An intruder has broken into my home. I'm holding a shotgun on him and have called the police. How will they react when they get there?
An intruder has broken into my home. I'm holding a shotgun on him and have called the police. How will they react when they get there?First of all, you have probably already made a serious tactical error, so glad you survived.How did you hold the shotgun (long and heavy) on the burglar while dialing the phone and talking without taking your eyes or attention from the burglar?How close is he? Same room with you, then likely he’s no more than 8–12 feet away.How close is that to the end of your shotgun sticking out in his direction?Have you ever practice this?Do you know that if he moves INSIDE the radius of the muzzle it is impossible to shoot him at that time?Ok — he didn’t take your shotgun.TRY to put a couch or table between you. Have him raise his hands and place them on a wall or straight up then back away (assume the position) — else have him kneel down.Don’t talk to him or argue or anything. If you must speak give SIMPLE, CLEAR ORDERS. “DOWN, GET ON THE GROUND” in a loud firm voice.MAKE SURE TO TELL THE 911 operator that you are the homeowner HOLDING A CRIMINAL HOME INVADER with a shotgun.Repeat that YOU have a shotgun.(Don’t listen to any BS from 911 telling you to do anything stupid — don’t argue, just ignore stupid advice since 911 has NO AUTHORITY.)Describe the intruder and his clothing.Explain that YOUR SHIRT is RED and you have a shotgun. His shirt is green and he’s wearing jeans, etc.Explain how the cops can GET IN — your doors are hopefully locked except the entry point the burglar used, right?Oh, and if he runs and makes it out the door, let him go AND DO NOT CHASE HIM INTO THE STREET with a shotgun, especially with cops on the way.When the cops come into the room, point your shotgun away from them as soon as they draw their weapons or otherwise take charge.Do NOT move or wiggle your shotgun around after that…keep it pointed pointedly away and steady, motionless.Ask them to take charge, “Officer do you have charge of this criminal intruder?”FYI: It is really difficult to hold a gun on a suspect who knows what to do.STAY AWAY from him.
What should you do (or have you done) when a burglar enters your house?
Grab a phone and flee the house.Seriously.If you are in a situation where:You are at home alone or with childrenBurglars have gotten past your dog (if you have one) and your alarm system (again..if you have one)They decided to enter a home without making certain that it is not occupied at first.Then you are in a great deal of danger.You have been surprised and most people lack the necessary training to effectively deal with a surprise home invasion. Your best bet is to grab a phone (I always keep my phone on me) and exit out a window or a back door. You can then call the police who, in most areas, will respond within minutes.If you cannot flee for some reason, then you should still grab a phone and call the police. Leave the phone on the floor if the intruders capture you so that the operator/dispatcher will realize how serious your situation is and will send help immediately. If you are unarmed, don’t resist as the majority of burglars simply want cash or items to sell to purchase drugs.if you are armed or you can get to a weapon within seconds, then head for an interior room (again with a phone) lock the door and call the police. If the intruders try to follow you or break in (NOTE: MAKE CERTAIN THAT IT ISN’T THE POLICE) use your weapon to defend yourself and any of your family members.Life, yet again, is not a film or a television series. Do not:Shoot wildly before you have confirmed your target Go from room to room “clearing” your house. Leave that to the police.Chase the assailant from your home with your weapon in hand, regardless of what they might have stolen. An armed person running from a home will garner far more attention from the police than an unarmed one and you may be shot (accidentally) by the police if you turn abruptly towards them with a weapon in your hand.Shoot a burglar outside of your home from a window. There is no threat to you if they are outside and you may be prosecuted for doing this.Answer the door when the police arrive with your weapon still in your hand. You may be mistaken for the intruder and shotGet out of the houseCall the police.Wait for them to come and take a reportCall your insurance agent.
Is it legal to shoot a burglar in your own house? Does it matter if their back is turned to you?
In Texas, it generally is legal to shoot a burglar and it doesn’t matter whether his back was turned, inside your house.Someone with his back to you could be picking up something to brain you with, or be heading to the kitchen to get a butcher knife, or going down the hall for your wife or children.According to The Castle Doctrine, he has already demonstrated bad intent towards you and your family by breaking into your habitation while you were in it.Shooting a burglar in the back is sometimes called “Preventative Self Defense”.Not long after The Castle Doctrine was passed, a man in San Antonio found two men in a spare bedroom after having broken in through a garage door.He killed one in the bedroom with a shotgun, while the other pushed past him and ran out a sliding patio door into the back yard.As he was trying to climb over a six-foot wood privacy fence, the homeowner walked out and shotgunned him in the back, killing him too.No charges were filed. I found THAT a little surprising, since the guy was outside, trying to run away.So, “It All Depends”, but history so far is “Yes, it’s legal”, at least in Texas.It should be noted that The Castle Doctrine was passed to keep over-zealous, anti-gun district attorneys from bringing unwarranted charges, and to protect homeowners from civil suits by burglars, or families of deceased burglars. It isn’t a license to knock off your in-laws or something.If you shoot someone who has broken into Your Castle and there’s ANY reason to suspect foul play, murder WILL be suspected and investigated.For instance, if you knew the burglar a detective will start looking for any motive you might have had for murdering him. If they find a motive, you’ll start getting asked some very pointed questions…Or if he (or his dead body) had anything on it which might indicate he was there for a legitimate purpose, THAT will not go unnoticed.The fact that he works for a cable company and has some sales brochures is not going to raise any eyebrows if you shoot him at 11:00pm, but at any time during normal working hours, it will make people wonder things… very inconvenient things for you.So it’s not just a license to shoot people, it’s merely a device to protect homeowners from unwarranted legal problems if they DO shoot someone and it is a justifiable shooting.