Should I have called 911?

[WmWhitfield]

Someone crashed really hard into our house's entrance doors just before 9 PM and scared the hell out of my family. We live in what some would call an upscale community with little crime, but I thought it was a home invasion. Whoever it was took off. It was probably kids, but whomever it was almost got a nasty introduction to Mr. Remington. I never called the Sheriff, thinking it was kids and LE has enough on its plate. NOw, I wonder if it was stupid of me to go to the door, albeit very cautiously and after arming myself, to see what had happened or if I should have stayed away from the door and called it in. I am thinking that since I didn't know if they were still outside my house, and this was nothing like the pranks the kids play, I should have called it in.

[Ron-Solo]

Judgement call on your part. Not much info to give LE. As long as you were careful, and prepared, a cursory investigation is fine.

You did OK.

[Intimid8tor]

You're going to get a ton of answer on both sides of it. Some will say lock yourself in a room and call the cops, others will say run out the front door naked except for your tactical vest and SD firearm.

These things are judgement calls and you make that judgement at that time. If someone banged into my door I probably wouldn't open it without at least looking out the windows first. I do have a security door so there would still be that in the way and the dogs would most likely have started barking and the cats would have been growling before anyone got to the door.

It's hard to say what you should have done. Don't be afraid to call the police because they have enough on their plate. If you feel suspicious about it, or scared from it, call the cops and let them do their job.

[WmWhitfield]

I like the part about running out the door naked.

After inspecting things in daylight, I think this was teenagers, but it did serve as a dress rehearsal for what to do. Previoulsly, I had assumed any kind of home invasion would be in the middle of the night and everyone would be upstairs in their rooms.

Now everyone knows if anyting like that happens they are to go upstairs to the master bedroom, which is where the self defense weapons are kept. I take up a partially concealed position near the top of the stairs, even if it may be a prank. If there is any concern, after the initial crash against the door, that this may not be a prank dial 911 and maintain defensive positons until instructed what to do by 911, which I assume is to wait for LE to arrive.

I also realized that my 870 was stowed with the hammer cocked, which meant I had to fumble with slide release to rack it. I knew about this but had forgotten. Now it is stowed with the trigger pulled on an empty chamber and full tube. I beleive this is what is known as "cruiser ready".

This morning's inspection showed no damage to the door, except that one of two sliding pins that meep one of the two entry doors fixed closed had slid down. Perhaps it was never slid up. Anyway, it may have slid dows with the force of gavity as the door shook. I kind of doubt it happened, but I can remedy that problem with a screw in the channel that the pin slides in. Similar to a patio door.

As for barking dogs, my beagle which growl and barks at the slightest noise from the street didn't utter a sound.

Thannk you all for your advice.

[eta34]

I think you have a good plan in order. Assign someone else to call 911 whole you take your sniper position, ready to greet any unwanted intruders

[WmWhitfield]

I think you have a good plan in order. Assign someone else to call 911 whole you take your sniper position, ready to greet any unwanted intruders

Thanks. I realize that the best of plans are nothing but plans and the real thing can go down totally differently than expected. A local deputy was out here handling a specific threat a while back and gave me some advice regarding better locks and doors. That was when I got the 870. There isn't much I can do about the locks and doors that hasn't been done, but I am adding additional outside lighting today in hopes of persuading anyone up to mischief to take their act down the road. That and we are looking into a couple of security cameras that may make any threat easier to evaluate, while makng LE's job (of enforcement) a lot easier.

[jak77]

Yea probably just some kids. I remember doing some things along those lines when I was younger.

[Notorious]

I think you're fine, but you should call LE to have the incident documented as well. The info could help out other people too, because there may be a trend of these types of things going on and your info can help local LE track it or help outside agencies who may have a bulletin out on similar activities which turned into crimes. You never know.

Some of the best cases were made on seemingly insignificant tips or leads from citizens who had no idea what they were reporting.

For example, an allied agency in the next county may be asking for agencies with "similars" that involved someone knocking or obnoxiously trying to knock on a house door to see if anyone is home and then kicking the door down if there's no reaction or gauging how the residents react if they are home before doing a home invasion... who knows. If you report it and your agency has some bulletins like that, then they can work together and plot crime trends or whatever else those Crime Prevention units do.

[Ron-Solo]

LASD always carries with the hammer cocked, and an empty chamber. It is done this way so you must use the slide release to rack a round. If you train this way, it will become second nature and if the wrong person gets your weapon, they will have a harder time using it against you. That split second may give you the edge you need.

Cocked on an empty chamber is what we call "Patrol Ready"

[WmWhitfield]

LASD always carries with the hammer cocked, and an empty chamber. It is done this way so you must use the slide release to rack a round. If you train this way, it will become second nature and if the wrong person gets your weapon, they will have a harder time using it against you. That split second may give you the edge you need.

Cocked on an empty chamber is what we call "Patrol Ready"

Thanks, Ron. I like the suggestion. Based on the time it took to get to my 870, I can envision the wrong person gragging it. Also, I have been doing something else to make an accidental discharge less likely; using the Remington trigger lock with the key inserted.

The idea was that you had to do turn the key (the lock facing up the lock falls away), take the safety off, and rack a round. The problem is what if the key somehow falls out and is lost.

I think I like the idea of no trigger lock, safety on, empty chamber, and cocked. It requires enough deliberation to avoid accidental discharges while I don't have to worry about being locked out when the gun is most needed.

BTW, our children are all young adults and we never have young kids in the house. My 23 year old son is also trained on the 870 and my last line of defense weapon, which is a long barrel skeet gun. I purposely bought all HD ammo in 2-3/4" so that all works in either gun. If the exception was to arise, and kids are over, the gun lock is back on.

I see you are retired LASD and previously with Glendora PD. I was accepted a to the LASD and was to start the academy a few years before you started at Glendora, but something came up and I pursued another career, which eventually placed me in a regional office located in good old Gledora. I always like Glendora and especially the train shop.

[Notorious]

SB county trains everyone to carry unlocked on an empty chamber. I can see why they don't want that unlocking step because someone will invariably end up pulling the trigger to release the slide and it will end up bring a loaded chamber, or use it thinking it was loaded already and pull the trigger on an empty chamber. I also worked for other LA county agencies that do the unlocked empty carry.

It's a training issue and I can see the advantages of LASD style if everyone was trained that way from the get go all the same way.

ETA: My father lives in Glendora. Beautiful city. I love the old country/western look of the shops.

[WmWhitfield]

I think you're fine, but you should call LE to have the incident documented as well. The info could help out other people too, because there may be a trend of these types of things going on and your info can help local LE track it or help outside agencies who may have a bulletin out on similar activities which turned into crimes. You never know.

Some of the best cases were made on seemingly insignificant tips or leads from citizens who had no idea what they were reporting.

For example, an allied agency in the next county may be asking for agencies with "similars" that involved someone knocking or obnoxiously trying to knock on a house door to see if anyone is home and then kicking the door down if there's no reaction or gauging how the residents react if they are home before doing a home invasion... who knows. If you report it and your agency has some bulletins like that, then they can work together and plot crime trends or whatever else those Crime Prevention units do.

Notorious, Based on your responses I called the problem in during the day to the non-emergency number. There were no similar incidents in my area and they offered to send an officer out to take a report, but I declined since I didn't see what they could do. The woman I spoke with did tell me about the method you describe, banging on the door and invading if no one reacts. She laughed when I said I carefully opened the door with an 870 leveled at the porch. Somehow she didn't think that anyone that may have been lurking was going to want to mess with my house.

[Notorious]

At least not while you're home.

[WmWhitfield]

SB county trains everyone to carry unlocked on an empty chamber. I can see why they don't want that unlocking step because someone will invariably end up pulling the trigger to release the slide and it will end up bring a loaded chamber, or use it thinking it was loaded already and pull the trigger on an empty chamber. I also worked for other LA county agencies that do the unlocked empty carry.

It's a training issue and I can see the advantages of LASD style if everyone was trained that way from the get go all the same way.

ETA: My father lives in Glendora. Beautiful city. I love the old country/western look of the shops.

I hear you on pulling the trigger on a loaded chamber. (When I load the tube I am anal about first clearing the 870, making positive that the chamber is empty, then dropping the hammer, setting the safety, and loading the tube; all with the muzzle pointed in a safe dierction just in case. The one law never to forget is Murphy's. The most immediate shooting I was associated with in Nam, I was just an Air Wing Marine, was when a guy serving with me on the security platoon had his head demolished by a round from an "empty" M60.

Yeah, Glendora was nice and back then I had a 12 minute commute to the office.

[WmWhitfield]

At least not while you're home.

I see what you mean, I think. There may have been incidents that weren't called in because the people answered the door. Then there may have been burglaries where the same technique was used, hit the door, wait, and then break in if there is no reaction, but then no one would report that was what was being done. Anyway, I have been spending the day istalling outside lighting.