What if... ??? #3

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NavyChief
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What if... ??? #3

Post by NavyChief »

OK, this scenario does not relate directly to concealed carry. But it does reflect a real possible situation we could find ourselves in. I will state right up front there is no single right answer - but there are several wrong ones.

It's late. You've just drifted off to sleep. You are home alone. Something - not sure what - startles you to wakefulness. You listen. There are definitely noises coming from a part of the house there should be no noises coming from - maybe the kitchen? Icemaker dumping? Nah, that ain't it. Now, of course, we all know the right thing to do is call 911 and tell them you think somebody's in your home. No, I wouldn't either. So we grab our flashlight and Blastomatic and set off to investigate. Very quietly we pull the bedroom door open and look out. There's light coming from the kitchen, sure 'nuff. And still some sounds you can't quite identify. Now, we call 911. No, me neither. *Sigh* We tiptoe through the great room and look around the corner "at the ready." Now, what happens next is all going to occur in the space of ¼-½ second. Nonetheless there is a very strong likelihood your brain will process every last bit of it in minute detail. There is, in fact, a goblin in your kitchen. He's got an uncapped gallon of milk hanging loosely from the fingers of his right hand. Your laptop is tucked under his right arm. He's rooting around in the freezer, and ridiculously has a fudgsicle stuck in his mouth. You think, "Good Lord - those things have been in there a year, at least - they gotta be freezer-burned." You shout, "Stop!! or I'll freeze!" As you ponder the fact that that was certainly not what you meant to say, the goblin jumps up startled. The milk jug slips from his fingers to the floor, followed almost immediately by (No-o-o-o-oo…!) your laptop. It springs open and you can see the (now) cracked screen, and the keyboard makes a perfect landing zone for the fudgsicle that now drops from his mouth as he shouts, "Don't shoot man! Don't shoot! I was just lookin' for some food." while he puts his hands wa-a-ay up.

Unfortunately, you don't have a phone handy. Remember - you only brought gun and flashlight? Ooops. The closest phone is well out of sight of the goblin. Now what do you do?
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Post by GWC »

I'd do one of two things, depending on my mood.

The most likely would be to tell him to get out of my house, I have a gun, and I'd look around (without moving) for his partner. If he left my house (or even if he did not) I would retreat back to my bedroom and call 911 on my cell phone, then stay put and decide what kind of laptop I'm going to buy with my insurance money.

If I'm feeling stupid and cocky, I will command him onto the floor with his arms and legs spread and palms up facing me. I will then move around him, keeping my back to the wall and constantly scanning for his partner. Once I reach the phone I will call 911. Then I will stay on the phone till the cops arrive, constantly checking for other crooks.

Obviously the first option is better. I'm just not sure I'll do the smart thing.
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Post by astracapt »

For me (and I can only speak for me) the key to the situation lies in the fact that you set up the scenario by saying I was home alone. With this predicate established, my only obligation is to protect myself. As such, I think to do anything other than grab my gun and flashlight, set myself up in the defensive position I have already thought out for my bedroom, and call 911 is foolhardy. I have no idea whether there is one person or ten in my home, or whether he/they are armed or not. Clearing a house of an unknown number of potentially armed goblins is a professional level skill that SWAT members spend countless hours learning and practicing and they will still tell you how risky and uncertain the results will be. For me to attempt it, when there is no life I need to protect other than my own, is arrogance of a high order indeed. At this point in time, the only things in imminent danger are just that, "things", not people. "Things" can be replaced, my life can't. I think one natural tendency, that all of us need to constantly remind ourselves to resist, is falling into the John Wayne syndrome just because we are armed.

With that having been said, if for some reason I decided to be brain dead and go on safari, I think the response by GWC is pretty good. The only things I might add would be that, as I was telling him to leave, and watching him leave, I would be trying to memorize every possible detail I could that would help the LEO's to identify him.
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Post by CurtInOhio »

The problem with this scenario for me is that, once I know there's a light on that shouldn't be, I would be on the phone calling 911. Other than that, I'd tell him to move into a room where there is a phone. I would NOT be likely to just let him out, as he's now been in my house when he shouldn't be, and I don't want him returning without at least police intervention to let him know it's not that easy.
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Post by impcmonk »

Seeing that you don't know what the sounds are I wouldn't call 911 just yet. I would however have my cell phone handy (those nifty little GPS chips can come in handy). The biggest thing of all is there is nowhere to retreat to. The intruder is in your home and chances are within 3 to 4 steps of all exits. So after he is blinded by a quick blast from my surefire, I would move him into the center of the room and make him lay face down with his arms out to his side and palms up. Once he is in that position, I could call 911. The average call time to CPD for me is quite extensive. I live at the furthest point away from the sub-station and my zone is quite large (zone 14 for those familiar). You just don't know if he is armed or not. Most criminals will play stupid when caught and act innocient (I'm just looking for food). This is debunked when you see him holding your laptop.
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Post by MJK »

I wouldn't be calling 911 until I knew who was in my kitchen. It could easily be a family member. Even if I was home alone I don't know that I would call 911. What are they going to do? Keep me talking while the BG makes off with all my stuff?

So the guy already has his hands up, that's good. I'd make it very clear to him that he needs to follow all of my directions carefully and move slowly if he doesn't want me to shoot. I'd make him keep his hands up and move toward the center of the room. I want him away from anything he could grab and use as a weapon (kitchen knives, toaster, etc..) I'd also question him to make sure he was alone.

If my wife was home I would shout for her to call 911 while I keep watching the BG. I would have her remain upstairs so that she would be out of harms way. I would also have my wife communicate to the police that I am holding the BG at gun point so that they wouldn't get any surprises when they show up.

If I was home alone I would have the BG slowly walk in front of me to a location where I can get to a phone and then call 911 while keeping my eyes and the gun on the BG.

If I even suspected there was a chance of a second BG I would have the guy move to a location where I could block access to my family. I wouldn't want to be stuck in the kitchen while someone else sneaks up the stairs. Moving the BG is riskier in my opinion, but I feel that would be necessary.

If another guy showed up, if he acted like he was willing to surrender within the first 1/8 of a second then I would have him move towards his buddy. That way the gun could be pointed towards both of them. If the other guy acted hostile or non-cooperative in any way when he showed up I would probably shoot him. With more than one BG I would be in a greater fear of my life, and feel that I would be justified to shoot. I don't like taking my sights off of BG #1, but as long as he wasn't too close to me I probably would. My other choice would be to shoot BG #1 so that I could target BG #2. I don't like doing that, but I feel BG #2 is responsible for his friends injuries based upon his behavior.
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Post by LSC »

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Last edited by LSC on Thu Jun 08, 2006 9:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Daniel
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Post by Daniel »

I'd never even get that far. As soon as my bedroom door opened my two dogs would be eating him. I'd call the police so that they could summon the coroner.
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Post by Wayne »

Pump two rounds into him, then put a butcher knife in his hand, then call the cops. This would only apply if I lived in a state like Florida though. :wink:
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Post by GWC »

My dogs would be on him also, but that did not seem to be part of the scenario. Also, the scenario states "you are home alone". Anyone that says "I wouldn't be down there" is copping out because the scenario already says you did go down there. My answers would be different if I could change the scenario too. You have to take it as it comes.
Last edited by GWC on Wed Jan 11, 2006 9:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Rob-Black99RT »

If I'd fallen asleep watching TV, then I'd most likely still have my G30 and Surefire on my belt, as well as my cell in my pocket. That being the case, I'd pre-dial 911 on the cell, but not hit dial yet. I'd go into the kitchen with the pistol at combat high (Center Axis Relock) and the light in my off-hand. I'd hit him in the eyes with the light and yell at him to get on the ground. Once he's on the ground I'd put my back against a wall so nobody could sneak up behind me and I'd push send on the phone. I'd put it on speaker so they could hear what's going on in the room and I'd tell them I was holding an intruder at gunpoint and was unsure if anyone else was in the house. I'd give my description as well as the description of the intruder. If he *did* have a buddy in the house and he came around the corner with a weapon, he'd be shot until he stopped all forward movement toward me. If he ran, I'd let him go since I was holding his buddy and wouldn't want to lose them both.

BTW, if the guy had tried to run when I told him to get on the ground, then *by law* I'd have to let him go and not shoot him. It's too bad we can't defend property in Ohio like they can in TX...

If I was asleep in bed when I was awakened, I'd grab the AR sitting beside the bed and as quietly as possible put a round in the chamber. I'd go into the kitchen as quietly as possible and surprise him by blinding him with the Surefire M4 on the rail. I'd order him to the ground and from that point, would do the same as I stated in the above scenario.
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Post by ArcherAce »

Scream at him to keep his hands up while I move the heck away from the entrace to the kitchen. I crossed through a great room to get to the kitchen. I have no idea if he has a buddy somewhere that is capable of coming up behind me. I think it would be foolish to stand in the entrance with your back to a great room.

I'd have him pick up the phone with one hand and dial 911. (I've never seen a kitchen without a phone) The way my kitchen is I couldn't cover him, watch all three entrances to the kitchen, and dial a phone.
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Post by Robert E sayre Jr. »

He's facing me hands up & eating my last fudgesicle-the hell with the laptop. I shoot him, no patience for thieves I guess.

I thought he would hit me with that hammer he was holding.
Opps my bad :twisted:
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Post by TunnelRat »

Robert E sayre Jr. wrote:He's facing me hands up & eating my last fudgesicle-the hell with the laptop. I shoot him, no patience for thieves I guess.

I thought he would hit me with that hammer he was holding.
Opps my bad :twisted:
Yeah, the fudgsicle and the laptop mighta done it for me, too.

Hey, I been saving that fudgesicle for me!
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Post by Jronjakoh »

Don't think he would even get into the house without my pup yapping his head off. My Schnoodle barks and carries on if someone comes too close to my driveway,let alone near the house.
Yeah I would have to blow him away if that was my last fudgesicle .
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