Home invasion/hostage... What would you do..?

[Liberty1911]

I have thought about talking to my wife for this type of situation to have a "sign" to give if she were taken hostage to go limp guaranteed bad guy won't expect that and she'll fall to the floor, while 10 rounds of 40 s&w are ejected out of my firearm.

This is exactly what I have been thinking as well. Not just go limp though, but actually throw you feet up and fall on your butt. There's no way he can support 130 lbs of dead weight with a forearm.

 

[Liberty1911]

This is probably the best way to handle a hostage situation.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NDsvaCbKZg[/ame]

 

[TTravis]

This is probably the best way to handle a hostage situation.

Next they will want to outlaw high capacity revolvers like the one in this vid.

 

[GI JOE]

Kill em all and let god sort em out. They've already threatened deadly force to a loved one... My inner devil dog says smoke check the foo

 

[Raskolnikov]

Never give up your weapon. Try and talk him down firmly. If all else fails just tell ask him if he is willing to die too.

^^^This.

Let's just say that he's going know that he will have more than hell to worry about if he kills my loved one.

 

[Benny]

You never give up your gun. Never ever ever.

If he kills your loved one when you have a firearm in your hand, you can bet your ass he's going to do it when you give it up and then everyone dies except for him.

I would try to stay calm (given the situation, not very calm at all) and try to talk to him. Anything in the house is his, just take it and leave.

I know it wouldn't work like that, since he would think you'd shoot him as soon as he releases the person being held hostage, but I guess you could explain to him that you'd go to jail for shooting at him after he's out of your house and trying to flee. It's a complicated situation I'd never want to be in, that's for sure.

 

[HeadlessRoland]

You raise a good point. Which is why all hostage shots absolutely must be in the ocular cranial region. A bullet to the brainstem will end up with an instantly fatal shot causing him to fully relax and drop like a ragdoll 99.9% of the time. I don't say 100% because we live in a strange world where strange things happen.
Foreheads are a no go because he'll flop around like a fish out of water if you put a round in his cortex, and it's possible he will jerk the trigger while doing so. Also, handgun rounds (and even .223) have been known to litteral bounce off the forehead. Jaws are even worse so don't try mouth shots. Maxillas can stop rifle rounds, and I've personally seen pistol rds fail to even break the bone. Mandible shots are no good either as not enough damage will be done.
It has to be between the top of the mustache line and the bottom of the eye brow line. No Hollywood forehead shots.

T box!

 

[Jbondmonroe]

I would hope that if that happens to someone, that that person is confident in their ability to take out a target that would be that close to a loved one. I know the adrenalin would be pumping and it's hard to imagine being in that situation but its reality. This was a good post. I think that too many times I even imagine a situation like this but don't want to think about it or talk about it. This post has sparked a conversation with my loved ones and we could possibly have a plan. Thanks cfl4rat.

 

[jkershner]

Decided: Put a round through his power switch.

 

[Benny]

I would hope that if that happens to someone, that that person is confident in their ability to take out a target that would be that close to a loved one. I know the adrenalin would be pumping and it's hard to imagine being in that situation but its reality. This was a good post. I think that too many times I even imagine a situation like this but don't want to think about it or talk about it. This post has sparked a conversation with my loved ones and we could possibly have a plan. Thanks cfl4rat.

What if he was shielding his head with your wife/child's head and only an inch or two was available?

Not only that, but what if his finger is on the trigger and the gun is pointed at your child's head? You put one right through his dome and it doesn't kill him instantly. What is his finger probably going to automatically do?

I don't think either of those scenarios are risks I'm willing to take.

 

[Jbondmonroe]

I can't say what I would do and only hope that something like that would never happen. It's horrible that we would even have to have this conversation but its something that I'm glad we talk about. If no one talked about it then no one would have any idea what to do. I would never take a shot if there was only an inch or two or if my loved one was a shield, but if both you and your loved one talked about it then maybe they could work together somehow. There are a lot of variables. All I know is I wouldn't want to give up.

 

[Bushido Devil Dog]

What if he was shielding his head with your wife/child's head and only an inch or two was available?

Not only that, but what if his finger is on the trigger and the gun is pointed at your child's head? What is his finger probably going to automatically do?

As GRAPHICALLY!! (better grab your rain/splatter coat before watching this one! You have been warned!) illustrated in the video below....Nothing.

Note that the hostage taker had the hammer back on his revolver placing it in single action mode and his finger on the trigger. It's hard to tell, but judging by the location of where the most chunks came from, it looks like he was hit somewhere around the left cheek below the eye, not dead center in the nose, and yet it still dropped him like the sack of he was for endangering his hostage.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0YyN1Ht0ls[/ame]

 

[public servant]

Talk about dotting your "I"'s.

 

[churchmouse]

As GRAPHICALLY!! (better grab your rain/splatter coat before watching this one! You have been warned!) illustrated in the video below....Nothing.

Note that the hostage taker had the hammer back on his revolver placing it in single action mode and his finger on the trigger. It's hard to tell, but judging by the location of where the most chunks came from, it looks like he was hit somewhere around the left cheek below the eye, not dead center in the nose, and yet it still dropped him like the sack of he was for endangering his hostage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0YyN1Ht0ls

A fitting end to a POS that will never be a useful member of any society.
Saved the court system a few bucks.

 

[jbombelli]

Shoot them. Shoot them both.

 

[jkwparrott]

I'm glad this posting came along. It gave my wife and I something to talk about last night as we discussed the topic. I explained that in this situation she should watch me and then drop like a sack of potatoes and I will do my best to take the guy out. She's a great shot (probably better than me truth be told) and we agreed that I would do the same if I were the one being held and she had the gun. In that scenario I really feel bad for the BG as she loves her .357 and hollow points.

 

[churchmouse]

I'm glad this posting came along. It gave my wife and I something to talk about last night as we discussed the topic. I explained that in this situation she should watch me and then drop like a sack of potatoes and I will do my best to take the guy out. She's a great shot (probably better than me truth be told) and we agreed that I would do the same if I were the one being held and she had the gun. In that scenario I really feel bad for the BG as she loves her .357 and hollow points.

You need a definite signal you both will understand without giving away your intentions.

 

[Hohn]

This has crossed my mind in the past. I hope to god no one is ever faced with this scenario but let's face it with all the crazies running around its better to be prepared mentally just in case...

Lets say a robber, rapist, thief, junkie, etc. breaks into your home in the middle of the night and snatches up a loved one he is armed, you wake and grab your sidearm, confront him and he says to drop the weapon or the loved one dies...

So what do you do? Do you put your gun down and risk him killing you and the rest of your family or do you stand your ground and risk him doing the unthinkable?....

Never give up your gun. You'll lose all negotiating power at that point.

Not only that, but KEEP YOUR WEAPON AIMED EXACTLY WHERE YOU WANT TO HIT HIM. Maintain your sight picture and NEVER take your eyes off him even as you maneuver for a better shot.

Initiative is a powerful thing. The average BG cannot react fast enough to harm your loved one if you shoot first. If you don't shoot first, then you've failed at the whole point of this exercise.


Reasoning with a bad guy is often a recipe for disaster. The only time you should be delaying or trying to buy time is if you are using it to get closer and improve your hit probability.

The longer you drag things out, the more likely are things to end badly for you.

If he enters my home and takes a family member hostage, I'm shooting to instantly end the episode.

And I will be honest and admit that I'm not above a finishing shot or two. The LAST thing I will give that guy is a day in court with a chance to testify against me.

 

[Hohn]

Talk about dotting your "I"'s.

Looks like it went right in near his left eye. The BGs left eye just disappears.

Not sure about the cheek/nose debris.

 

[Hohn]

What if he was shielding his head with your wife/child's head and only an inch or two was available?

Not only that, but what if his finger is on the trigger and the gun is pointed at your child's head? You put one right through his dome and it doesn't kill him instantly. What is his finger probably going to automatically do?

I don't think either of those scenarios are risks I'm willing to take.

My kids are small enough that he can't hide behind them. His head will be visible and he's getting a 10mm sinus rinse.

If he was trying to shield himself behind my wife (possible, since she's 5'10"), then headshots are tougher. I would have to re-think my plan a good deal.

Then again, my wife is not the kind to be a hostage, sitting there with a gun pointed at her. She would be struggling so much that either she's already be shot by the BG, or at least I would have a pretty good shot since she'll be giving him all he can handle.


The other thing to realize is that the BG when having a gun pointed at him has a lot of incentive to try to shoot YOU and not his hostage. Killing the hostage won't keep him alive. All of us would empty every mag in immediate possession on a guy that shoots our wife or kids.

Taking the gun off the hostage and trying to aim it at you is a rough transition to make. He will be nervous and shaking, too. He will be aiming with one hand, while you will likely have two hands on your gun.

If I clearly do not have a good shot because of his shielding, I will probably buy time by pointing out to him that:
- *I* am the threat to him, not my wife or kid.
- I am willing to die right then and there-- is he?


Not to be so blunt, but the BG in that situation in *my* house has already signed his death warrant. He shoots my wife or kid, I kill him. He lets them go, but keep his gun drawn, I kill him.


His only way out alive is to drop the gun, lay on the floor and wait for the cops while we duct tape and zip tie him up. If he fights us while we do it, he dies.

Cops have to protect your "civil rights." I don't. You have no civil rights as an uninvited guest in my house.

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