Caught on camera attempted home invasion in North Hollywood

[geoint]

My thought is...did he not shoot because he genuinely felt the guy wasn't a threat/wasn't mentally stable or is he using that as an excuse (embarrassment?) for not having the guts to pull the trigger.

If it's the latter, I don't think such a person should use a gun for self-defense. Of course that situation didn't/hasn't happened to me. But who among us has not thought out a few scenarios when (and if legal to) use a firearm should the threat of bodily harm and/or a home invasion occur?

Definitely

[EspoMan]

Definitely

Of course. If he felt the guy wasn't a threat, why did he run back inside like a scared little girl?

[Whatisthis?]

My thought is...did he not shoot because he genuinely felt the guy wasn't a threat/wasn't mentally stable or is he using that as an excuse (embarrassment?) for not having the guts to pull the trigger.

If it's the latter, I don't think such a person should use a gun for self-defense. Of course that situation didn't/hasn't happened to me. But who among us has not thought out a few scenarios when (and if legal to) use a firearm should the threat of bodily harm and/or a home invasion occur?

I think the problem was the homeowner didn't think about actions and consequences. He expected/wanted the guy the stop when he opened the door but failed to realize the guy was so crazed that he wasn't stopping (any reasonable thinking should result in knowing the guy was not going to just stop). So once he opened the door, and the crazed guy didn't stop charging, he tried to undo what he had just done instead of adjusting for the changed circumstances. Once you open that door, if the crazed guy stops charging or runs away, then that's that. But for the percentage of times he doesn't stop charging (which is most likely a large large majority of the time), you have to be prepared to shoot once you open the door.

So was the non-threatening face an excuse? I think it was an excuse for not handling the situation correctly in that he thought the guy wasn't in a right state of mind so he didn't have the guts to shoot.

I absolutely understand not wanting to shoot the guy because it was clear the guy wasn't in his right mind, but you have to draw the line at some point. And that line was very clear when the doors and windows were closed and locked, but he opens that door up and the lines start to bend.

[Canucky]

Ambien (zolpidem).

Adverse effects:

• Hallucinations, through all physical senses, of varying intensity,
• Altered thought patterns,
• Ataxia or poor motor coordination, difficulty maintaining balance,
• Euphoria or dysphoria,
• Impaired judgment and reasoning,
• Uninhibited extroversion in social or interpersonal settings,
• Increased impulsiveness (mostly withdrawal symptom),

Some users have reported unexplained sleepwalking while using zolpidem, as well as sleep driving, binge eating while asleep, and performing other daily tasks while sleeping.

Yes to all above. Girlfriends daughter destroyed her car. Judge didn't buy it. Dui. Happened right in front of the house with 10 friends watching. ZOMBIE

[Dozer94]

Homicide investigation? The cops have no duty to protect you.

Guess I should have clarified more. Stay put meaning, secure the family, have someone call 911 and take a defensive position in case the guy breached the home. And if necessary, suppress the threat. Isn't that the recommended scenario?

[MikeSmith]

The homeowner in the video stated he didn't have a crazed look, just kind of dead like a zombie. The attacker was definately older, maybe he was a diabetic who hadn't had anything to eat.

[EspoMan]

The homeowner in the video stated he didn't have a crazed look, just kind of dead like a zombie. The attacker was definately older, maybe he was a diabetic who hadn't had anything to eat.

Yeah Ok, you keep believing the lesser evil, I'll stick to a crazed person trying to harm my family and I untill I know for a fact otherwise.

[gl0ckc0ma]

I agree it was a dumb move, I just don't understand the extremely harsh criticism. Maybe he wanted the guy to stop cause his kids were scared as **** and probably screaming, didn't realize the guy was completely out of his mind and figured if the guy sees the gun he will get scared and stop. Not what I would have done. Opening that door would have never crossed my mind, last thing I would have ever done. But all in all I think this shows the masses that a firearm is a legitimate form of home protection and may change a lot of minds that believe there is no need for guns in the house. I also liked how the reporter touched on a lot of good points about protecting your family.

[Spartan301]

Holy Benchchair, Batman!

That could have gone wrong in so many different ways! He was LUCKY!

[Bossman88188]

Lot's of people pointed out how it would have been portrayed in the media if he had shot him.
I wonder if the father was not worried about the same thing.
Let's face it here in ca he probably would have ended up jail for protecting his family.
He made plenty of mistakes but not shooting was not one of them.

[anonymous308]

Did anyone mention he should not have opened the door?