Called 911 for the first time Yesterday
 

About 3:00 Sunday morning, I woke up when I heard the front door latch being jiggled. As I got up I heard someone pushing on the door trying to open it as if hitting it with their shoulder. Then whoever it was started banging hard on the door. Real hard as if trying to kick it in.

I looked through a window and it was some younger guy I did not recognize.
I yelled through the door, can't remember the exact words but it was something along the lines of if you don't want to get your head blown off you better get the fuch out of here quick.

He took off, I watched him run down the street about 50 yards or so where there were 3 or 4 more of em in an SUV.

I picked up the phone and called 911 and told them what was going on. the wife was watching them out the window and yelled, he's coming back.
the guy ran up to the front door again and tried to break it down. Either he's a wimp or I have a big, solid, sturdy front door, or both. He hit the door hard and bounced off.
My front door is a big, solid, 40" wide deal with heavy hinges and hardware.

I yelled again that he's fixing to get himself killed, same thing again. He ran back to the SUV and they took off.

I yelled to the 911 dispatcher that she better hurry up and get cops here before I kill this punk, evidently that was the wrong thing to say.
She started asking me about weapons, if I had a gun, was it loaded, etc.
I said, no, I don't have a gun.
That's my story, I'm sticking to it. I was not holding a 12 gauge with 6 in the magazine and one in the chamber with my finger on the safety. She asked me again and said the cops won't respond if I'm armed. WTF?
She was more concerned with me having a gun than the guy trying to break into my house. I had to tell her I was not armed and wasn't going to arm myself.

Just then the motion detector light in the back yard came on. Then I saw the SUV pull around the corner in front of the house. I told her she better get the cops out here now, she said 4 were on their way.
I never saw anyone in the back yard, it might have been the neighbor's cat for all I know but I doubt it.
The SUV pulled up just down the street about 30 or 40 yards away and parked in the middle of the street with the headlights shining towards my front door (I live on a corner).
I could see a couple of them standing outside the SUV, one of them started walking towards my the house again, then he turned around and they drove off in a hurry. Maybe they heard a siren but I didn't.
Less than a minute later I saw the first cop car drive by.

If I actually had a shotgun, at that time I would have unchambered the round and put the gun away in the bedroom closet and then waited for the police officer to come to the door. But I didn't have one so that it irrelevent.
As I started telling him the details, I saw 4 more police cars go by in different directions.

I told the officer they looked like late teens early 20's, not gang bangers, not the type you'd notice or worry about.
Maybe they were really drunk or on drugs, likely they just had the wrong house, who knows.
I told him it didn't seem like a home invasion attempt. Lots of it didn't add up. I definately did not know them and they didn't know me.
He heard something come over the radio and he said "we got em" and ran to his car and took off.
Never heard another word from them. Weird.
I checked to see if Orange police posted an arrest or call log on their web page, they don't.

I figure a bunch of punks got all wasted on something, prolly had a problem with someone else, and were looking for revenge and went to the wrong house by mistake.
One of em came really, really close to picking the wrong house. If he had managed to break into the house where I, my wife, and my two kids were and he came at me or one of them, there is absolutely no doubt what I would have done.
I'm glad it didn't come down to that.
I was really, really wound up for several hours after that. Haven't been that fired up in a long time.
Always figured that kind of crap happened to someone else but not to me. Guess it was finally my turn.

Glad it worked out ok for you Sammy.

Oh and I have an alibi ;)

Scary stuff.

Glad to hear it turned out ok.

The cops won't show up if the homeowner is armed?
That's good to know.

Thugs can shoot it out with the owners without the cops getting in the way.

Damn my shoulder hurts this morning.

The police have absolutely ZERO obligation to come to your aid. --Sad, but true.

I'm glad the problem sorted itself out, w/o your needing to clean-up guts.

I know plenty of cops and they wouldn't refuse to show up if a homeowner was armed, but they'd want to know and would be real cautious if he was. Can't blame em for that.
I figure that was just something the dispatcher said to make sure. I was wound pretty tight at the time and she could prolly tell.

Glad you're ok, Sammy. I'm glad you were prepared, and I'm glad they didn't get in.

That's another thing that came to mind, the shotgun I didn't have was loaded with bird shot, instead of the double aught which was not out in the garage.

I kinda figure that 3" birdshot rounds would still do the job but I'm glad I don't know for sure.

Scary tale, Sammy...glad it all worked out. Any damage to your door?

Would you call the station to see what was the real story? Who they are?

I am planning to do that just to see if they'll give me any details.

I didn't see any damage to the door except the deadbolt and lock mechanism seem kinda sloppy where they go through the edge of the door.

Wow, very scary, glad it all worked out ok.

THe whole "they won't come if you're armed" thing is pretty bizarre. To me that means, killing them is the only option. I bet the cops would show up to pick up the bodies.

Scary stuff. The fact that they kept coming back is the really scary part. Makes it seems "less than random".

That is damage to your door. Call the police station and tell them that you want to press charges.

. . for evidence against you.

Sounds like what you really need is...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3382/...4d7ea22a32.jpg

http://images.travelpod.com/users/un...hant_spike.jpg

wow. just wow.

i hope my new front door is strong enough. wow.

sammy, i am glad you are ok.

Bird shot is a great way to inflict painful surface damage, and possibly inflict a lethal injury that will kill your attacker in a few hours, or maybe even in a few minutes after he has time to shoot back.

Buckshot is for stopping them, rendering them incapable of returning fire. Load the buckshot.

sorry to hear this - hope there is no next time but if so, don't mention guns, tho they may keep info about you on file or something

if the dispatcher is an officer (often depends on town size) then people need to be careful about "giving a false stmt. to a police officer"

cops are worried about their own safety, hence the apparent policy in your town

I'm also glad you didn't mess up your door with a bunch of holes.

I just called the police department.
They were caught and were suspected of public intoxication.
She wouldn't say for sure if any of them were arrested, and since there wasn't any damage they may not have been. She made it sounded like it was just a bunch of drunk guys acting stupid and out of control. How in the heck would that not be enough to arrest all of them?

I left a voicemail for the police officer asking for him to call me back and explain to me WTF and I'm going down there this week and pay my $5 or whatever it is for a copy of the report.
If the police let them all go after taking down their info, I'm going to the DA.
Assuming of course that they aren't the DA's or chief of police's sons.
We've had some of that around here already. This smells fishy.

Just curious, do you keep a porch light on all night? I have lights on on 4 sides burning steadily. I can't say that will be any kind of deterrent, but it makes me more comfortable. I also have bars on all the windows that open and security doors on all entries. I really don't give a rat's ass what people think they look like. Bang your shoulder all night on one of those.

Glad it worked out. Get a security door. There are some that look nice with wood integrated into the design.

Can you shoot them if they break down the door?

Yes. They bash in the door and step into your house, they're toast. CA does not require retreat, and also has a clause that justifies fear for your life if somebody breaks into your house.

(There's also some language that sounds to me like you can take the shot while they're still in the process of breaking down the door - obviously they're trying to harm you as soon as it breaks open - but many disagree with me. Err on the side of caution and wait for them to gain entry, unless they try to shoot into the house from outside, then light 'em up.)

Something that bothers me... why would they stick around and keep trying after knowing you're aware of their presence and armed? They wanted into YOUR house, not just some random house. Valuables? Mistaken identity? I don't know, but the way they came back again seems like a very big deal to me.

A very big deal. That's why I'd get some security. After syncriod's (?) thread about the methed up dude from down the street, I think he got cameras hooked up to a laptop. This is but one thing that I would like to do beyond my own physical security devices.

Milt mentioned lights..
those little red /green ones work great..
and they get your attention..

Rika

A crime was committed.

Many cities have a "victim's advocate office".
In some, they only handle sex crimes.
In others, they assist victims of any crime.
Check and see what is in your city. As much as you hate to be labeled a "victim", the fact is that you and your family are victims of a misdemeanor crime.

Wow Sam, glad it worked out. Thats messed up.

After the issue with my druggie neighbor busting into my house, I can sympathise. I went right out and invested in alarm and a camera system.

Just saw this thread. Man O man thats scary bisquits Sammy! I'm still a little weirded out from my ordeal with my neighbor. Glad you're okay.

I hear ya Dan. It sucks having to live like that.:mad:

You're in CA? I'd be surprised if the boy doesn't turn around and successfully sue you for injuries he received while trying to break down the door.

I am glad everything smoothed out ( so far ) it is weird they came back again.

are you freeking kidding me freeking birdshot????????????WTF??????????????



how bad do you want to own a grocery cart with a pelican steeker on it, and all yer belongings in it, down on squid row?


a wrongful shooting where you WOUND the bad guy will get you sued into the STONE AGE and possibly jail.


castle doctrine. no matter where you live. what is your stance here? "i'm just going to scare them?" "im just gonna wound them?"


if you ever have to use a gun...........................you had better kill them. aka empty the mag, and reload and empty that one also until threat is gone.

00 BUCK, then SLUG all federal LOW RECOIL exactly the same as the cops use.


the above (2) points are exactly what we were trained to do, "IF YOU ARE IN FEAR OF YOUR LIFE!"


after the justifiable shooting, and you clean your shorts out...............


1) call yer lawyer


2) then call the cops


3) the only thing you say to cops after putting firearm down, is " I WAS IN FEAR OF MY LIFE and I WANT TO SPEAK TO MY ATTORNEY!" period nothing else.



had bad guy had a snubbie and shot thru the door what the hell would YOU have done???????????? returned some pissant bird shot???????????


glad everything worked out. once again crime rears its ugly head. and it can happen to any and all of us any day or night anywhere no matter how uber yer zip code is.


boy scout motto.........."BE PREPARED"


last night was a marlin 1895 GS 45/70 kind of night.


today is a walther ppk/s kind of day.



dont leave home EVAR without my spoons and my AMEX!


cuz thats how i roll. cuz i can. cuz tomorrow every last stinking NON NRA politician will be swimming in a sea of NO JOBS because the idiots were finally VOTED OUT!




for someone to continue to attempt breaking and entering after confronting screaming lunatic homeowner threatening to blow their heads off, had ALL BAD ALL OVER IT!


i would be in the cop shop and talking to the supervisor and go right on up the chain of command until i got some answers on who they were and what kind of condition they were in to ascertain their threat level to your family.

you might want to get an attorney and file a civil suit against them - esp. if they went inside a fenced/gated area. Or just have the atty send them a letter (notice of intent to sue) - cheaper & will often scare off the middle-class drunk hoolum-wanna be.

You will also want to run down some info on them to make sure head416's suspcions are dealt with.

Glad you're OK Sammy! Oddjob is right, it would be cheaper to kill them than put one in a wheelchair for life.

blank bird buck SLUG
that is a progressive load

Glad everything turned out alright, Sammy. I can't imagine the pucker factor on something like this.

Sounds like they were a bunch of drunks who showed up at the wrong house. Probably looking for one of their buddies, or a girlfriend, or one thought he was at his own place.

Bad advice.

As far as loading the scattergun with birdshot for home defense, there is no better load for this duty. Even light #7 1/2's or #9's are fantastic home defense loads - there is no need for even the heavier duck or goose loads (#6's, #4's, #2's or BB's). At true defensive ranges, inside the home, the pattern has not even begun to open up, regardless of choke. The shot flies as a golf ball to tennis ball size mass and acts as a whole upon the target, making for about the nastiest and most quickly disabling wound possible from a shoulder fired weapon. Far moreso than buckshot at close range.

Glad everything turned out ok. Did you check your heart rate while all of this was going on? Mine would have been off the charts.

That reminds me... been meaning to install a simple one push panic button on our alarm system. Seems like sirens going off would help deter someone trying to run through the front door.