Agree.

Motion activated lights, keep the gate locked, security cameras.

If you get a gun, you better be ready to use it. If you pull a shotgun on a perp and he's got a gun, he's going to try to shoot you first... that shotty best be loaded.

 

I keep shells in a couple places around the house but don't keep mine loaded. Not safe.

 

I keep one in the tube but not chambered. The rest are available to me in a different place because one should not keep their firearm and ammo together, this is correct.

 

Oh, I'm not saying keep it loaded. Just saying if you point it at someone, it better be loaded by then.

 

Non-lethal ammo in a gun is an invitation to legal trouble. If you're not comfy with having a loaded, operational firearm with real bullets and possibly shooting at someone, then DON'T. If you were to have non-lethal ammo, you might be more apt to fire even if not in a life-threatening situation. Then when you blind the guy with rock-salt, etc. he gets to own you.

Fire when you have to and be the last person to do so...

<-----Not a gun-nut, but prepared...

 

So if I caught action of the car that keeps going down my street, would it give police some amount of suspicion?

These two cars always come by my house and when im in the garage and I turn around and look at the driver, they both speed off.


I've got an air soft gun but not so ballsy to face a robber lol

Wow.. I'm surprised. How come they wont do anything until such lethal action is in progress?

Lol if i end up doing that i might just carve it into the gate and creep them out! That would be awesome. Ill hit you up if I do end up doing that.

Thanks for all the tips. But going along what Onemanarmy said, would ADT alarm change how an officer or police department reacts to a situation? We already have an alarm system in the house, but not one that is connected to a company such as ADT.

Wow, I can't believe lights deter people like that!

Thats definitely one thing I will need, a flood light in drive way.
Sweet thanks! How do you like the camera?
Not in my house. Lol

Bean bag gun would be kick ***. haha but what are the legalities of it/owning one?

Heres part of the problem with this... First off i'm not the most ballsy person ever, and second i've never dealt with a situation such as this. While carrying a weapon may increase my ability to defend myself/family, the fear or the robber even holding a gun is frightening.
that idea of being "in fear for life" is what kind of makes the law circle around my head and not make sense, because someone CAN be infear of life just by someone aggressively kicking down the door. While I was scared and didn't know what to do, I'm pretty sure someone else would be in fear of their life, such as my neighbors who flipped when they saw the cop at my house. However, going to meets and hearing people talk about guns they also bring up the legalities of shooting someone and where the bullets meet the body which all gets complicated.

So who exactly is there to protect my life or citizens in general? Because I was grown up as police were there to protect and serve, but I guess not.

Being a bad *** joe is definitely something I don't want to do, rather be someone who knows what to do in this situation if it were to occur again.

That sounds smart, but once again, this sounds like it goes against what ive been told at meets. Correct me if i'm wrong, but I've been told you can shoot someone who is while in fact putting your life in danger, BUT they must be inside the house. Also, you must legally shoot them on their front torso, and anywhere outside the house is illegal.

Thats crazy, and thats definitely something I can't man up to. Dealing with nightmares like that or even taking a life would kill me.
Thats very good to know, as i do have BB guns.. lol

So BB guns would still follow real gun rules?
Yea i'm thinking about that too.. if the robber does actually have a gun and you dont have a bullet your screwed..

 

Picture it this way: say you did go out the front door to confront him outside the house, he's put his weapon down to jimmy the gate. You verbally confront him, Dood turns around to pick up his weapon - you gonna let him turn back around before you fire so you can hit his front side? Or let him chase you back inside the house? No ******* way. Self defense happens wherever your self is.

Sounds like your best route is dog, lights/cams. Perhaps a legal, "non-lethal" like a tazer. But that implies very short range to have any accuracy. Sorry you are going through this. Jeezus, what happened to Los Altos?

 

CA has no duty to retreat laws in place. It does not matter where you are, you can, in this state, use whatever force is nessessary to defend your life, up to and INCLUDING lethal force.

However, only the force nessessary, so for example.

A)Criminal is in your front yard, you confront him, he whips out a knife and charges you, you shoot and he goes down, dead. Justified.

B)Same thing, but he goes down, throws the knife aside and doesn't die, but you walk up and put a 2nd round in him to 'finish him off'. That would be murder.

 

I agree with this. It takes seconds to load a weapon, so you don't need to keep it loaded at all times. Guessing the average person dumb enough to break into a house is not going to know how to operate all of my firearms instantly. I practice with them and can operate them without needing to see them.

Yes. Same laws, same penalties.

Training with a firearm can help with that. It is as important to know how to shoot as it is when NOT to shoot.

You can shoot them anyplace you like. You just can't pursue or injure them once the incident is diffused. Meaning if they are now running from you, there is no threat so you are now the aggressor and the law is VERY clear on this.

Correct, so like Oaklandish said, that's part of being prepared. Part of being prepared is also the understanding that you may have to take someone else's life to protect yours or others. If you can't do that, don't get a gun.

 

100% correct man man.

 

One more small thing, and as far as I know this is true in most or all states: if you shoot and kill someone even in self defense, you WILL be arrested and held until justification/self defense is proven.

 

I think instead of WILL it's CAN.


Take for example this whole Zimmerman thing. He was not arrested at first because they had put it at self defense. He wasn't arrested and held until people got pissed and the charges changed.

You will be taken in for questioning and it'll be a long night. But I don't think they'll hold you unless it comes off suspicious.

but they do have that option.

 

its LAPD man. they only help the old and the whiny. and the 5 MPH over speeding tickets. lol

I would put up a cam or two and take the cold hard evidence in. if at that point they are still shoving u out, well itd be a good time to take it to a higher authority and mention the lack of cooperation of the local PD.

I had the cops called on me for running my nitro Savage-x R/C car at 1:30 PM on a Saturday. i cant even drop a god damn wrench in my own garage without fear the PD will show up 5 minutes after i dropped it. LOLOL good luck man!

i know what u mean about the recent break-ins. they just started happening in my area (behind almond elm). FOUR houses and 6 cars in the surrounding area since i last knew. how im the lucky one on the corner that hasnt been robbed, but yes. keep all doors locked. even gates, car doors, windows, back doors, skylights, etc.

 

Your neighbors suck.

 

+1. do u remember when my RS blew a headgasket and i was looking for a place to store it? do i need to explain now?? LOL. its rediculous. i ALWAYS keep my 10-10 garage work hours but still seem to get harassed. all my tint, plate, and noise violations were in LA. its an awesome and very nice place. but the people....ya...