absolute nightmare -- home break-in

[ACP]

peteinct and Baba Louie -- good thoughts, thanks. I am going to take them to Newington Gun at the very least, and/or Hoffmans, and/or Cubetas. Education for the kids is an excellent idea, too. I will bring that up with them.
And maybe a .22 LR revolver for cheap practice???

Two other issues -- Darlene tells me they have pepper spray mounted on the wall right next to the telephone. She "tunneled" and never even saw it or recalled that it was there. But she had the presence of mind to bring downstairs her "old" purse that she had just cleaned out and knew contained no cash!! Go figure!!

 

[Huddog]

In this instance I can see where the homeowner would have been justified in stopping the perpetrator's illegal action with lethal force. And I am glad that they now see the need to obtain firearms, training and concealed carry license. However, in the instance as described, primarily due to the time it apparently took and the freedom of movement the parties had, a simple solution would have been to retreat to a safe area of the house. If your friend obtains a firearm it is easier to defend from a safe area. Mine is at the top of the stairs. All the bedrooms are upstairs and are unreachable except through the gunfire that would be coming downstairs to meet a perp that was stupid enough to try to advance upstairs. I know there was no duty to retreat but I think sometimes it is wise to do so to avoid having to shoot someone or to show that one took extrodinary measures to avoid shooting. We can be sure if your friend had been forced to shoot the perp said perp would have been a poor, mentally ill, misunderstood individual in the civil suit that would surely follow.

Glad it worked out for your friends and that they are now taking steps to correct their lack of defensive firearms.

 

[jeepmor]

Yes, tweakers suck! Being from the Meth capitol of America (PNW) and having had my wife's truck stolen and totalled by tweakers. I'm not certain this fellow would have faired that well in my home. My wife would have plugged him immediately, me, I'd probably go H2H before the knives were involved and take out some pent up agressions towards tweakers.

Tweakers is one of the main reasons I purchased guns in the first place after reading about them (locally) going into peoples home and killing them over a TV or music collection or something trivial like that. I have two dogs too, they don't like tweakers either and always seem to know who they are when they even get 10 yards from us.

Glad it ended up being a non-incident regarding a shooting. Protecting your life and property is fine by me. But all that time in court justifying your actions and hearing the thug's family members say the "he just needed some direction" drivel wouldn't be much fun either. Then his family trying to sue you for some reason or another in a civil suit would bite also. Particularly on the West Coast where we don't have any castle doctrine laws in place yet. We would have to retreat first, shoot second. Not a great defensive tactic in my opinion, but just the way the laws want it done out here to keep you out of the legal quagmire.

However, I would make a point to advise the family involved to go to this dirtbag's hearings and make statements to the judge if need be. The judge seeing the faces on the recieving end of this dork's actions might just get him to stiffen the sentence up a bit, particularly if you bring the children to court with you. It will influence a judge's decision.

Hopefully he'll sober up in prison and rehabilitate himself. He's got a long list of charges against him, so he'll have plenty of time to think about it. I've seen tweakers get their act together and become worthy citizens again, but I also fully support the decision to protect your family and property. Please don't infer that I support the tweakers position, I'm just stating that this guy now has a second chance to correct his path because he did not get his wish to be killed.

 

[brownie0486]

jeepmor;

Animals have a keen sense of smell. Here in the Sonoran desert, when a tweeker is found deceased from exposure or overdose in the mountains by search and rescue [ I'm a medically trained Wilderness First Responder with the team ] , the body is not disturbed or even partially eaten by scavengers like the Javelina, Yotes, and such.

I've been told the tweekers give off odor from the drugs and naturally know to leave it alone.

Brownie

 

[razorburn]

A few 0.45 inch holes will...

Even the much touted .45 is still just a meek pistol caliber which can't even offer a fraction of the power a 12-gauge will bring. If I was fearing for my life facing some lunatic under the influence of crack cocaine, I'd want a long arm. Heck, I'd want a 20mm if I could get one.

 

[SamTuckerMTNMAN]

WHOA

Wow, I'm glad your friend is ok. Things like that can get weird...fast. Kids, wife? Dude.

1. Living "in the country" doesn't make you immune from crime.

If the perp backed out the driveway up into the neighbors lawn, he ain't in the country

Actually, far from being immune, being in the country, as it always has been, can be more of a vulnerability. It just means you have to be ready and be alert, have some dogs or guinea birds (heh), and relax - enjoy the country it speaks worlds to a man....of other men. Esp crack heads.

Knife....arms length....tweaker.....bad combination man. Armed intruder in family home, potentially more homes, knives (to what purpose exactly).....not the time for psycho analysis of perp.

st


I've been told the tweekers give off odor from the drugs and naturally know to leave it alone.

tweakers eating tweakers? Whoa, it IS gettin bad down there.

 

[ACP]

Sam Tucker -- good points! On my block, I can practically watch the TV inside my neighbor's home, the houses are so close. Jeff's got deer and deer ticks in his backyard! So that makes it country to me.

Hey, wait -- he's got a porch on the front of his house. Now he just needs a few coon hounds!

 

[peteinct]

Not real country

Where we live isn't real country like out west or down south. You would probably have to go up to Maine or over to the Adorondacks(sp) for that. But for CT it is the country. My house is 100 ft away from the state forest and during the fall I can hear the shotgun blasts of the deer hunters. There is one rod and gun club in town and at least 2 in the next town. Finally I used to have and most of my neighbors do have cars on blocks in our yards. Does it get more country than that?
just kidding,
pete

 

[sturmruger]

That really is a scary story! The town they live in sounds like my little town. I think this one is getting printed out and left in the bathroom so my wife will read it.

 

[brolin_1911a1]

I live on the outside edge of a small town (10,000) in the Missouri Ozarks. I'd joke with people that I live in Mayberry, RFD. My side of the gravel road is city limits, the other side is county and everything to the west of my property is wooded. A couple of months ago, my wife commented on the stabbing on the front page of the newspaper. Seems that three thugs entered a house just a couple hundred yards down the road from me, (one of only five other houses on this one mile long road), forced the occupant out at knifepoint, then stabbed him while he was standing in the middle of the road. The suspicion is that it was a drug deal gone bad but I've been making a point of carrying at all times while home and the wife and daughter always have guns handy everywhere in the house.

 

[ProguninTN]

ACP

I'm glad to hear your friends are ok. With the comments regarding long guns, maybe you should talk to them about getting multiple firearms. Perhaps a shotgun and a handgun ?

 

[ACP]

Spoke with Jeff at length Saturday night. He's committed to a revolver AND a shotgun. I'm suggesting a flashight (Maglite) and a 4" S&W .357 for him to investigate "bumps" in the night, and a shotgun for the wife and children upstairs, or for if they KNOW there is someone/some people downstairs and they are waiting for PD to arrive.

I'm thinking Mossberg due to the top tang safety, which I like, and maybe a 20-gauge pump with an 18" barrel.

I guess I would also entertain a 3rd Gen. Glock 17 with a Streamlight, etc. attached and a good standard-pressure 9mm load.

He's taking the one-day NRA class this Sunday, then filling out the CCW permit application locally. We've got time to hit the shops and my club range before he finally decides.

 

[cracked butt]

the guy had been smoking crack earlier in the evening. He wanted his girlfriend to write some bad checks so he could cash them for crack money. She wouldn't, so he tried to throw her out a 3rd story apt. window but failed.

I thought that drug users were harmless and just wanted to be left alone to enjoy their favorite chemical concoction I forgot, its the war on drugs that caused him to behave that way.

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

you also forgot

that our current policy makes the 1.75 worth of drugs he wanted to do cost 400 bucks money headed overseas to further work against the usa

 

[brownie0486]

ACP;

I think your suggestion of a 4" K frame S+W would be a good first gun for your friend as well. He can practice with light loads in 38's, get accustomed to using one, carry the 357's later if he chooses.

The revos are easy to maintain, shoot well, and the wife can certainly learn easily enough how to "point and click" as well.

I also think the G17 would be a fine choice [ I own two of them and they are preferred carry most of the time out here ], but maybe not as a first gun to a one unfamiliar with firearms initially.

The mossy in 20 ga seems a good choice for the wife to be able to handle as well. Good choices and thought process for your friends I think sir.

Brownie

 

[PinnedAndRecessed]

Oh, for the days when the word "crack" merely meant you needed to pull your pants up.

 

[ACP]

Thanks, Brownie. FYI, Jeff still has the AFCK I gave him; I told him to dig it out of storage and start carrying it! And I still have that AJ Hubbard custom fixed blade that I showed you during class -- I don't know if you remember.
3" blade with a good amont of belly; black micarta scales; brass rivets. I just need a custom kydex sheath for it. Any suggestions??

 

[brownie0486]

And I still have that AJ Hubbard custom fixed blade that I showed you during class -- I don't know if you remember.
3" blade with a good amont of belly; black micarta scales; brass rivets. I just need a custom kydex sheath for it. Any suggestions??

Of course I remember that blade.

Custom Kydex sheaths? None better than a good friend of mine named Mike Sastre. He can be located here:

http://www.rivercitysheaths.com/

He's a member at THR as well, but when you talk to him, mention me and I'm sure he'll get you hooked up with exactly what you want. I've got some very nice blades wrapped in Mike's concealex and kydex.

Brownie

 

[benEzra]

Had this happpened in a castle doctrine state, and had the homeowner been armed, when would it, during the events detailed, have been appropriate, if at all, to fire a weapon ending the threat?

When he kicked in the door and forcibly entered the house, in nearly every state.

In EVERY state, once he grabbed the knives, countervailing lethal force would have been justifiable.

Regarding the suggestion of an Airweight--the one thing about Airweights is that the light weight exacerbates recoil. If the recoil is too much, you might want to have a slightly heavier .38 on hand to try.

 

[Mike Sastre]

ACP,

Glad your friend and his family are safe! Unfortunately, incidents like that are becoming all too common. I always have at least a couple knives on me, even relaxing at home, 'cause ya just never know. Any how, Brownie said you were in need of help with a good sheath for your knife. Contact me at VideoSAS@aolcom and we'll see if we can get you hooked up. First time over here (THR) and it looks like an interesting place.

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

Wow, that's only 20 mins from me!!! lots of drugs in eastern ct....

To answer an earlier question...as soon as the guy grabbed a knife of came after you it would have been legal to shoot.

 

[XDKingslayer]

The dog is biting the guy's leg, and Darlene calls the dog off (she would later ask Jeff "Why did I call the dog off?")

I find this the most amazing line of the whole article and shows how we get caught up in habit and how it can effect us either good or bad.

I continiously have to tell my wife to stop yelling at our dog when he barks at something he feels is a threat. Yeah, it might be annoying when he barks at his reflection in the glass at night while you're watching American Idol, but it's his job. Someday, it might be a rapist he sees in that window and not his shadow. And now you've trained him not to bark at things in the window.

I'm going to show her this. It's one more way of getting her out of her perpetual Condition White...

 

[ACP]

Thanks Brownie, Mike and everyone. Mike, I will drop you a line as to how to ship the knife, etc.

I'll update you all in a few weeks after Jeff has had a chance to take his class and try out some of my hardware.

BTW -- Jeff had tiny, 1" wood screws holding in the strike plate of his kitchen door deadbolt. They gave way too easily. Best to use 2.5" wood screws and an elongated, 6-screw strike plate, plus a brass "cover" on both sides of the door handles, to significantly reinforce against kick-ins. All my entry doors are now so equipped for about $60 at Home Depot.

 

[Fawkes]

This is where I would start. The guns are good to have in the plan, but I would start by securing the house. Reinforce the doors, security lights w/ motion sensors, alarm, and I'm really liking the mylar on the windows to keep them from being "forcably" opened with a rock.

BTW, ACP, I like the choices he has made for firearms. The scattergun in 20 ga (i might even go 16), and the wheelgun are something that his wife should be able to employ if needed.

You mentioned that they are taking the basic NRA course, which is a good start. Next will be the shotgun and pistol courses, and then the home defense course. It may be difficult to find because it is so new, but the NRA is doing a CCW course now as well.

 

[distra]

ACP, Glad to hear things worked for the best. We live in rural CT as well and I've heard this more than once, "We live in a safe area. It's not like someone would try to break-in out here." Mrs. Distra has her CT permit and her own firearms. If you or the family get close to the Montville area, you can be my guests at our range. Good choice in HG and SG. I've made sure Mrs. Distra knows how to handle all the firearms, but is extremely comfy with hers.