West Salem man describes shooting would-be intruder

[Griblik]

Anybody seen this one yet?

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps...=2007709200347

Scary to have this happen in your own town, but at the same time, reaffirms why we do what we do.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[randytulsa2]

Hadn't heard about this one. The dude did well, but I'm sure all of us could point out things we might have done differently.

Doesn't really matter, though: the GG's won and the BG's lost.

[retsupt99]

The shooting was necessary, but he should not have confronted the wounded BG...he should have waited for police to arrive before stepping outside of his place...OMO
Glad he managed to protect his family without injurt to himself!

[P95Carry]

Gerasimenko came forward Wednesday to tell his story, stung by public criticism that he'd been irresponsible in his gun use while defending his home.

How typical that sorta comment can be ........ so what was he supposed to do I ask? Wait until the gorilla was actually inside and then just whimper and ask for mercy?? Geez ....... these comments must be from the people who would prefer to be killed by intruders - cos they sure seem to have little sense of wanting to protect themselves, and family.

As for ''warning shots'' - I think this case was extreme enough - plus his warnings - to have raised his aim several degrees.

[ccw9mm]

Lessons:

• Keeping an unloaded firearm puts everyone at risk. It can get you killed. Worse, your family can be left at the mercy of the BG's once they overcome your non-firing gun.
• Jam the doors, to guard against smashing down the door.
• All adults in the house should be sufficiently comfortable and competent with the firearms in the house to make a difference in the event your lives are tossed in the mixer.
• Work as a team. While one is guarding against intrusion, someone else should be on the phone to police , requesting immediate assistance against deadly attack.
• There's a time and place for firing through a door at an assailant. This appears to be one of them, where the BG's were warned of the means to fire upon them ... yet they kept coming despite that, apparently in the belief they could overcome the defense.
• If the BG's know where you live, moving immediately following the incident can save your life.

The family seems to have done well. Had this happened when he was not at home, it could have gone very badly ... and he knows it. He also did very well, doing what was needed and learning from the attack. Smart folks.

"Irresponsible in his gun use" protecting his family from an attack at his home? Typical pap. He stopped the intruders, didn't kill his neighbors and none of his family was harmed. Not everyone does so well, in such situations.

Salem, hm? Just down the road. It can happen any place, at any time. Armed: always.

[P7fanatic]

Poor guy's weaponless right now since he surrendered his pistol to LE.
Something wrong with that.

[dunndw]

1. WITH a CCW...storing the gun unloaded in another room..wrong answer. What if the guy would have made it through the door while he was loading up. It didn't even sound like the mags were loaded!

2. Stepping outside to check on the BG. What if the guy would have made it in through the sliding door. Now the good guy is out of visual range of whats going on inside the apt. that could have turned into a hostage situation real quick.

3. I'm on the fence about moving. No one is going to run me off from my home...but I don't rent...so...don't know how I'd react if I lived in an apt.

4. Wife should be at least somewhat familiar with any gun in the house

5. Leg shot...not COM...again...don't know if I agree or not. Served it purpose this time, but perhaps it was more of a lucky shot.

[jofrdo]

If all he intended to do was shoot a couple of warning shots and ended up shooting the BG, he could be arrested for recklessly shooting him! Probably better to tell police you intended to shoot him low, didn't want to kill him, just disable him enough to quit attacking the front door. Warning shots just waste ammo that you might need about 10 seconds from now.

[farronwolf]

Good job. Sure there are some things that may have been done differently, but hey, one bad guy in jail with some bullet holes, and the family is all ok. That is fine in my book.

Oh, and I want one of those doors. If they guy ran into it 5 to 8 times it stood up pretty well.

[vic2367]

i say job well done,,,

[Janq]

1. WITH a CCW...storing the gun unloaded in another room..wrong answer. What if the guy would have made it through the door while he was loading up. It didn't even sound like the mags were loaded!

2. Stepping outside to check on the BG. What if the guy would have made it in through the sliding door. Now the good guy is out of visual range of whats going on inside the apt. that could have turned into a hostage situation real quick...

Agreed, very much.

As to item #1 very much a poor idea. As was the case shown here BGs don't give people much in the way of chance to load up.
I've run into a lot of people IRL who have told me that once their baby was born they either got rid of their gun(s) or they decided to store them unloaded, locked, and with ammo either locked separately or in two cases no ammo in the house what so ever (they buy ammo as they deem it necessary for range trips). I'd had just the type of discussion with a guy ~ 2 months ago and he told me this with a serious tone. He's an otherwise intelligent person. Yet another victim of the OMG guns kill kids propoganda that is largely over blown and most often attributed to poor decision making by parents who leave firearms _within reach_ of children. A 4 day old newborn cannot reach muchless manipulate a holstered firearm stored outside it's crib.
As well answering his door at 11:30PM was not smart muchless doing so with his child in hand...and that time he did not use his peephole either.

Item #2 as you noted is just plainly a bad idea on multiple fronts.
People should know not to do this at all. A wounded animal is a dangerous animal and an animal that may still have ability and motivation to take you down. Leaving his wife and child behind to possibly be victimized by the second BG, who had been as reported trying a second sliding door, and further he's locked himself out which means effort & time to handle keys to get himself back in.

This is an example of why a pistol may not be a best tool toward home defense and a shotgun more useful.
As well shooting low toward the legs _and_ hoping to give warning shot, that is for the lose. He's fortunate that a round just happened to hit the BG. Most apartments have tile or concrete flooring. A ricochet would be likely and where that bullet goes to be stopped might be through drywall of a neighbors apt.on the opposite side of his hallway.

It's good that everything worked out for him and his family.
But there are many lessons to be learned and I hope he picks up on them toward change.
As well I too would move, like the next day.

- Janq

[P991911]

Good job. Good guys 01 bad guys 00. I wish CC license classes taught more then "firearms safety." As far as a sliding door, It was probably glass. Easy to break in too. In his situation, you can't wait until they are in the house. If their are multiple attackers, and they are split up, you dispatch at least one as quick as possible. Two guys with knives can most likely handle an untrained CCer 10-1. Especially, if they were wearing body armor. Do whatever it takes to defend your loved ones from criminals and thugs.

[Thumper]

WHEW! What a nightmare! I'd hate to think what might have happened.

[havegunjoe]

One thing to keep in mind is don't take everything in the article as what actually happened. A lot could be missing. I for one don't answer my door late at night without my gun in my hand. For that matter at any time of the day or night. Also an unloaded gun is a rock and doesn't do you much good unless you can throw it at about 1100 feet per second. I'm glad things went the good guys way.

[dwolsten]

I wish CC license classes taught more then "firearms safety."

Huh? I don't know about your CCW class, but mine spent probably less than 5 minutes on safety, and the rest of the 8 hours on law. Safety has no place in a CCW class; if you need to learn firearms safety, take a safety class. The purpose of CCW training is to know what you can and cannot do legally with a concealed weapon.