What would you do to a burgular in your home?

[myusername]

Hi, this is my first attempt at a poll so I hope it all goes well!

Background to poll:

It is the early hours of the morning, you are asleep upstairs with your darling wife/hubby/partner sleeping next to you. You wake up after hearing some noises downstairs. You creep downstairs and enter your livingroom and suddenly find yourself face to face with a burgular. Assume the burgular looks healthy and strong. He is startled by your sudden appearance and has not moved yet from where you have discovered him.

What would you do?

 

[newGuy12]

It depends on so many things -- no time to think, right? Of the top of my head, under the best conditions -- push him back into kicking range.

 

[morph4me]

Hi, this is my first attempt at a poll so I hope it all goes well!

Background to poll:

It is the early hours of the morning, you are asleep upstairs with your darling wife/hubby/partner sleeping next to you. You wake up after hearing some noises downstairs. You creep downstairs and enter your livingroom and suddenly find yourself face to face with a burgular. Assume the burgular looks healthy and strong. He is startled by your sudden appearance and has not moved yet from where you have discovered him.

What would you do?

First think I do upon hearing noises downstairs is call the police from the phone by my bed, then I wait until they get there. If I hear him coming upstairs, since I know my house better than he does, I wait for him and make sure he doesn't get past the top of the steps. My story is that I startled him and he backed up and tumbled down the stairs.

 

[Tez3]

Laugh like hell as my German Shepherd chewed him up.

 

[newGuy12]

My story is that I startled him and he backed up and tumbled down the stairs.

Haha!

Oh, my! Officer, he fell down those stairs three freaking times! I have never seen this happen before!

 

[myusername]

First think I do upon hearing noises downstairs is call the police from the phone by my bed, then I wait until they get there. If I hear him coming upstairs, since I know my house better than he does, I wait for him and make sure he doesn't get past the top of the steps. My story is that I startled him and he backed up and tumbled down the stairs.

I like this reply! I always keep a mobile phone by my bed with the keypad tones turned off.

 

[myusername]

Poll is up and running now! Please vote it's fun! I probably haven't included enough options so pick the option closest to your idea and elaborate at will. Or if none of the options appeal post what you would do instead. Perhaps I should have included a none of the above option!! Have fun

 

[14 Kempo]

As with a confrontation in the street, I will do whatever it takes to protect myself, my family and friends. If I can greet the person cordially and offer them a cup of coffee while we wait for the police, then that's what I would prefer. On the otherhand, I'll do whatever it takes to subdue the infiltrator.

 

[Tez3]

I'd give him my stuff, hug him goodbye then get the insurance docs out and give the company a ring about my diamonds,laptops, widescreen tellys etc that had been stolen. What do you mean that's illegal?

 

[myusername]

I'd give him my stuff, hug him goodbye then get the insurance docs out and give the company a ring about my diamonds,laptops, widescreen tellys etc that had been stolen. What do you mean that's illegal?

LOL! I'm liking it!

 

[Kingindian]

i will try to attack him but at first of course i will call police...if they are outnumbered me..i will shout so my neighbours will come...

 

[14 Kempo]

I'd give him my stuff, hug him goodbye then get the insurance docs out and give the company a ring about my diamonds,laptops, widescreen tellys etc that had been stolen. What do you mean that's illegal?

Gotta luv it, cause one crime deserves another ... LOL

 

[Kingindian]

blessing in disguise lol..

 

[newGuy12]

We must agree on the situation. Notice that the original post states that you have already gone downstairs to see what the matter was. What is making this noise? You are then face to face with this guy.

So, he is in your face! None of this -- I will call the police and then do this and that. Not if we are considering what the original post says!

Depends on how close -- can I drop straight down to get under his center of gravity? If so, is there a picture window nearby to try to throw him out? Even if his mass is greater, I know that if you can get under the center, he will go...

 

[MA-Caver]

It's hard to take something seriously as this when the poll isn't serious. Though I voted "give the burglar a good beating then call the police, it is most likely I would actually do the first choice... Kill him.
Killing is a very VERY difficult thing to do. Maybe not for a trained combat veteran who has done so, pr a LEO, but for the everyday person it's not as easy as all that. Unless you've actually done it, IMO you've no idea.
Ironically as a supporter of the death penalty I do not like killing at all. But sometimes it must be done. There are people out there who just-don't-care. At least not like we (everyday people) do.
First few days of living (again) in my parents house I realized just how vulnerable we were. My father being deaf and blind, my mother deaf and diabetic with a bad knee, both are in their 80's and myself (without my hearing aids) deaf as well. Anyone could conceivably break a window and get in. The doors are stout enough to warrant all but the most determined break-ins.
I find it difficult to fall asleep sometimes because I worry about not being able to hear a glass pane being broken and then someone, possibly armed (and this could be with a simple crowbar-- a common burglar's tool) unwanted and uninvited inside the house.
Someone could conceivably stealthily walk into my room and bash me on the head and I wouldn't hear them. Then my parents are extremely vulnerable.
This does scare me.
Should I wake in the darkness of my room, with internal alarms blaring and if possible that I manage to get into a position to surprise the intruder... I'd probably would kill him if the opportunity presented itself. Legally I would not be too concerned, and feel that the police would be on our side due to the circumstances (just described) and that in a trial by jury (hopefully) be acquitted.
I hope/pray it won't ever come to that and that the neighborhood we live in presently stays relatively safe as it has been for years.
A call would go to 911 most definitely, dispatchers know this address and know the occupants well and thus response time would be near immediate. I wouldn't have to speak to them, just leave it off the hook.
Still, he's in our house, unwanted and uninvited, thus... he dies. Simple as that. There are no weapons in the house per se except my folder which lies by my bed on the nightstand and the kitchen knife set and whatever else I can get my hands on.
No dogs to bark loudly or mangle the intruder. My parents would love to have one but worry about not having a fence around to prevent the dog from running off into the busy 5 lane highway that is in front of the house.
Being on fixed income they can't afford it, neither can I at this time. Besides the house is no longer in their name, it's been given to one of my (step) mother's granddaughters, as sort of living inheritance. I am here to help them best as I may.

An intruder in the home while occupied is far more dangerous than an intruder in an unoccupied home. It takes balls to go into an occupied private residence armed and uninvited. I think any officer here on MT would agree with that.
Fortunately, statistically most home invasions take place when the home is unoccupied. Good for them, good for the home-owner who doesn't have to make a life or death decision on the spot.

 

[Kingindian]

well if im face to face (suddenly without time to call police) of course i will get surprise...i will shout loud to wake up my family ...then will fight as i can.

 

[morph4me]

We must agree on the situation. Notice that the original post states that you have already gone downstairs to see what the matter was. What is making this noise? You are then face to face with this guy.

So, he is in your face! None of this -- I will call the police and then do this and that. Not if we are considering what the original post says!

Depends on how close -- can I drop straight down to get under his center of gravity? If so, is there a picture window nearby to try to throw him out? Even if his mass is greater, I know that if you can get under the center, he will go...

The fact of the matter is that if I heard someone in my house, I wouldn't go and investigate, I'd call the police, grab a weapon and wait.

I told my kids when they became teenagers that if they had friends over, I had to know about it, because if I woke up and came face to face with someone that I didn't expect, I won't ask questions, I'll just attack and keep on attacking until I felt safe. That hasn't changed.

 

[Kingindian]

I had to know about it, because if I woke up and came face to face with someone that I didn't expect, I won't ask questions, I'll just attack and keep on attacking until I felt safe. That hasn't changed.

very logic...me too , i even told my father not to rush suddenly to my room in the middle of the night...i have my nunchaku in my bed side...
and the worse thing..my brother kept his knife near him too...

 

[tellner]

"Kill him" is an answer that can get you in serious legal trouble.

My S.O.P. is the same one recommended by all the experts.

1. Get family to safe rooms
2. Lock door
3. Arm my wife, guests who are competent to use firearms and myself
4. Call police. Give dispatcher directions to where in the house we are
5. If he gets past the door and the German Shepherd I believe that I am in fear of death or serious bodily injury. Besides, he's just walked into a prepared enfilade position. Take indicated action
6. If I see total and abject surrender, hold him for the police
7. If he runs do not chase
8. If he appears to have a weapon, acts threatening or aggressive, does not obey commands et cetera see #5 above

That's all predicated on having time. If I don't then grab whatever tool comes to hand, issue challenge, prepare for action.

In all cases an attack by an intruder in my home must be treated as a deadly force situation. If I can avoid getting in a gun or a knife fight that is ideal. If I can not, then I'm going to make sure the me and mine are alright no matter what.

Afterwards, call the police, call my lawyer, call LFI. Prepare for non-consensual sodomy to be inflicted on me by the legal system.

 

[Tez3]

How many of you have burglar alarms in your house? The sort that make a huge noise and wake the whole street up?
People who break into houses hate noises of any kind, even a small dog is a nuisance to them and they will chose another house to break into.