Constructive Criticism Welcomed

[L84CABO]

If you carry a gun, you should always have a flashlight...IMO.

I'm not going to make judgments on whether you should have stayed in the house. If you got a guy on your property making a bee line for your house, there may be something to be said for meeting him on YOUR terms. And especially if you have loved ones in the house...I'm just pointing that out as I don't believe you did in this case.

Something to consider is cover. Did you have cover when you told him to stop. Would you have had cover inside the house if he had decided to make entry.

[mr2ndamendment]

The flip side of this scenario is: what if the dude did have a gun? You lock yourself inside, retreat to a happy place and call the police. In the meantime the thug breaks into your neighbor's house, a 85 year old woman that you grew up living next door to. He kills her and moves on. Would you be able to look yourself in the mirror everyday without asking, "what if..."

I think you did well. Nothing wrong with being in your backyard and securing your property. I've said it before and I will say it again, don't be a bystander.

True, this could happen. How are we supposed to live with ourselves if we could have acted but didn't and the dude ran into a neighbor's house and killed them?

There's no fun or amazing outcome here. You either go out there in the unknown and commit to a firefight with one (or several) dudes with guns, or your neighbor gets killed. At least you'd be alive to feel guilt (or anything for that matter). Keep in mind, the legal role of firearms with regard to defense in California is a role demanding you avoid confrontation and use a gun only as a last resort when your words and feet could not get you out of that situation.

Beyond the legal ramifications, I don't think it's wise to run out into the unknown. It could have been one guy with a gun, which is already enough of a problem, but what if it had been several guys with guns? You with your pistol running out there to combat several dudes with guns means you're dead or critically wounded more likely, and then what happens to your family when the man of the house is down?

Like I said, there's no happy answer here. My grandmother is 85 years old and she keeps a gun at the ready in her home, I just hope in this scenario if that dude did break into the "grandma next door's" house, she'd have something to deal with it.

[ConcealedKalifornia]

The problem is, you don't know what you don't know. Hell, maybe you actually saved the kid from getting turned into swiss cheese.

You say he was heading in the direction of your home. Maybe he thought no one was home and was going to run inside and hide. Well If i heard a crash and sirens, then suddenly someone kicks my door open, I'm letting bullets fly. You may have saved the dumb***es life for all you know.

There is to many scenarios that could have happened. All we know is, you are alive, and un-hurt, so it seems like you did the right thing to me.

[Lucky Scott]

( my backyard is very dark )

This is a problem, if it was lit up the perp would have probably gone in a different yard. Get some good lites and timers so they come on whether you are home or not.





Oh yeah, next time stay inside..................

[greensoup]

I think you should of stayed inside but ONLY because CA has turned us into a vaginafied society. We should be able to take care of ourselves, neighbors, and community without worrying about getting shot by the police or sued by some POS but unfortunately we can not.

They have done a great job at neutering the public and teaching people to be victims and cowards ("just give it up") that depend on a system that is not set up to protect them but merely to show up after you've been victimized. The sheep have been conditioned to think "powerless" vs. "powerful".

So the correct answer is to not do anything and kowtow to the criminals but the right answer is to protect yourself, neighbors, and community and make a difference when you can. Better to be correct (PC) in CA than right. (Insert upside down CA state flag )

You stay inside because guys with guns are chasing another guy potentially with a gun. But you don't know who is who, and they don't know who is who.

The guy running could be a plain clothes officer. If you pointed your gun at a plain clothes officer, what do you thing happens to you?

[The Last American Hero]

If I had all three handy I'd have grabbed a camcorder, flashlight and gun in that order.

You should assume the cops don't know you are a good guy(and that they haven't personally seen the actual badguy yet) and if you are an adult male of any race between 12 and 60yr you will be considered a likely suspect. So running around in a dark yard without even a flashlight but a handgun while a bunch of cops are in hot pursuit seems like "asking for it".

Don't forget their might be plain clothes cops running around as well.

But IIRC just because he doesn't have a weapon doesn't mean he isn't considered a deadly threat if you have legit reason to believe he is a danger to you (like if he is running at you and is anything between child and old geezer.