Well, it finally happened to me...

[Benny]

On the brighter side, if your wife has EVER given you crap about your firearm habits... I'm sure those days are long gone now.

Yeah, they've been gone for at least 12 hours by now.

 

[redpitbull44]

On the brighter side, if your wife has EVER given you crap about your firearm habits... I'm sure those days are long gone now.

Yeah, they've been gone for at least 12 hours by now.

LOL, no, she's cool with guns. I wouldn't have married her if she wasn't.

 

[japartridge]

This morning at 7:30 I had a guy break into my house. He came in through my back door, which is adjacent to my bedroom. The back door is ~1/2" narrower than the hallway it opens into. The wife and I were fast asleep, and heard a loud bang on the back door. We were both jolted awake. The second bang I was throwing off the blankets and on my feet, reaching into the gun safe where my M&P 45 resides loaded, with a round in the chamber. By the third and final bang, the door popped open. I heard my 70lb pitbull "Spot" charging down the hallway, and he hit the back door as it came open. The intruder braced the door, and then dashed into my bedroom, where me, my wife, and my 3 month old son had been sleeping. He was met by me standing there, pistol in hand, with every last micro inch of trigger slack and takeup depressed. That is to say, I was literally waiting for the shot to break, as he began screaming "Its me, its me, don't shoot!" The man was wearing a camouflage shirt, a ball cap, and a turkey hunter style face mask.

I wear contact lenses, but I don't sleep in them, so I could not see him very well. My first reaction was "Who the F*** ARE YOU!!!!???!!!" "It's me, Johnny" he replied, and pulled down his mask.

*Back Story*
Johnny is related to three of my neighbors. He's a two time convicted felon. I know he has been to prison, and that he went to prison for burglary. I also know that Johnny has had a drug problem. I saw Johnny just two weeks ago. He was there when I had to put down a dog that had been hit by a car. Johnny doesn't live near me, but as stated, his mother, grandmother, and cousin all live within a mile of my house. Today, he looked much thinner than he was two weeks ago. I have had dealings with meth users, and he definitely fit that description to a tee. He looked like he'd been up for 3-4 days.
* *

Upon hearing him say "It's me, Johnny." I said "What the hell are you doing breaking into my house?"
He replied "I'm scared man. Somebody's after me. They're gonna kill me. I didn't know who else to go to, so I came to you."
I said "Man, I got my wife here, my baby's laying there, get outta here, just get out on the porch." I grabbed my glasses, and followed him out the door in my boxers, .45 in hand. I know that meth, and other similar drugs will make a user paranoid, especially after prolonged use. Johnny proceeded to tell me that he had been partying with some people, had sex with somebody's girlfriend, and the guy was trying to kill him. I stood there looking at him, trying to figure out what was going through his head. In his hands were a flatbar and a pair of bolt cutters. In his back pocket was a pair of pliers. In his front pocket were several wads of rope, a digital camera hanging from a case around his neck, and a 5-6" hunting knife hanging from his belt.

I told him "Go around to the front. I'm gonna throw some clothes on." I went back in, dropped my P3AT in my pocket, and clipped on my Kershaw Tanto Blur. I went back out with my .45 in hand. I stood there listened to him for 20 minutes, attempting to calm him, and interjecting advice all the while.

I instructed him to go down to his grandma's house and hole up in case the guy came looking for him. I knew that he was coming down, and would need to find a place to crash. I also knew that he wasn't going too far. Understand that Johnny said he tried my front door, and then tried my back door when nobody answered. The problem with that is, my dog goes nuts any time somebody pulls into the driveway, touches the gate, or knocks on the door.

After he left, I called 911 to have a deputy come out. My wife and I made statements, and the Deputy went down and picked him up for Residential Entry. Due to his prior offenses, he is looking at 20 years and $110,000 bail.

Johnny's female cousin, and her boyfriend (a friend of mine) came down to get the story, apologize, and thank me for not killing him. His grandma followed suit an hour later. The cousin informed me that Johnny had been on a bender, because his girlfriend was kicking him out. His grandma informed me that there are three guys after Johnny, looking to kill him over drug money. Johnny gave the deputy the names of the guys that are after him, as well as enough info to hang them.

I just can't help thinking things like "Should I have shot him?", "I guess it's a good thing I didn't do that trigger job yet.", and "Who else do I have to worry about breaking into my place".

Everybody keeps telling me that I used good judgement in not killing him, and that this is a "win", because everybody is safe, Johnny is in jail, and the police have leads on the drug dealers.

Holy ****!!!! glad that you and yours are safe and OK!! absolute excellent control in not shooting him... I hope that if I'm ever in a similar situation I can control myself as well as you did!

 

[tskin]

My first reaction is that if I hear a guy kicking in my door w/ 3 kicks & then he runs into my bedroom wearing a mask, he's a dead man!!!! However, it's easy to think you'd react a certain way, but never know for sure until the time comes. I'm glad everything worked out for you... Good job.

 

[scottka]

Wow... what a story. Glad you were prepared both physically and mentally for this situation. Could you imagine being a non-prepared person in this instance? Having someone break in with a large knife and not having anyway to defend yourself. I couldn't imagine feeling that helpless. This is just another instance of why we should be prepared.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

What a fascinating story! Congratulations to you and yours on the positive outcome! Thanks for sharing.

 

[abnk]

I agree. I didn't believe him for a second. I also know that non-meth'd out, he is actually a GOOD person.

Glad everything worked out, but I fail to understand how you can see a recidivist burglar on meth as a good person.

 

[CTC B4Z]

time for a better back door

 

[slottech]

That is nuts man. Glad everything worked out for the good. could have been a WHOLE LOT worse.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

I'm glad nobody got hurt and I'm glad you stopped the threat. Good job.

 

[NovemberKilo]

FWIW...

Anytime the bad guy goes to jail and everyone else goes home unharmed, it's a "win."

As others have mentioned, I'm glad for your sake you didn't have to shoot him, but I wouldn't have blamed you for an instant if you had needed to use that level of force.

Think about it like this: You had the means and the right to use lethal force, but you were able to resolve the situation without doing so. Your wife did not have to witness you taking someone's life, you don't have to deal with the legal/psychological aspect of doing so and you'll never have to question whether or not you made the best choice...

For all the gun-board bravado, it's a rare individual who really, truly, deep-down would be indifferent toward shooting another human being.

Many of us are prepared to - and I believe many of us would if the situation were dire - but I don't think any of us would feel "good" about it afterward.

As far as I see it, you saved his life. You did him a favor: you gave him another chance.

Nothing wrong with that.

 

[jd42k]

Man way to keep your cool. Probably by not having your glasses right away saved the guys life.
The guys in jail and the LEO's got some good leads and you didn't have to kill another human being...

 

[Oliver]

Glad your family is safe. Aside from that, sounds like a very lucky man that tried to do your family harm.

 

[Dirtebiker]

Excelent restraint, I think most of us( me included) would have shot him!
Hope he gets some serious time, but don't be so sure! You know how the system works.
Get that door fixed and double check other entrances and windows, you never know who else he's been hanging with, and by now, surely others at least know you keep weapons in the house!
I don't know where you live, but if not too far from Greenwood, and you need help with the door or whatever, I'm glad to help. (I'm a remodeling contractor) just p.m me.
Glad to hear no one was hurt and you don't have to clean up any blood( that can be disgusting)!
Good job!!! And I hope I can act as well as you did if I'm ever in the same situation!
Take care

 

[justanotherjarhe]

Wow. You did an excellent job at keeping your head. If it were me, I would have shot first and asked questions later. But that is only out of trained reaction and muscle memory. You did exactly the right thing IMO. Im just wondering how the hound didnt get to him first.

I would be horrified if i ended up shooting someone to find out later that i didnt have to. My reactions scare me in this civi life. I think this story is a great example to use in many of the home/self defense courses out there. You NEVER know the real situation until its over and you get to pick up the pieces. Heck I wouldnt have even "heard" what he was yelling out. Thanks for the reminder to check myself. Great stuff!

 

[Hammerhead]

Of course I give you a large +1 for not having to take the guy's life, and that you and your family are safe.

I've never had this happen, so my thoughts aren't with any personal experience. I would have shot him. Face covered, breaking in, you're a dead man.

He absolutely was there to do you harm and changed his tune when he saw you could (and almost did) end his life.

Great job on being prepared. Perhaps start training to grab your glasses before opening the gun safe?

 

[45fan]

Sounds like a win all the way around, nobody hurt, bad guy is locked up, and you didnt have to clean up a blood stain from a druggie. Its hard to tell what sort of things that you (or your family) could be exposed to if you hadnt had such good trigger control and presence of mind.

If that had happened in my house, I doubt that the trigger on my 12 gauge would have been as long, not to mention the trigger on the wife's nightstand pistol. The only reason she wouldnt have shot would have bee for fear of hitting one of the dogs.

 

[rbrthenderson]

That takes a lot of discipline not to pull that trigger. Glad everything turned out well.

 

[GARANDGUY]

Whether you "should" have shot him or not is completely irrelevant. What you SHOULD have done was be prepared to employ whatever force necessary to stop a mortal threat, and de-escalate your force when the threat lessened.

Oh, wait. That's what you did do. WIN.

^this.

I am glad you and your family are alright first and foremost! On a side note I would keep my 45 handy jic of retaliation by him,his junkie friends, the guys he snitched on,or anyone else for that matter. Stay safe and great job! +rep for you.

 

[J_Wales]

"Johnny" will be back.