Home Invasions

[MJS]

While watching the News this morning, they mentioned a home invasion. There is a small article in the paper, and I'm sure more will follow as the investigation continues. Apparently the home owner stabbed one of the intruders who apparently died of his injuries. The other suspect got away.

In the event something like this was to happen at your house, what safety measures do you have in place?

How would you handle a situation like this?

Do you feel that the homeowner was in the right for stabbing one of the suspects?

 

[kaizasosei]

that is a really tough question. i don't know.
but i do think that killing a human being is never a perfect move. bloodshed often brings more bloodshed and their is also natural feeling of guilt that often sets in. nowadays there is more pressure and opportunity for reflection than back in time when a human life was not always properly valued. even then, people learned to value life.
idealy, punishments should fit the crime.
but on the other hand, the homeowner successfully defended his space. no telling what i might do if confronted by three attackers in the shadows of my own home.
whatever, i don't want to beat myself up too much considering the possibilities.
i think, i would try to capture the intruder(s), tie him up or something. maybe easier said than done.


if a big tree falls in an empty forest, does it make a sound.?..
j

 

[tellner]

First off, the homeowner was absolutely in the right. Someone who breaks into your home is putting you in danger. You don't have the luxury of sitting back and calmly assessing exactly how much of a risk it is.

Do we have plans? Certainly. We have more windows than is absolutely secure but only two doors. Anyone coming in is going to make some noise. If we don't hear it the two German Shepherds will. Our older one has already driven away burglars. If the invaders don't speak Alsatian - and odds are they will - we have prepared positions set up with cover (brick chimney on one side, mild steel plate and expanded copper in the wall on the other) and concealment at the top of the stairs. The bad guys will have to come around at least one corner and up the stairs into enfilade fire to get to us. There are also cell phones to call the police.

I'm considering getting a couple remotely triggerable OC ceiling canisters - porch, back porch and a couple strategic locations on the ground floor and basement - if my native paranoia takes a tick upwards. I doubt that the *******s will bring gas masks.

Speaking of gas masks we have 'em after the last nearby toxics spill. We also have first aid supplies and fire extinguishers in well-known locations and other items suitable for serious social occasions accessible in every room of the house. Not all of them go 'bang'.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

You know in Michigan particularly in my county there have been alot of thefts and larceny recently due to the poor economy. Heck we just had a supposed boyfriend of a woman set her up with two buddies so they could steal $800 from her. Fortunately they were all caught!

So home invasion is a very, very important personal protection situation to carefully think through so that you have multiple defenses.

First I would recommend the following:

-Monitored alarm system with motion detectors and signage posted outside stating so. (also audible alarm inside to scare and or warn or impending danger)
-Dog or dog's as they are the age old alarm system that is still very effective.
-Besides alarm system a person designated to call 911.
-family safe area to meet.
-Tactical tools to meet the challenge that are locked and yet easily assessible. (ie. shotgun, handgun, push dagger, knife, collapsible baton, etc.)
-Game plan to implement tactical tools and defense and a plan to get everyone to a family safe area.

That is a good game plan for the start and other people feel free to chime in.

 

[MJS]

At this time, I have no more info. than what I posted. In cases like this, I like to hear the whole story, but then again, the media has a knack for editing stories, so chances are, we may not know what really went down.

There have been discussions on here in the past, about whether or not you could bring yourself to kill someone. Then again, take a look at the SD moves in many systems. Eye gouges, groin hits, hits to the throat, face, and all over the body....all of which could lead to serious injury. People like the one in the article are coming into a home uninvited. Therefore, IMO, they deserve what they get. What would I do? Don't know, as I've never been in that situation and I hope I never am. I would think that calling the police would be the first step. It'll be interesting to see how this unfolds.

Mike

 

[MJS]

First I would recommend the following:

-Monitored alarm system with motion detectors and signage posted outside stating so. (also audible alarm inside to scare and or warn or impending danger)
-Dog or dog's as they are the age old alarm system that is still very effective.
-Besides alarm system a person designated to call 911.
-family safe area to meet.
-Tactical tools to meet the challenge that are locked and yet easily assessible. (ie. shotgun, handgun, push dagger, knife, collapsible baton, etc.)
-Game plan to implement tactical tools and defense and a plan to get everyone to a family safe area.

That is a good game plan for the start and other people feel free to chime in.

Great points as usual Brian! I have an alarm which is on at night. I have a dog, so being the curious one he is, I'm sure something would get his attention. My wife has her cell phone in her purse, so in the event phone lines were cut, we're not cut off from the outside. No knives or guns upstairs, but lots of impact weapons. An old baseball bat in the closet and a number of Arnis sticks. Not as good as a gun, but better than nothing.

 

[MJS]

I'm considering getting a couple remotely triggerable OC ceiling canisters - porch, back porch and a couple strategic locations on the ground floor and basement - if my native paranoia takes a tick upwards. I doubt that the *******s will bring gas masks.

Now thats an interesting thought! This is something thats available to the public? Just curious as I've never heard of them before, but certainly a great tool!

 

[tellner]

MJS, if people breaking into your house and attacking you isn't justification to use deadly force I don't know what is. Seriously. Deadly seriously. Think about it long and hard right now and make the Decision because it will be way too late to do complicated Deontic Calculus when the fewmets hit the air circulation device. If you can't honestly, deep in your soul, say "I would kill him if I or my loved ones were at risk" not "I might, depending, maybe in theory after carefully considering all options" get rid of the weapons and forget about martial arts as self defense.

Consider that any animal will defend its lair. And it will do it ferociously. Oh, there will be a back exit somewhere so that it can leave if it has to. But that is where it will make its stand and pull out all the stops. Even a big, fierce pit bull thinks twice about going into a little dog's house. Our cat chases squirrels. But she would never beard the squirrel in its den. She's not suicidal. The cat and the pitbull understand the score. It astounds (and appalls) me that civilization has made us forget it.

"If a man breaks into your house in the night and you are afraid, kill him and leave his body until morning. His own blood is on him."

"Someone broke into the lodge and was killed. Whose hand was on the bow?"

Feudal Japanese society was incredibly oppressive to women. Female warriors? You've got to be kidding. But noblewomen were trained in various weapons, particularly the naginata, to defend the home. Everyone understood that when the house was attacked the normal rules did not apply, and everyone had a right and duty to protect it by whatever means were necessary.

Deterrence depends on the bad guy's belief that whatever he wants is not worth what he's going to have to pay to get it. If he's willing to break into an occupied home he's already heavily invested and doesn't care much about the legal consequences. You must assume that he is willing to kill you and that you and everyone else in the house are "in immediate and otherwise unavoidable danger of death or serious bodily injury". If you want him to go away the perceived cost of him continuing must be very, very high. Lights, locks, alarms and barking dogs help raise the cost before the crime. They make him think "Y'know maybe the house down the street will be less trouble."

Once he steps across the threshold it becomes infinitely more serious. At that point the cost has to be "If I don't run away I am going to die." And that, sad to say, only works if you believe it as much as he does. If you're willing to tear his head off and beat him to death with it there's a chance you won't have to. If you aren't you have to assume that he will pick up on that as well.

The dogs and the OC canisters are not something I rely on to stop the bad guys. The dogs are a deterrent before the invasion starts. Afterwards it's their job to "Bite the Bad Strangers and make them go away." That means that our beloved dogs will probably die slowing the Bad Strangers down and giving us a couple clear shots. That's been the Arrangement between man and dog for about 100,000 years. We aren't planning on sitting back and saying "The dogs will take care of it."

The OC is more of the same. I would never count on it as a defense. But there's a chance that it will break the scumbags' script enough to get them thinking of easier pickings elsewhere, especially since it's mysteriously coming out of nowhere before they've even seen us. And if they've had a chance to breathe in a bit of it, cough a little and enjoy reduced vision and confusion it will give us an advantage in the gun and knife fight we were going to get into anyway. If it works, great. We didn't have to shoot, stab or bludgeon anyone. Break out the champagne. If it didn't (and that's our default position) we have a little bit of an edge.

 

[MJS]

MJS, if people breaking into your house and attacking you isn't justification to use deadly force I don't know what is. Seriously. Deadly seriously. Think about it long and hard right now and make the Decision because it will be way too late to do complicated Deontic Calculus when the fewmets hit the air circulation device. If you can't honestly, deep in your soul, say "I would kill him if I or my loved ones were at risk" not "I might, depending, maybe in theory after carefully considering all options" get rid of the weapons and forget about martial arts as self defense.

Don't know where you got the impression that I thought otherwise. Post #2 seemed like they had some doubt as to whether or not killing would be a wise move. Look at my post #5. I stated many of our SD techs. have potentially lethal moves in them, and that someone who breaks into a house gets what they deserve. Perhaps you're confused when I said I don't know what I'd do. What I mean is, we can all armchair QB what we'd do if someone throws a punch at us, a kick, grabs us, pulls a blade, etc. We have our moves, techs. etc., but until things actually start to unfold, we don't know what the 'right' response will be. I can have 2 people throw a punch at me, 1 being some street punk and 1 being a drunk relative or friend. Should I react the same to both? I react to whats presented to me at the time, because its different every time and changes constantly. I think I've used the saying, "I'd rather be judged by 12, than carried by 6." many times on here, so if that doesn't tell you my views, I don't know what does.

Consider that any animal will defend its lair. And it will do it ferociously. Oh, there will be a back exit somewhere so that it can leave if it has to. But that is where it will make its stand and pull out all the stops. Even a big, fierce pit bull thinks twice about going into a little dog's house. Our cat chases squirrels. But she would never beard the squirrel in its den. She's not suicidal. The cat and the pitbull understand the score. It astounds (and appalls) me that civilization has made us forget it.

Defend whats rightfully theirs. I agree with this. Again, many times on here, I've seen threads where people say, "If you're confronted and someone wants your car, give it to them!" I usually say, well ya know what...nothing is stopping this guy from killing me after he takes my car, so why not fight for what belongs to me!!

Deterrence depends on the bad guy's belief that whatever he wants is not worth what he's going to have to pay to get it. If he's willing to break into an occupied home he's already heavily invested and doesn't care much about the legal consequences. You must assume that he is willing to kill you and that you and everyone else in the house are "in immediate and otherwise unavoidable danger of death or serious bodily injury". If you want him to go away the perceived cost of him continuing must be very, very high. Lights, locks, alarms and barking dogs help raise the cost before the crime. They make him think "Y'know maybe the house down the street will be less trouble."

Agree. I'd go so far as to say that IMO, the above statement applies to any scum bag that robs, steals, rapes, etc. If they honestly cared, they wouldn't do it in the first place.

The dogs and the OC canisters are not something I rely on to stop the bad guys. The dogs are a deterrent before the invasion starts. Afterwards it's their job to "Bite the Bad Strangers and make them go away." That means that our beloved dogs will probably die slowing the Bad Strangers down and giving us a couple clear shots. That's been the Arrangement between man and dog for about 100,000 years. We aren't planning on sitting back and saying "The dogs will take care of it."

I was just asking about them, seeing that you posted it and I had never heard about them. I said nothing of them being a fight stopper, or anything else.

The OC is more of the same. I would never count on it as a defense. But there's a chance that it will break the scumbags' script enough to get them thinking of easier pickings elsewhere, especially since it's mysteriously coming out of nowhere before they've even seen us. And if they've had a chance to breathe in a bit of it, cough a little and enjoy reduced vision and confusion it will give us an advantage in the gun and knife fight we were going to get into anyway. If it works, great. We didn't have to shoot, stab or bludgeon anyone. Break out the champagne. If it didn't (and that's our default position) we have a little bit of an edge.

Agree.

 

[jks9199]

Brian gave solid advice. With regards to a safe area or safe room -- pick one room that you feel is solidly defensible; you want a controlled route to it and you want a solid door that can be locked. In fact, you might want a door that's equivalent to an exterior door -- if the walls are reasonable support. (No point in having a door that's nigh on impenetrable in a paper wall...) Have a standard land line phone, not a cell and not a cordless, in there that you can call 911 (or the local equivalent) on. (Note that I'm NOT a fan of relying on a cell phone... a basic landline isn't that expensive!) Make sure that all family members know that they're retreat to that room if at all possible. That sort of set up will handle home invasion robberies where there's some warning... like breaking into your house when they didn't think you were there or thought you'd sleep through it.

The other type of home invasion robbery is harder to give rules for. And those are lots nastier. That's when they show up, blast through the door (often employing a ruse) and take control of the house that way. Prevention is your best bet; don't flaunt wealth. Don't advertise that you keep lots of valuables in the house. Don't open your door to strangers until they identify themselves. And if you do -- get to a phone and dial 911 (or the equivalent number). At least here in the US, cops will investigate a 911 hangup or open line, even if you can't say anything. And if a cop shows up to investigate, and you are somehow forced to answer the door -- open it, and get OUT fast. Don't rely on a cop (likely figuring it's just another nuisance accidental dialing) picking up some sort of cue. We're human...and we hate dealing with that sort of call. Even the best of us may not pick up on the cues without a scriptwriter guiding us. Open the door wide, run screaming out!

As to the ethics of defending your home -- Tellner did an excellent job explaining that.

One last thing... "capturing" the invader sounds nice in theory. Before you plan to do it -- think about this. You capture the bad guy; what are you going to do with him? How are you going to restrain and control him.? What if he's not alone?

 

[stickarts]

If someone invades your home I believe you have every right to protect you, your family, and your home.
We have a plan that we run through with my family from time to time and we have an alarm system as well as several phones around the house.
I also have a 36" Louisville slugger that just swings so nicely! :0)

 

[MA-Caver]

MJS, if people breaking into your house and attacking you isn't justification to use deadly force I don't know what is. Seriously. Deadly seriously. Think about it long and hard right now and make the Decision because it will be way too late to do complicated Deontic Calculus when the fewmets hit the air circulation device. If you can't honestly, deep in your soul, say "I would kill him if I or my loved ones were at risk" not "I might, depending, maybe in theory after carefully considering all options" get rid of the weapons and forget about martial arts as self defense.

I was taught that anyone breaking into my home while I was in it has the intent to kill me and my family/friends/room-mates. While it is justification and probably a lot of LEO's will nod their heads in the affirmative -- the law is still the law and it's homicide and it will be up to a jury to decide if it was justifiable or necessary. Thus killing should be the last resort. Crying out a warning to the intruder that they WILL get shot if they do not vacate the premises immediately helps the case I think in court. Though it maybe only your word against the burglar (if he lived) that you warned them before-hand.
In my present situation I am severely hard of hearing and that's when I have my hearing aid on. Without it I might as well be deaf... well who am I kidding... I AM My parents are both deaf and my father is blind as well. If an intruder wants to break in they don't need to worry too much about stealth as far as noise is concern... In our case all the more reason for us to use deadly force when it comes to home defense. We wouldn't have a warning until after we wake up and realize that there's a fourth in the house. Extremely vulnerable to say the least I know.
I have my folder kept by my bedside and am considering bringing in and concealing (from my parents, because that sort of thing terrifies my step mother if she sees it laying about) my hunting knife which has a broad blade of 8 inches and is very -- very sharp. I'm not allowed at present to have a firearm.
Dogs? Can't afford one. Alarm systems, can't afford those either (parents on a fixed retirement income and I work at a McDonalds ). There are a number of police and state troopers that cruise by the house along our street which is actually a four-lane by pass from one freeway exit to another, thus they cruise past at a good 35-40+ mph. If I wake and I frequently do through the night and sense something is amiss then I am prepared to use deadly force if I see the person is someone other than my parents. I just hope (my parent's) lawyer is as good as they say he is.

Consider that any animal will defend its lair. And it will do it ferociously. Oh, there will be a back exit somewhere so that it can leave if it has to. But that is where it will make its stand and pull out all the stops. Even a big, fierce pit bull thinks twice about going into a little dog's house. Our cat chases squirrels. But she would never beard the squirrel in its den. She's not suicidal. The cat and the pitbull understand the score. It astounds (and appalls) me that civilization has made us forget it.

I don't think that can be a blanket statement as I've had the rare occasion in Dallas to see a dog go into another's dog house and drag the animal bodily out side and shake it like a ragdoll. T'was a bloody mess. By the way the dog doing the attacking was indeed a pit.

"If a man breaks into your house in the night and you are afraid, kill him and leave his body until morning. His own blood is on him."

"Someone broke into the lodge and was killed. Whose hand was on the bow?"

Interesting quotes... sounds familiar who said them and where did you find them? :asian:

Feudal Japanese society was incredibly oppressive to women. Female warriors? You've got to be kidding. But noblewomen were trained in various weapons, particularly the naginata, to defend the home. Everyone understood that when the house was attacked the normal rules did not apply, and everyone had a right and duty to protect it by whatever means were necessary.

Even back then they realized the importance of training everyone irregardless of sex/age ... they just held a firm hand on their cultural rules.

Deterrence depends on the bad guy's belief that whatever he wants is not worth what he's going to have to pay to get it. If he's willing to break into an occupied home he's already heavily invested and doesn't care much about the legal consequences. You must assume that he is willing to kill you and that you and everyone else in the house are "in immediate and otherwise unavoidable danger of death or serious bodily injury". If you want him to go away the perceived cost of him continuing must be very, very high. Lights, locks, alarms and barking dogs help raise the cost before the crime. They make him think "Y'know maybe the house down the street will be less trouble."

This is true. The casual burglar will seek the un-occupied home so that the chances that they'll be interrupted while searching for valuables is less and they don't worry too much about the noise factor. Ironically most of these guys (the real professionals) choose their time of crime during the day when everyone is away at work/school. The desperate burglar or the combination burglar, read: rapist/killer/burglar will not care if someone is home or not. If it's a woman then it's a bonus. These types need to be permanently eliminated from our society IMO. Taking every precaution is a wise step. Dogs, alarms and arms (any type) increase your chances of survival.

Once he steps across the threshold it becomes infinitely more serious. At that point the cost has to be "If I don't run away I am going to die." And that, sad to say, only works if you believe it as much as he does. If you're willing to tear his head off and beat him to death with it there's a chance you won't have to. If you aren't you have to assume that he will pick up on that as well.

Indeed. Something happens to these people that are willing to go that far as to go into an occupied home unannounced and uninvited with bad intents. Their (human) animal instincts are heightened. They will sense if the "prey" is going to be easy or difficult. Putting up a bold front (and being able to back it up) will get most of the cowardly types to break and run... the key here is to "let-them-GO!" and call the police immediately if you haven't already.

The dogs and the OC canisters are not something I rely on to stop the bad guys. The dogs are a deterrent before the invasion starts. Afterwards it's their job to "Bite the Bad Strangers and make them go away." That means that our beloved dogs will probably die slowing the Bad Strangers down and giving us a couple clear shots. That's been the Arrangement between man and dog for about 100,000 years. We aren't planning on sitting back and saying "The dogs will take care of it."

If getting a dog for the purpose of home defense then avoid as much as possible getting emotionally attached to it. Not easy I'll agree here, but it will make the loss more bearable. If it's for a family pet then train the animal to respond immediately to your commands to "back off" if you see the animal's life is in danger, i.e. the burglar has a gun or a knife or a crowbar or whatever.

The OC is more of the same. I would never count on it as a defense. But there's a chance that it will break the scumbags' script enough to get them thinking of easier pickings elsewhere, especially since it's mysteriously coming out of nowhere before they've even seen us. And if they've had a chance to breathe in a bit of it, cough a little and enjoy reduced vision and confusion it will give us an advantage in the gun and knife fight we were going to get into anyway. If it works, great. We didn't have to shoot, stab or bludgeon anyone. Break out the champagne. If it didn't (and that's our default position) we have a little bit of an edge.

Your home is your home and it should be one of the safest places on the planet. Do what you (reasonably) must to keep it that way.

 

[Sukerkin]

I have to say that Tellner's post above has given me considerable food for thought.

I've always been a major proponent of avoiding conflict if you can, often using the argument that you can replace property more easily than you can heal severe injuries (with the concommittant "If you get killed defending your 'things', what good do they do you?").

However, I've been running 'scenario's' in my head whilst I've been reading this thread and I've surprised myself.

Now that I share my life with my missus, I do believe that my attitude to people breaking into what is now 'our' house has changed. Whether it's a fantasy or not, it appears that knowing that I am the last 'line' between her and the theoretical 'them' has radically upped the level of violent resistance I am prepared to offer.

I'm a bit shocked at myself to be honest as when I asked myself the question as to whether I would kill someone to protect my missus, the answer came back "Yes" without hesitation or moral amiguity.

I hope I could find an alternative solution tho' as I would not like to have to face that persons mother and tell her what I had done.

I am one of those hopeless cases that feels that there is value in every human life, altho' I do concur that as I've gotten older I've gotten a lot less 'forgiving' of those who make criminal choices, becoming much more an advocate of 'punishment' as compared to 'rehabilitation'. I know that there are individuals who are irredeemable, 'evil' to use the cliche, who need to be removed from life for the safety of everyone else but these are few and far between. Most criminals are not in this category and are as capable of kindness and loving behaviour as, say, thievery.

Where I'm heading with this is the further question, do they deserve to die because they broke into my house and I, not being a telepath, could not tell what they intended?

 

[MA-Caver]

I have to say that Tellner's post above has given me considerable food for thought.

I've always been a major proponent of avoiding conflict if you can, often using the argument that you can replace property more easily than you can heal severe injuries (with the concommittant "If you get killed defending your 'things', what good do they do you?").

However, I've been running 'scenario's' in my head whilst I've been reading this thread and I've surprised myself.

Now that I share my life with my missus, I do believe that my attitude to people breaking into what is now 'our' house has changed. Whether it's a fantasy or not, it appears that knowing that I am the last 'line' between her and the theoretical 'them' has radically upped the level of violent resistance I am prepared to offer.

I'm a bit shocked at myself to be honest as when I asked myself the question as to whether I would kill someone to protect my missus, the answer came back "Yes" without hesitation or moral amiguity.

I hope I could find an alternative solution tho' as I would not like to have to face that persons mother and tell her what I had done.

I am one of those hopeless cases that feels that there is value in every human life, altho' I do concur that as I've gotten older I've gotten a lot less 'forgiving' of those who make criminal choices, becoming much more an advocate of 'punishment' as compared to 'rehabilitation'. I know that there are individuals who are irredeemable, 'evil' to use the cliche, who need to be removed from life for the safety of everyone else but these are few and far between. Most criminals are not in this category and are as capable of kindness and loving behaviour as, say, thievery.

Where I'm heading with this is the further question, do they deserve to die because they broke into my house and I, not being a telepath, could not tell what they intended?

Taking a life is never easy, hollywood just makes it look that way... mainly because the actors KNOW it's not real. Yet there is a definite change in our psyche when we become attached to others in a way that we're willing to kill or die for them. One has to prepare best as they can for the inevitable should the need arises. We always hope and pray that the need will never arise but that we are prepared when it does.

 

[kidswarrior]

I have to say that Tellner's post above has given me considerable food for thought.

I've always been a major proponent of avoiding conflict if you can, often using the argument that you can replace property more easily than you can heal severe injuries (with the concommittant "If you get killed defending your 'things', what good do they do you?").

However, I've been running 'scenario's' in my head whilst I've been reading this thread and I've surprised myself.

Now that I share my life with my missus, I do believe that my attitude to people breaking into what is now 'our' house has changed. Whether it's a fantasy or not, it appears that knowing that I am the last 'line' between her and the theoretical 'them' has radically upped the level of violent resistance I am prepared to offer.

I'm a bit shocked at myself to be honest as when I asked myself the question as to whether I would kill someone to protect my missus, the answer came back "Yes" without hesitation or moral amiguity.

I hope I could find an alternative solution tho' as I would not like to have to face that persons mother and tell her what I had done.

I am one of those hopeless cases that feels that there is value in every human life, altho' I do concur that as I've gotten older I've gotten a lot less 'forgiving' of those who make criminal choices, becoming much more an advocate of 'punishment' as compared to 'rehabilitation'. I know that there are individuals who are irredeemable, 'evil' to use the cliche, who need to be removed from life for the safety of everyone else but these are few and far between. Most criminals are not in this category and are as capable of kindness and loving behaviour as, say, thievery.

Where I'm heading with this is the further question, do they deserve to die because they broke into my house and I, not being a telepath, could not tell what they intended?

I hear you on this Sukerkin. Just seeing violent death is sobering enough, let alone causing it. But that's not to say I would hesitate to do so if I believed my wife or anyone else in my home were threatened. It wouldn't be with firearms, tho I'm farily proficient with 'em, but plenty of other lethal paths one can take if it comes to that.

 

[Nomad]

Now that I share my life with my missus, I do believe that my attitude to people breaking into what is now 'our' house has changed. Whether it's a fantasy or not, it appears that knowing that I am the last 'line' between her and the theoretical 'them' has radically upped the level of violent resistance I am prepared to offer.

I'm a bit shocked at myself to be honest as when I asked myself the question as to whether I would kill someone to protect my missus, the answer came back "Yes" without hesitation or moral amiguity.

It becomes even less ambiguous when you have young children in the house. If someone were to invade my home, I would assume they intended to commit the absolute worst crimes to my wife and two gorgeous little girls, and my response would be quick and brutal.

 

[Fang]

"We have a plan that we run through with my family from time to time"


Bingo! talking about this type of thing with those you live with is probably the absolute most powerful way of handling the situation on the front end... On the *** end its anybodies guess but if you talk about it, it goes a long way towards becoming a solution.

 

[SFC JeffJ]

One thing to consider in your plan is to stay put in your safe area. Room clearing is dangerous, just ask any police officer or soldier who's done it. They have the luxury of a trained team and specialized equipment for it(frag grenades, flash bangs, and the like), and it's still dangerous. Stay in your defensible position, stay alert, and make sure you or someone else is on the phone with the 911 dispatcher. Room clearing by yourself against multiple armed bad guys is not a good idea.

The only reason I would try to clear out part of my house would be if there were loved ones who for some reason didn't make it to the safe room.

Jeff

 

[MA-Caver]

One thing to consider in your plan is to stay put in your safe area. Room clearing is dangerous, just ask any police officer or soldier who's done it. They have the luxury of a trained team and specialized equipment for it(frag grenades, flash bangs, and the like), and it's still dangerous. Stay in your defensible position, stay alert, and make sure you or someone else is on the phone with the 911 dispatcher. Room clearing by yourself against multiple armed bad guys is not a good idea.

The only reason I would try to clear out part of my house would be if there were loved ones who for some reason didn't make it to the safe room.

Jeff

Yes but realistically how often does that happen? Most burglars work singly and sometimes in pairs... but even then one of them might be waiting out in the car waiting and watching for LEO's on patrol.
By "multiple armed bad guys" I am assuming that you are thinking three or more. So how often does that happen to the average home-owner? If you've a kid in a gang and a rival gang really wants revenge and goes as far as the home invasion thing (almost unheard of btw)... then yeah okay...
I'm not trying to invalidate your point Jeff just wondering the possiblity of that ever happening.
If I see that I'm outnumbered then my tactics are going to change radically. I'm no Bruce Willis to try and take 'em out one by one... our house isn't that big anyway. So if I'm facing multiple attackers in my home... :idunno: not sure what I will do... but then again... "No one man knows what he will do in any given situation until it happens."

 

[CoryKS]

It becomes even less ambiguous when you have young children in the house. If someone were to invade my home, I would assume they intended to commit the absolute worst crimes to my wife and two gorgeous little girls, and my response would be quick and brutal.

“You don’t understand. I’m not trapped in here with you. You’re trapped in here with me.” - Rorschach, The Watchmen