Intruder at Night

[Geo2020]

3:20am You and your family are fast asleep. You wake up to noise in the house. Not your typical, "better check it out just to be safe" noise, but a definite something is going on noise.
As you round the kitchen,you catch sight of an intruder, and luckily you've seen him first. Your decision has to happen in less than a second, do you;

1. Drop the intruder before he has a chance to react.

2. Challenge the intruder with commands to identify himself.

3. Try to avoid being seen while calling police.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[SIXTO]

#1.

[CCWINNC]

In NC now that he is in the house he must pose a threat.

(a) A lawful occupant within a home or other place of residence is justified in using any degree of force that the occupant reasonably believes is necessary, including deadly force, against an intruder to prevent a forcible entry into the home or residence or to terminate the intruder's unlawful entry (i) if the occupant reasonably apprehends that the intruder may kill or inflict serious bodily harm to the occupant or others in the home or residence, or (ii) if the occupant reasonably believes that the intruder intends to commit a felony in the home or residence.

#2 for me first. If he runs out the hole he came in he will live to see another day anything else #1 goes into effect.

[TC_FLA]

BANG, bang, bang. . . . "Who's there?"

[ghost tracker]

#2. I (loudly & abruptly) challenge him first because I want him to face me for a visual ID check. If he does ANYTHING except immediately follow my instructions...I will consider that a threat upon my life and will fire with lethal intent. That challenge serves two purposes. It prevents me from shooting someone I know/love who has foolishly (but innocently) entered my house AND it makes my SD shooting front/center of mass (easier to justify). I will NOT shoot the intruder as a surprise or in the back if he's flying toward his entrance/exit. My interest is in my protection...not his punishment.

[CharlieMike]

BANG, bang, bang. . . . "Who's there?"

"It is me, Grandma. I was making you some soup. Oh dear, everything is getting dark..."

[Geo2020]

"It is me, Grandma. I was making you some soup. Oh dear, everything is getting dark..."

[vernonator]

Gotta be #2 unless I see an obvious weapon....bright light with firearm of choice pointed COM.

[Zundfolge]

I live in Colorado where I have the legal right to do #1.

Problem with #2 is that you see AN intruder ... you know for sure he's alone? I don't. So I'm not calling him out just to have his buddy flank me.

I open fire then retreat to the bedroom and wait for the police.

[P991911]

BANG, bang, bang. . . . "Who's there?"

LOL +1

[ShadowAngel]

"It is me, Grandma. I was making you some soup. Oh dear, everything is getting dark..."

Does your grandmother frequently break into your home at 3 in the morning to make you soup?

[crankshop1000]

Sorry grandma...but I never liked your soup anyways...now fish your dentures out of the pot before you pass out.

[Scot Van]

The intruder (friend OR foe) has obviously done something to the Rottie and the Am. Staff. that run our house. My dogs are alert, they consider it their house. They take trespassing personally (I've gotten bum rushed by my own dogs coming through the back door in snow gear). Friends wait for us to put the dogs away before they come in. Most times, they're just SUPER happy to see you, but that is AFTER we make it clear that we're happy to see you.

For some reason, when I hold my 870 my trigger finger gets kinda' twitchy. Assuming my dogs are unconscious or dead, she goes to work the instant the intruder fails to obey my first bellowed command to get on the ground.

[CharlieMike]

Does your grandmother frequently break into your home at 3 in the morning to make you soup?

No but I did have an experience that made me consider this type of situation.

My wife and I went to the movies one night and came home to find the police at our neighbor's house. Okay -- these particular neighbors are gay men. I don't mind and they throw great parties. That isn't the important part of the story.

Anyhow, it turns out that there was a domestic dispute involving a firearm and one of them tried to escape the situation by coming to our house -- nearly naked. :) We were at the movies of course so our neighbor tried to get into our house to get away. That in itself I don't mind. When you're running for your life, all bets are off. He didn't get into the house but he did escape his gun wielding partner and he's okay.

Not that I expect this to happen often if ever again, but I did consider what would have happend if I was home and this happened. What would have happened if I came home to find him hiding in the house? I realzed that an intruder might not always be in my house to rob or harm me. They might be there to save their own life!

I know -- this is probably a very unusual situation but I do think it is a case for exercising a little caution instead of going "BANG, bang, bang... who's there?"

IMHO, I think if you really think there is an intruder in your house, calling the cops is the first thing to do.

If you do end up face to face with the intruder, I think it is important to understand their intentions before shoot them. That detail was left out from the original question.

[obxned]

I choose"4": let the dogs have a little fun until he begs you to call the police.