In reply to akylekoz :
Gotta be careful with that. It's funny how when you report someone for doing things, even for years, nothing will happen, but then you retaliate even a little and you get the book thrown at you.
Although I hear the jokers on 4chan and 8chan are always looking for fun.
In reply to akylekoz :
Don't do any of that.
In fact, you should delete that post immediately.
Talk to a lawyer. But generally, do not antagonize an individual that may be unstable. If anything should go down, you also want the record of all interactions you've had to show that you have been looking to deescalate the situation. You do NOT want to look like you're some sort of vigilante out to punish him.
I really don't think you have a real choice other than the ability to stop a deadly threat with deadly force.
Depending upon where you live if you shoot a home invader your may get praised from the Chief of Police for a job well done, or arrested for not retreating through the back door. You need to know this before it happens.
Like others have said: you need to know you can use deadly force which may result in the death of another. If you aren't sure about that then have another plan. Just know that plan may be naive and result in a bad outcome for yourself.
All self defense laws, especially in the use of deadly force, are written from the point of view of what a "reasonable person" would do to "stopping a deadly threat". And the law is interpreted such that, after the deadly threat is over, the assailant is laying on the ground bleeding, you must call an ambulance to render aid.
Shooting to wound means, in law world, that you didn't believe the threat was deadly enough to warrant deadly force but you used it anyway. And firing of a weapon at a person is deadly force. A "warning shot" is deadly force. Pointing a firearm at a person is assault with a deadly weapon in some jurisdictions. If the attacker runs away after a firearm is pointed at them be sure to call the police immediacy and tell them someone tried to attack you in your home, you pointed your legal weapon at them, and he ran away. Otherwise the bad guy may call first and suddenly you are the assailant being reported.
A shotgun is the best choice for stopping a threat but not recessionary for a close encounter, like if the assailant rushes someone to take the weapon away. A handgun can be wielded with a person right up on you. A shotgun can be leveraged out of your grasp if you hesitate and let the bad person within a few feet of your person.
As far as shooting through the door - that is almost insane advice. Suppose the bad guy is out there holding another person hostage in front of them? Suppose the bad guy is to the side of the door, you shoot through it, and your projectiles end up in your neighbor's living room, or your child's bedroom?
In reply to Beer Baron :
Updated for clarity.
So much good information here.
At this point we don't respond at all, not leave me alone, nothing, just silence on our end. So far it has worked the best, what does he get out of texting to a blank wall. He wanted attention, he got it, Officers came to talk to him in front of his wife, served papers, and done for a while. This time he gets nothing from us.
There is nothing else we can take from him until he crosses a line. I just want to be prepared for if he does.
Now that I have a picture, I can ask if it's the right guy and keep an eye out for him.
Recording door bell camera
Taser stick with bright light
Make sure anyone near me knows who he is.
You need a moat around your house. With a drawbridge.
iansane said:You need a moat around your house. With a drawbridge.
That's just good advice in general.
I would like to reiterate getting some self defense classes. You do not want to be in a situation where you have the weapon in your hand and arent really mentally prepared to use it and have that bluff called.
Also, those discussing game cameras, there are a number of systems from companies such as Arlo, wyze, nest, ring, etc. that have become much more affordable in the last several years. Having a system in place to provide actionable documentation if it escalates is important.
If it's just texting can't she just block the number? Contact your service provider and see what they can do on their end?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CW4CEMS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
I have these inside my house. $80 for 4 is cheap. You then need a SD card for each (not included) They are simple and cheap but do what I want them to do. I have one pointed toward the front door. Another on our 3 season porch to capture that back door. Third in the garage capturing any entry that way too. The 4th we move around sort of like how you would a baby cam.
I do not have them working with Alexa or Google. But, with the manufacturers app I can see what's up via my phone. No wiring needed other than insert the SD card and plug them into a standard outlet.
I think I like Toyman's and KYAllroad's answers the best. A shotgun is undoubtedly the best home defense weapon--intimidating, effective, minimal collateral damage. Get one and get proficient with it.
Many of the things my shooting instructor--a retired FBI instructor--told me made an impression. We think of hitting an attacker with a pistol bullet as being an end to the threat. That is often not the case. When confronted with a situation that merits the use of deadly force, shoot the attacker, center mass, and shoot until the threat is no longer a threat. Never shoot to merely injure, or discourage an attacker. You have little control over where that confrontation goes from there.
I hope you never have to use deadly force, but preparation and proficiency will go a long way to making you both feel more in control of the situation.
I have used wyze cam for the past 5 years and have been happy with them.
Wyze Cam v3, v2 | Wired Security Camera with Free Cloud Storage
https://wyze.com/wyze-cam.html
From the people that I've talked to who have experienced both products from both the giving and receiving end, being pepper sprayed will be better for general self defense than a taser. Beyond that, the vast majority of people will be better served by pepper spray than a gun in the vast majority of self-defense (from people or animals) situations. The use of force justification is sooo much lower. This is why my (and my wife's) 'everyday carry' is a stream (not fog) Defense Technologies mk-6 1.3% OC spray, with additional larger cans in the cars and house.
Taking a training course that puts you through live action simulations is also highly recommended by both my wife and myself.
I would argue that cameras generally lack the mass and structure to be a useful weapon. They may be useful to show investigators how you died.
In reply to 1988RedT2 :
Epic strategic failures of history: Making the last line of defense the first line of defense.
In reply to 1988RedT2 :
Motion detection and notification makes you aware. You can monitor if your being stocked. Looks like a win.
They sell pepper balls and solid balls for paintball guns. That could be a fun way to handle things.
They sell solid balls for shotguns too!
Cameras also work well as a deterrence. Even a politician will behave when on camera. Cameras don't usually stop the crime, but they do make criminals shop elsewhere. I have 10 obvious cameras covering my house and yard. When the vandals came through our neighborhood several years ago, they didn't hit any house near mine. When cars were being broken into a few months ago, they never did hit my house or my neighbors. I did watch a guy walk up my driveway, notice the LED on the motion camera light up and turn around and leave. I have cameras in my cars as well. Video is a powerful tool for controlling human behavior. Use it.
As for the gun vs the pepper spray, they both have their place and I have both.
Saber Mk3 gel spray is in all my cars. I spend enough time on and off military installations to not keep a gun in the car. I'm too old and too fat to deal with shiny happy people that want to get in your face in traffic. A close look at a can of pepper gel will take the wind out of most belligerent people or at least make them keep their distance. I also keep a can of bear spray in the XJ in case I run across one of those in the woods.
On the other hand, if you come in my house while I'm home, I'm not reaching for the pepper spray. At that point, I'm pretty sure society would be better off without you. I don't personally keep a loaded shotgun in the house, but I do keep an S&W 45 loaded with frangible rounds handy. I put a couple of hundred rounds down range every few months so I can hopefully hit the target as well as scare them. The frangible rounds don't go through walls or doors so I don't have to worry about killing the neighbor's kids in their beds. The odds are Greta, the German Shepard is going to get the bad guys first. For sure she will slow them down until I can back her up.
In an ideal world, the bad guys see the cameras and move on. That's why they are there. If you don't have any, get some. They are so cheap these days everyone should have a couple covering the doors at a minimum. If you don't have guns and aren't comfortable with them, get the pepper spray. From there you can decide if you want to escalate. If you want one gun for self-protection, I'd do the 20 gauge shotgun like Keith suggested. Cut the barrel as short as the law will allow, keep it loaded. Take it out and practice with it a couple of times a year, then clean it, reload it and stick it back in the corner.
All of this stuff, cameras included, is like a fire extinguisher. You hope and pray you never need it. That doesn't mean you shouldn't have it handy if you do.
has anyone suggested bean bag rounds for a 12 gauge...? First round beanbag, second buckshot, third nylon slug?
OP; do you have kids? Because if you do, dont keep a loaded gun around. I had a shotgun go off in my hands at 9 years old because I was playing with it and assumed it was unloaded. Luckily no one was hurt and I just shot a hole in the garage wall, but I learned a lot that day.
In reply to stroker :
If I'm pulling the trigger I don't want them to survive, I want them DRT.
gearheadmb said:OP; do you have kids? Because if you do, dont keep a loaded gun around. I had a shotgun go off in my hands at 9 years old because I was playing with it and assumed it was unloaded. Luckily no one was hurt and I just shot a hole in the garage wall, but I learned a lot that day.
By 9 we were shooting fairly regularly. Taught the basics (4 rules) and had that all guns were loaded all the time in my head along with they aren't a toy.
An unloaded firearm is an expensive rock. If you aren't going to get experience with it and keep it loaded just get the rock. It's a lot cheaper
Toyman! said:In reply to stroker :
If I'm pulling the trigger I don't want them to survive, I want them DRT.
Yeah, that's you and me but I was trying to offer the OP an option that might not have been mentioned...
I'm gonna disagree on handguns being easier to take away from you than shotguns. Shotguns are longer for one and the usage of them is significantly more complex than a pistol especially when we are talking pump action. Pistols are harder to use IMO though as well.
I also highly recommend not using less than lethal force on a lethal tool. If this gets to the point that guns need drawn, it needs to stop there without going to any other steps.
I would look up your local laws about the usage of force too, Idaho's by example since I live here, has a fairly alarming Castle Doctrine that's significantly more draconian than most know.
If you aren't familiar with guns and neither is your wife, I recommend getting whatever you are comfortable with and whatever you will use. My wife for example loves her Shockwave for the sheer intimidating presence it has but that's far from her only option.
The whole situation sucks but remember, you are far from powerless in this situation
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