Thanksgiving Day Incident

[WoodLark]

Up until now, I have not been carrying around the house, but due to an incident that occurred this morning, that is about to change.

My wife and I were sitting in the living room and our grandson was outside playing with the next door neighbor's boy. We live on a quiet residential street, which is not a cul-de-sac but might as well be since it really does not go any where. The boys came in to tell us that a car had been parked just down the street with two men in it for some time. We got out our binoculars to see if we could get the license plate number. As we were looking, it pulled out a drove quickly past my house. The "license plate" was a paper temporary tag of the type issued by dealers when they sell a car.

Now here is where it gets interesting. A few seconds later, the car backed down the street and stopped in front of my house. One of the men got out and started toward my house. I quickly retrieved my revolver and dropped it into my front pocket.

The man came up onto my front porch with a cellphone up to his ear and demanded to know if I had taken a picture of them (saw the binoculars?). I spoke to him through the storm door. He repeated his demand at least twice then returned to the car and drove away.

I was suspicious from the beginning since it seemed unlikely that they had any business on our street, but after him questioning whether I had taken his picture, I have little doubt that their reason for being there was not a good one.

I then went over and discussed the incident with my neighbor (a LEO). We figure that they were very possibly casing the neighborhood. We WILL be on our guard!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[OldVet]

You bet I'd have been alarmed. I have told him, "You betcha and the wife already has it running online." Meanwhile, I'd be hoping the LEO neighbor "runs" the tag to see if he gets a head up on the individual.

Were they possible working undercover? Anyone else on the street worth "staking out" by anyone?

[Greg Foster]

Glad no one got hurt. You should file an official report.

[ks kid]

I hope you pulled your grandson and the friend to the side and gave kudos for being on alert. Tough to teach a young person to maintain SA in a "safe" environment. Keep your head on a swivel, and be safe. Ask your LEO to bring the car home for a couple of nights, that will send a message if they come back around.

[Chaplain Scott]

Hindsight is always 20/20 isn't it?! In hindsight, when he demanded to know if you had taken a picture of him, have your wife bring you the camera and you take a personal picture of him standing on your front doorstep. Then tell him straight out that several of your neighbors are state and federal LEOs and that he can be sure that they will be runnig his picture through LE facial recognition programs. Even if it in't true, I doubt that you would see him or his pal again, my guess is that they will look for easier pickings........

Have a safe Thanksgiving!!

[Bark'n]

To me, the fact that they were parked a few houses down, yet spotted you watching them from inside your house using your binoculars indicates that they were checking out the area with close scrutiny and not simply having some casual or innocent business with the people who's house they were directly in front of.

As ks kid pointed out, take the opportunity to impart praise to your grandson for being alert and letting you know as soon as anything suspicious occurs.

Also, it's nice to have a LEO as a neighbor.

Lastly, there are many reasons why it is a good idea to have your gun on your person even while inside your own home. Home invasions come in a wide variety of ways people use to gain entry from using a simple ruse to "push-in" entries after you answer the door, to just out and out kicking in the door without even knocking. They are violent and happen lightning quick. If you have to lose precious moments simply by being startled by the noise and then have to run to some other room at the other end of the house to retrieve your weapon, the chances of being intercepted by the intruders before you reach your gun is on their side. And if you do make it to the weapon, only to have to unlock a safe, well... you're clearly at the disadvantage. The best answer is having that defensive gun on your person, even when inside your own home.

Thanks for posting your story. I, like the others definitely believe they were at the very least, up to no good for someone in the neighborhood.

[bigdog44]

Glad no one got hurt. You should file an official report.

I agree 100% with the above. Get it on record officially that there is a perceived threat. Also, records how assertive they are to actually come to door. Keeps you covered should anything happen down the road. Hope it never does but better prepared for everything.

[rammerjammer]

Good on you and your grandson for staying safe and vigilant.

[Hopyard]

Why do I have a hunch it wasn't BGs but PIs with no brains stupidly acting like BGs? Maybe LEOs working part time as PIs. I have a hard time believing a total turd BG would have the nerve to go and demand to know anything. That sounds like cop or ex cop to me, or ill trained PI/bondsman.

I second the advice that an official report should be made because someone has stepped way out of line. OTOH, I doubt they were after kids.

[Brady]

As one of my daughters says, "if he's wearing pants he has a gun on", even in the house, and I live next to a remote sheriff's station. I would definitely have called the law and made a report. As the BG stood on my step he would have had no question as he looked up at the camera greeting him and all visitors.

[retsupt99]

You could have told him that you DID take the picture and and then showed him your new Glock camera...
Several of my neighbors and I do watch who is on the street in our 'one street' subdivision. One of my neighbors is also a cop. Another neighbor also takes pictures of strangers near our homes.
He's not shy about it either...he's come out and taken pictures of car plates of magazine salesmen in white vans...they soon disappear.

[Glocksin]

Your grandson and his friend have some good SA! You handled that perfectly,and i doubt they had a good reason for being there if they were so concerned about the binoculars.Normally,someone working 'undercover' for official reasons would not do that.Please carry and be safe.

[glockman10mm]

No matter what the actual reason was for that incident, it smells bad. You have every right to be concerned and stay on your toes now. If he comes back, you could get your gun, tell him its a camera, tell him to smile and wait for the flash. [Just kiddin on that last} but definately be on the look out.

[JOHNSMITH]

I wonder if they were some sort of undercover local or Federal LEO.

[Chaplain Scott]

[QUOTEYou could have told him that you DID take the picture and and then showed him your new Glock camera...][/QUOTE]

I wonder if they were some sort of undercover local or Federal LEO.

If they had been legit, they would (should) have ID'd themselves........