# Self-Defense Tip: Don’t Confront Suspicious People In Your Back Yard



## BackyardCowboy (Aug 27, 2014)

https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2...confront-suspicious-people-in-your-back-yard/


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## Philco (Apr 17, 2012)

Sound advice.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

For me, that would be hard not to do it.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

This is sound advice. Not only from the potential legal aspect (state dependent) but perhaps more importantly from the tactical side. Exiting your home puts you at risk since more than likely you are not going to know where all of the threats are. Someone could be hiding in bushes, a corner portion of your home, or any one of a number of locations. When you exit your home you put yourself in a very dangerous situation. Even if everything comes out fine, it is still a bad idea. The only time you may want to consider this is in the case of an arsonist who is about to torch your home. That is someone you need to stop immediately with extreme prejudice.


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## win231 (Aug 5, 2015)

It's never a good idea to confront someone outside your home...unless he's confronting you first.

Couple of years ago, I was getting my mail. My mailbox is 30 yards from my front door. I don't want to be that far from a gun, so I carry outside. An SUV was parked across the street - looked like no one was in it but the windows were heavily tinted. As I'm opening my mailbox, a guy around 25 & about 6'8" & around 350 lbs. gets out, approaches me & says, "Hey, dude...I'm out of gas; can you give me a ride to the gas station?" (Yeah...like we're buddies)
I'm backing up while saying, "No, but I'll call a tow truck."
He's still approaching & I'm still backing up & he says, "Aw, c'mon, dude, just give me a ride." (I'm 65 & not stupid enough to fight with him)
By now he's in my driveway. I held up my hand & said, "stop." When he didn't stop, I turned to my left so he could see the HK USP & yelled, "I SAID STOP!"
He said, "Whoa dude." I said, "Bye, dude."
Guess what? He got in his SUV (that was "out of gas,") & drove away. Who knows what he was planning...
I called police intending to give them his license plate number & they said if I was willing to wait 3-4 hours, they'd send an officer to take a report. I said, "Can't you at least pull him over...he's probably robbed people & you might find evidence in his vehicle?" They said, "Nope, he didn't commit a crime against you."


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## BackyardCowboy (Aug 27, 2014)

Consider having floodlights that can fully illuminate your front/side and back yards. Suspicious noise? Turn on the lights.
Creatures of the night, can't stand the light (of being found out).


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

win231 said:


> It's never a good idea to confront someone outside your home...unless he's confronting you first.
> 
> Couple of years ago, I was getting my mail. My mailbox is 30 yards from my front door. I don't want to be that far from a gun, so I carry outside. An SUV was parked across the street - looked like no one was in it but the windows were heavily tinted. As I'm opening my mailbox, a guy around 25 & about 6'8" & around 350 lbs. gets out, approaches me & says, "Hey, dude...I'm out of gas; can you give me a ride to the gas station?" (Yeah...like we're buddies)
> I'm backing up while saying, "No, but I'll call a tow truck."
> ...


Your story is a good reason to always go armed, even for the most mundane and trivial tasks. I admit that I don't do this. I am not armed when doing yard work, washing one of my vehicles, changing their oil, or getting the mail. Our neighborhood is in a small town and police presence is rather common. There have been some cases of auto and home break-ins and there was a raid of a house just down the street for drugs and related paraphernalia around a year ago. Perhaps I should re-think my ways a bit. Your story is pretty disconcerting.


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## win231 (Aug 5, 2015)

SouthernBoy said:


> Your story is a good reason to always go armed, even for the most mundane and trivial tasks. I admit that I don't do this. I am not armed when doing yard work, washing one of my vehicles, changing their oil, or getting the mail. Our neighborhood is in a small town and police presence is rather common. There have been some cases of auto and home break-ins and there was a raid of a house just down the street for drugs and related paraphernalia around a year ago. Perhaps I should re-think my ways a bit. Your story is pretty disconcerting.


I learned a long time ago that there is no such thing as a "safe" neighborhood; at least not a totally safe one. I'm fortunate enough to live in a "nice" neighborhood; many celebrities as neighbors & the SUV the guy was driving was at least $60,000.00. Next-door neighbor had a violent home invasion robbery a few months ago. The intruders arrived in a new BMW, I guess to "fit in" without attracting attention. And Yasiel Puig's home (Dodgers) in was burglarized four times this year.


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## Goldwing (Nov 5, 2014)

If I read the story correctly the cop fired first at an unknown person that he did not know was armed without identifying himself as a cop. He fired twice at the homeowner first and then the homeowner returned fire.

First off why would the cop fire on a retreating suspect even if he did take the time to identify him? Second, how could the cop know for certain that the "suspect?" aka homeowner was armed before he had 4 shots fly by him?

The cop should be at a desk.

GW


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## MoMan (Dec 27, 2010)

I carry all the time. If I'm mowing the lawn, getting the mail, or just relaxing with a cigar, .... I'm armed. There is absolutely no place that is "safe", remember that!!


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

I turn the lights on, the dogs out then check the cameras. If some one is near the barn damn straight I am armed and heading for the barn. North Carolina lethal force is justified to protect livestock.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Damn.....if some of you have to carry while mowing the lawn, checking the mail, or washing the car, I'd be thinking about moving. 

That's no way to have to live. :watching:


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## BackyardCowboy (Aug 27, 2014)

MoMan said:


> I carry all the time. If I'm mowing the lawn, getting the mail, or just relaxing with a cigar, .... I'm armed. There is absolutely no place that is "safe", remember that!!


https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8446/7949319936_90a75f13bb_z.jpg


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

paratrooper said:


> Damn.....if some of you have to carry while mowing the lawn, checking the mail, or washing the car, I'd be thinking about moving.
> 
> That's no way to have to live. :watching:


Paratrooper I have killed a diamond back at the mail boxes at the bottom of the mountain, and 2 of my neighbors have killed rattle snakes in their yard, not all threats are 2 legged vermin.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

tony pasley said:


> Paratrooper I have killed a diamond back at the mail boxes at the bottom of the mountain, and 2 of my neighbors have killed rattle snakes in their yard, not all threats are 2 legged vermin.


You still have a better chance at being struck by another driver than you do being bitten by a snake. People don't realize that the single most dangerous thing that they can do on a daily basis, is to get into a vehicle and drive.

I can't even recall the last time I had to deal with a snake. But, I deal with crappy drivers every day of the week. Given a choice, I'll take dealing with criminals vs. lousy drivers.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

tony pasley said:


> ...I have killed a diamond back at the mail boxes at the bottom of the mountain, and 2 of my neighbors have killed rattle snakes in their yard, not all threats are 2 legged vermin.


I guess you must like rats, Tony.
I haven't killed a rattlesnake since the rangemaster at the club to which I used to belong explained that the snakes killed and ate rats before the rats could eat our carefully prepared targets.
Save snakes, and have fewer rats. I think it's a good trade-off.


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## BackyardCowboy (Aug 27, 2014)

tony pasley said:


> Paratrooper I have killed a diamond back at the mail boxes at the bottom of the mountain, and 2 of my neighbors have killed rattle snakes in their yard, not all threats are 2 legged vermin.


Yes, but at least the snakes are up front about their intentions.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

MoMan said:


> I carry all the time. If I'm mowing the lawn, getting the mail, or just relaxing with a cigar, .... I'm armed. There is absolutely no place that is "safe", remember that!!


When mowing the lawn, I close my garage door and make sure I have a house key with me. Just don't know if I am in the back yard if someone might have a hankering to enter my garage and therefore my home to do whatever. However if it is on a nice weekend, this is pretty much not necessary as my neighbors are also going to be out and working on their yards as well. Bad people don't like those sorts of situations.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

SouthernBoy said:


> When mowing the lawn, I close my garage door and make sure I have a house key with me. Just don't know if I am in the back yard if someone might have a hankering to enter my garage and therefore my home to do whatever. However if it is on a nice weekend, this is pretty much not necessary as my neighbors are also going to be out and working on their yards as well. Bad people don't like those sorts of situations.


When my wife and I are working in the back yard, the front security door is locked, and the garage door is shut / locked. I'm OCD about my garage and keeping it secure. All my toys are in there.

Every night just prior to going to bed, it's my job to make sure all doors and windows are shut and locked. I also insure the vehicles are locked up as well.


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> I guess you must like rats, Tony.
> I haven't killed a rattlesnake since the rangemaster at the club to which I used to belong explained that the snakes killed and ate rats before the rats could eat our carefully prepared targets.
> Save snakes, and have fewer rats. I think it's a good trade-off.


I don't bother most snakes but rattle snakes and copper heads die on sight.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

tony pasley said:


> I don't bother most snakes but rattle snakes and copper heads die on sight.


I don't both either of those snakes and since it is very rare when I see one, I have no real problems with them. I would think different if they decided to make a home around my home. But out in the wild, they can live their live without concerns about me.

In my life I have only seen one rattlesnake and one copperhead in the wild. The rattlesnake was a small timber rattler, about two feet long. The copperhead was the largest one I have ever seen (I am including zoos here). He was around 3 1/2 feet long, very healthy with a rather large head and had just recently shed his skin as he was very colorful.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

MoMan said:


> I carry all the time. If I'm mowing the lawn, getting the mail, or just relaxing with a cigar, .... I'm armed. There is absolutely no place that is "safe", remember that!!


i do the same thing, I have a comfortable carry piece why not carry it. 
Criminals work days also, not only while you're sleeping.


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