Drew down on a Stranger in My Back Yard

[CAPTAIN MIKE]

Early yesterday, I'm up fixing coffee at home in the middle of the week. While at the sink, I look outside the kitchen window out to the pool and see a male stranger walking around the corner of the house into my back yard.

My white German Shephard & I go out the back door together, with me drawing my Kimber .45 and taking cover near the outdoor spa and my dog confronting the very surprised stranger who finds a dog defending her turf and a homeowner having him covered dead-to-rights.

I demanded he prone out and when he did I had my dog 'Sit' while I start to call 911. The guy is shaking like a leaf and starts explaining that he's the "new pool guy" and just helped himself in by reaching over and unlocking the side yard gate. (That's B.S. You have to 'jump' over by crawling up and over to get in).

Long story short: His employer verifies his identity and assignment and the incident concludes.

My last words to him were simply "Next time, don't help yourself to somebody's back yard. And of course --->Ring .... The .... Doorbell..."

 

[Tequila_Sauer]

Better to embarass him for his mistake than to make a mistake of your own and believe a complete stranger.

Any poolman I've had typically went into the backyard on their own, but definitely not before they had come around and knocked for the first few visits so that we knew the guy first.

 

[TexasRifleman]

Let me guess, it wasn't decaf was it?

 

[WT]

I'll have to remember this technique the next time the gas company meter reader comes around.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Did you offer him some wet wipes so he could clean his back side.

 

[ball3006]

It can happen....

last week my wife calls me and says two guys came to the door and said they were with the phone company and would like to do some digging in the back yard. She asked for ID and they replied they had none and she refused them entry. I told her to call the cops and she did. The cop said they were getting alot of these calls and when they checked with the phone company they were told the phone co was using contract labor and they did not have ID. At least the folks on our street were on the ball and calling a potential problem in......chris3

 

[taliv]

ok... i'll bite

what did he do that justified threat of deadly force?

something wrong with shouting "get the *bleeep* out of my yard" from the kitchen window?

 

[Pebcac]

IMHO, brandishing a weapon at him and demanding he "prone out" is a bit extreme, given that he's in the back yard and not actually in the house or some such. I would have been more inclined to hold my weapon somewhat behind and against my leg while we discussed just what exactly the hell he was doing there, and not actually covered him with the muzzle unless/until he demonstrated hostility. If he's not there for mischief, he'll be glad to wait while I phone the pool company to verify his credentials. If he's not supposed to be there, he'll either run away, which would be wise, or toward me, which would not be wise. But I see no need to scare the guy half to death and treat him like I'm initiating a felony stop when he's just made a silly mistake while coming to clean my pool. YMMV.

 

[Biker]

I have to agree with Pebcac. In my neck of the woods, the cops would frown upon this. I might even get ticketed for brandishing a firearm.
Biker

 

[Pilot]

I think you overacted. What if he had not complied? Would you have shot an innocent man? I would have confronted him, but not with a visible weapon. Sure I'd have my CCW on me, but he wouldn't know that.

I've had people wander in and through my back yard. Kids taking a short cut to school, a person's car broke down and they were walking to their home which was close by, etc. If I saw a person just hanging out in my yard, my first response would NOT be to pull a gun.

 

[azredhawk44]

Ditto to Pebcac.

 

[bakert]

Got to agree with taliv, pebcac and Biker's comments. All in all it was extreme and here in my neighborhood I would have to answer lot of questions by the police if the guy pressed the issue. Good idea to be aware of what's going on but don't go overboard.

 

[SMLE]

+1 for Pebcac. I had a VERY similar encounter with a gas co. meter reader. I had my pistol in hand, but out of sight behind my leg. I challenged him and he held up his company ID that was on a lanyard around his neck. I then politely advised him that he should at least TRY to make contact at the front door before jumping over people's locked gates. I holstered the pistol (without ever covering him with it) and he seemed to get the message. I then called the gas co. and gave them a piece of my mind about meter readers that jumped locked gates without trying the front door first.

 

[middy]

I don't think I would have reacted so strongly, but I can't fault you for it. You don't just help yourself to someone's fenced-in backyard without ringing the doorbell first.

 

[TallPine]

The electric co-op around here calls everyone to let them know when contractors are going to be working in the area, like when they had a guy out clearing trees under the lines and when an outfit was drilling the poles to check for rot. They do this with an automated system and a recording.

I think they do this because they know that in Montana that will prevent a lot of unpleasant reactions from property owners

And the tree-cutting guy came and talked to me before he started working on our place.

 

[shermacman]

Sorry dude, you are outta yer mind. You have a gun, you are in control. You could have talked this through. I recognize that it is your back yard but what was the threat? A minor courtesy problem? Do you live your life in such a state of fear that your actions seem reasonable? The world really isn't such a scary place.

 

[Frandy]

I must agree with those who think you were extreme in your actions/overreacted. Wouldn't it have been just as easy to challenge from your window? Or perhaps go outside with your dog and your handgun holstered, even with hand on gun? In NC, you would be vioating the law by drawing and pointing at a person who did not pose a threat to your life or that of another.

 

[Byron Quick]

Electric company meter readers in my area drive vehicles with the company logo, wear a uniform, AND have the ID card on a lanyard. The water and gas utility meters are in the unfenced front yard.


I'd agree with the ones who say people wander into their back yard except for one thing-this guy wandered through a locked gate into a fenced backyard. That makes a difference to me. The trespasser has demonstrated nonchalance to my property rights already. I have no desire to find out if his nonchalance extends to my person. Or to give him the opportunity.

Georgia doesn't have any laws against brandishing. It does have a law against pointing a firearm at another without legal justification so I wouldn't do that. It would be in my hand in plain and obvious view though while the intruder and I discussed-not his lack of manners but, rather, his complete and utter stupidity.

Passing a locked gate makes a big difference in my attitude towards someone. On the other hand, with an unfenced yard-it could be any idiot.

 

[Justin]

I'm sorry, but your reaction was out of line. Had you stepped out with a holstered pistol and a dog at your side, and demanded an explanation, I would see nothing wrong with it.

But that you drew down on someone who did not present a direct threat to you strikes me as grossly negligent.

 

[thorazine]

Landmines in the back yard (with posted warning signs) solved the problem for me.

 

[phoglund]

Landmines in the back yard (with posted warning signs) solved the problem for me.

I solved the problem in the same manner. The tricky bit was setting the mines so the weight of my children wouldn't set the mines off but the weight of an adult would.

 

[birddog]

Fenced yard or not, I would not have drawn and certainly wouldn't have covered him with the muzzle. Where was the threat? I agree with many of the above posters and don't think it was a very wise move.

 

[kirkcdl]

I would've observed while I let the dog handle it...

 

[Ala Dan]

Excellent Captain Mike My Friend

 

[ID_shooting]

Around here the utility companies have acess rights, heck, I have power pole in my back yard. I would be sitting in county lockup right now if I pulled that same stunt.