw a tantrum.

I've got to say, the thought of someone who's never been in a fight walking around with a gun is kind of scary to me. I'd suggest taking the money from your next planned gun purchase and invest in a basic self-defense class.

 

[bpm990d]

... the thought of someone who's never been in a fight walking around with a gun is kind of scary to me. I'd suggest taking the money from your next planned gun purchase and invest in a basic self-defense class.

Why is that scary? IMO it means they know how to deescalate and avoid conflict.

B

 

[KMaurer]

I only carry at home and other places where I don't think that I'm ever going to have any need for a defense gun. I just stay the hell away from the other places.

Ken

 

[MassMark]

He threw something into our fire and then just started screaming obscenities at us (me and 3 women).

This part troubles me the most. It could have been anything he tossed in your fire - what was it? You're lucky it wasn't a can of starter fluid.

It's easy to Monday Morning Quarterback this thing - we weren't there. However, I do agree with the "personal space" violation. Never let anyone get that in your face. Even if you have to retreat to call police, (keep a phone on you) or to put yourself in a position to better defend yourself, fine. But a self-defense class would be a good tool, along with more diligent carry of some protection.

Look, my "glory days" are long gone. The days of duking it out are a memory. It's easy to say that I would have knocked this guy silly with my fist, but in reality, I'd likely have smashed him with a chunk of firewood, or at least swept his legs and knocked his ass down. I carry a knife, revolver and mace constantly and around the house, my 642 is generally in my pocket. I think at the very least, if you train yourself to always have something to defend yourself with, you're ahead of the game a bit...

PS: Did I miss it? Was he arrested?

 

[Underwhere]

What did the cops say after you gave them your report?

Well obviously they didn't care much cause to them, really nothing happened. I called the police because I wanted record of him being there in case something happened later on.

What time of night was it and how far away does your neighbor live from your house? Could you have been bothering him or was he just being a jerk? Our neighbors in Maine have had some pretty big parties well into the morning and obviously didn't care if we heard their taste in music. I've heard in Maine fireworks are illegal and if you set some off in a rude neighbors driveway at 2:45AM the police will come and shut down said party. Don't know if its true but that is what I've heard.

It was about 11PM.
Again, my back yard is pretty big and at the end of the yard are trees. I can barely make out light in the houses behind them so I figured if I could barely make that out, they shouldn't really be able to see mine.

Regardless of that, if he had come by and asked, we would have taken it inside.

It wasn't a party either. It was 4 people watching TV. We weren't yelling, drinking, being rowdy.

Add a can of OC and a cell phone to your list of "must haves."
You don't get to shoot someone for being rude.

Jack

I agree.
I wasn't going to rip out my glock and start pointing it at people.
My point was that it would have been nice to have.
I didn't expect someone to run up the steps into my back yard at us. He could have had a knife or gun.

Never, ever allow someone to invade your personal space like this during a confrontation. Especially if you've already identified them as being agitated and behaving irrationally. If he had a knife, or decided to nail you with a head butt or sucker punch from 2 ft away, having a gun would probably not have made any difference.

Lesson learned: You let him get too close.

You should have just moved the party inside and called the cops, and got a gun ready in case he decided to invite himself in.

Yeah, I've been thinking about what I should have done differently and that was one of things I had thought about.

This part troubles me the most. It could have been anything he tossed in your fire - what was it? You're lucky it wasn't a can of starter fluid.

It's easy to Monday Morning Quarterback this thing - we weren't there. However, I do agree with the "personal space" violation. Never let anyone get that in your face. Even if you have to retreat to call police, (keep a phone on you) or to put yourself in a position to better defend yourself, fine. But a self-defense class would be a good tool, along with more diligent carry of some protection.

Look, my "glory days" are long gone. The days of duking it out are a memory. It's easy to say that I would have knocked this guy silly with my fist, but in reality, I'd likely have smashed him with a chunk of firewood, or at least swept his legs and knocked his ass down. I carry a knife, revolver and mace constantly and around the house, my 642 is generally in my pocket. I think at the very least, if you train yourself to always have something to defend yourself with, you're ahead of the game a bit...

PS: Did I miss it? Was he arrested?

Yeah, I never had my "glory days" and I wasn't looking for a fight either. I shouldn't have gotten close to him.

My guess is that he wasn't arrested unless he started to freak out at the cops when they went to talk to him.

The police came by and basically said if I don't want him around to send him a certified letter saying so...that he really didn't "do" anything wrong. They're right but I wanted it documented anyway.

 

[Rockrivr1]

The police came by and basically said if I don't want him around to send him a certified letter saying so...that he really didn't "do" anything wrong. They're right but I wanted it documented anyway.

Didn't do anything wrong? He was trespassing at the very minimum. Disturbing the peace. I would assume he was threatening you in some way, refusing to leave when asked etc'.

Sending a certified letter. What a crock. Might not be a bad idea to file a restraining order.

I also have to agree with MassMark. The first thing I thought of when reading your post was "what did he throw in your fire"? If it had been a lighter, bottle of lighter fluid or a small can of bug spray etc', there would of been a nice explosion that could of been delayed for several seconds to minutes depending on how big the fire was.

I do have to give you props for maintaining your cool. Not sure I would of. Guys who get in your face tend to make my blood boil pretty quick. Even though you may not want to ever get into a fight, sometimes a fight comes to you. I second the idea of taking a good self defense class. Even if you never have to use the skills, it's good to have them in the event you "HAVE" to use them.

 

[SKS Ray]

Growing up here in New Bedford I got into a lot of "scuffles" so I'm no stranger to a fight. Getting older and having more responsibilities has taught me to have a cool head but I don't think I could have took someone coming straight at me and yelling in my face w/out snapping and going for his throat.
I too agree with the idea that a self defense class is a good idea.
Its hard to get that first fight over, or even some after that because of nerves, but a class will teach you to let defensive instinct take over and react accordingly. Plus its a lot easier to justify a hand to hand self defense fight to courts than what it is if you shot someone.

 

[boomerang]

I suggest some of that green poly coated steel fencing that is used on farms. The kind with the bailing wire. Put it in the woods deliniating your property. It's cheap and almost invisible.

Since you don't know anything about this guy, I would watch out real good.
After knowing someone who was a paranoid, I wouldn't like to see anybody become a reason of fixation for a paranoid person.
Just make your property as safe as possible and if the guy tries anything again, go after him with the restraining order.

 

[MaverickNH]

Not to hijack the thread, but coincidentally, just last night, I went into the garage at about 9pm to head out into the driveway to tuck something into my car, when turning on the exterior lights, I saw a man right outside my door. I saw him reach down to the door knob and as he opened the door inward (my son left it unlocked coming in - hey, it's NH), I shouldered it shut, knocking him back a few paces.

He looked startled and held up a flyer obviously meant to be stuck in my door. Then I noticed he was Brazillian, like my neighbor, and realized he was yet another relative with a small business passing out flyers in my neighborhood. I opened the door and said something about him startling me. He handed me the flyer and said they install garage doors, smiled weakly, then headed back toward my neighbor's house.

Now my garage door is around the side - we have a front door with a porch light on until I go to bed. And we have a mailbox at the end of our driveway.

This guy is so lucky to not have a a broken arm or cracked ribs from a door slam. Or worse if he had actually entered the garage before I was at the door. I carry at home.

Maybe a cheap lesson for us both - he might never walk up to a stranger's side-door in the dark and I'm installing motion-detector lights over the driveway. And having a chat with my son about locking doors.

Yes - the odds are low you will be accosted while at home - but we can make sure the other guy is the statistic.

 

[Underwhere]

Growing up here in New Bedford I got into a lot of "scuffles" so I'm no stranger to a fight. Getting older and having more responsibilities has taught me to have a cool head but I don't think I could have took someone coming straight at me and yelling in my face w/out snapping and going for his throat.
I too agree with the idea that a self defense class is a good idea.
Its hard to get that first fight over, or even some after that because of nerves, but a class will teach you to let defensive instinct take over and react accordingly. Plus its a lot easier to justify a hand to hand self defense fight to courts than what it is if you shot someone.

Yeah, fighting has never been an interest for me.
I have taken some self defense classes. I'm certified in a course called "Management of Aggressive Behaviors" which teaches how to identify body language and an elementary way of responding to close quarters attacks.

To keep things interesting, a cell phone pic of my back yard. Up past the 2nd level there are 2 houses behind the trees. The more I look at it, the more I think he had no reason of coming down. You can see the small portable fire pit we were using.

 

[Admin]

The more I look at it, the more I think he had no reason of coming down. You can see the small portable fire pit we were using.

No reason what so ever.

 

[MassMark]

You mean, he came down that hill into your yard??? And now I see the fire pit - thank God he didn't throw a can of carb cleaner in there - would have been Shrapnel-Land USA....Jesus...All bets are off at that point - coming down that hill was a big no-no.

 

[ken1234]

Well obviously they didn't care much cause to them, really nothing happened. I called the police because I wanted record of him being there in case something happened later on.



It was about 11PM.
Again, my back yard is pretty big and at the end of the yard are trees. I can barely make out light in the houses behind them so I figured if I could barely make that out, they shouldn't really be able to see mine.

Regardless of that, if he had come by and asked, we would have taken it inside.

It wasn't a party either. It was 4 people watching TV. We weren't yelling, drinking, being rowdy.



I agree.
I wasn't going to rip out my glock and start pointing it at people.
My point was that it would have been nice to have.
I didn't expect someone to run up the steps into my back yard at us. He could have had a knife or gun.



Yeah, I've been thinking about what I should have done differently and that was one of things I had thought about.



Yeah, I never had my "glory days" and I wasn't looking for a fight either. I shouldn't have gotten close to him.

My guess is that he wasn't arrested unless he started to freak out at the cops when they went to talk to him.

The police came by and basically said if I don't want him around to send him a certified letter saying so...that he really didn't "do" anything wrong. They're right but I wanted it documented anyway.

You should have grabbed him and duck taped him to a chair in your cellar.(once there there are other things you can do) after that I am sure he would never return.....I know this is Mass. and you can't do that !!!!!!

 

[Adam_MA]

I think you need to install some snares and trip lines on that hill! But that's just me, and I'm a sadistic bastard!

 

[GSG]

Unfortunately in Mass. trespassing is a very petty misdemeanor (maximum penalty is $100 fine or 30 days lockup if convicted), so all it's really good for is documenting that you don't want someone around.

You're safe, and that's what matters. I agree with the others on keeping your distance and carrying more often, but ultimately you can't tell when something like that will happen.

 

[Adam_MA]

You should have grabbed him and duck taped him to a chair in your cellar.(once there there are other things you can do) after that I am sure he would never return.....I know this is Mass. and you can't do that !!!!!!

I like the way you think, and remember MA or not, it's only illegal IF you get caught!

 

[Underwhere]

You mean, he came down that hill into your yard??? And now I see the fire pit - thank God he didn't throw a can of carb cleaner in there - would have been Shrapnel-Land USA....Jesus...All bets are off at that point - coming down that hill was a big no-no.

He actually drove over and parked at the head of my driveway.
I'm just trying to give an idea of how far away he was when he was getting upset.

 

[Admin]

He actually drove over and parked at the head of my driveway.
I'm just trying to give an idea of how far away he was when he was getting upset.

Gotcha... Seems like he was looking for a reason to argue or fight.

 

[Tweed]

I think you need to install some snares and trip lines on that hill! But that's just me, and I'm a sadistic bastard!

Claymores....front towards neighbors

 

[Admin]

FRONT TOWARDS JERKS

 

[Major Blood]

Why is that scary? IMO it means they know how to deescalate and avoid conflict.

B

I agree, knowing how to deescalate volatile situations and avoid conflict are good tools and admirable traits, but IMO unless you've been in a fight you have no idea how you're going to react in an actual conflict situation. Even WITH training, you still never know how you're going to handle yourself in real life, but at least you have a rudimentary toolset and some actual muscle memory to draw on when the inevitable occurs. Sometimes flight isn't an option...hell, I shouldn't have to (and damn sure wouldn't) flee my own backyard.

Glad it turned out like it did though man. Seeing the pictures, it's even more obvious he's just some nutcase lookin' for a reason to complain...def. keep a close watch on this guy. I'd call the cops and see if he has a history of this type of thing, maybe he's just the neighborhood killjoy.