When you get the jump on someone about to jump you........it's good.

[fullauto 45]

Sorry, it's a little long.

Around 9:30-9:45 last night we pull in the driveway at the house. I'm sitting in the passenger seat of a buddies truck and just about to jump out when I notice in the mirror, two heads pop out from behind a 7 foot pallet of mulch bags in the feed store lot behind me. So I tell my buddy to look and make sure I wasn't seeing the plastic flapping or something. He can't see it from his side. I look again and I see two more heads at another pallet in the field. So, I have 4 dudes sneaking up behind us now. I let my buddy know whats happening.
WTF! I live in a small town.
I tell my buddy to watch his side and I waited until they hid behind the skid again. I jump out, pistol in hand. They never saw me get out. My buddy slipped out of his truck and went around one side of my garage to flank 'em. I stood behind a pine tree in my yard and watched them pop their heads out couple more time looking to make a move. They kept getting closer to the truck. They were working on going around the garage on the side my buddy was on. I slipped around behind them and caught two laying behind a new pile of dirt and two between skids of concrete blocks. Two were in all black with hoodies and something over their faces, and one was all camo and the other had a dark shirt and jeans. I slipped in behind the two in the dirt and very deliberately racked the Berretta so they could hear. I was behind a skid of Peat Moss and they could not see me until it was too late. The two in black threw their arms up and jumped out in the light and the two in the dirt stood straight up. Arms straight out. I think they had been down that road before. I think the one in camo pissed his self! They all looked to be teenagers. I drew down on them and stated, "Hiding around here like your doing WILL get one of you hurt. You have one chance to get the F*#k out of here." Before I could finish the two "ninjas" were gone and the other two were not far behind them.
One cop asked why I didn't call when I first saw them? I said because it takes you 30 minutes to get here for anything. This was over in less then three minutes. All the PD did was say if they come back to call.
I guess for an old fat man, I can still sneak around if I need to.

 

[ljadayton]

That is a good place to be....glad it turned out like it did

 

[MoparMan]

Nice, way to keep your situational awareness.

 

[melensdad]

While I am playing Monday morning quarterback, and while I probably would have done the same thing, I have to ask why you let them go? I think I'd have probably done it too, but it strikes me that in the long run it might have been better to hold them for the police.

 

[LPMan59]

and i wouldnt have racked the slide....i have one in the pipe whenever i carry

 

[VUPDblue]

and i wouldnt have racked the slide....i have one in the pipe whenever i carry

Correct me if I'm mistaken Mike, but I was under the impression from your story that your racked the slide "for effect". I assumed that you already had one in the chamber...

 

[fullauto 45]

Yes, I already had one in the chamber. You always approach ready. I did not see any weapons at that point and knew I had the double advantage.

 

[LPMan59]

Correct me if I'm mistaken Mike, but I was under the impression from your story that your racked the slide "for effect". I assumed that you already had one in the chamber...

ah perhaps i misread that. but even then, how many times have you racked the slide "for effect"? with my luck, i would have a FTF and then i wouldnt be able to even get one round off if i had to.

 

[Field King]

While I am playing Monday morning quarterback, and while I probably would have done the same thing, I have to ask why you let them go? I think I'd have probably done it too, but it strikes me that in the long run it might have been better to hold them for the police.

Have to agree with holding them, they may have just commited a crime as they were acting suspicious!

 

[Archbishop]

While I might have let them go to, You have no idea what they were up to and 4 against 2 could have turned out badly very quickly. Arm chair quarterbacking, I think maybe they should have held them for the police. They could have had outstanding warrants or whatever.

 

[E5RANGER375]

not an expert here, but to someone who knows the law ....... if he held them could he have been charged with unlawfuly detaining them?? even to make a citizens arrest you need to see first hand someone commiting a felony right? and while it may not be legal what they were doing i dont hink it was a felony? not trying to monday morning quarterback here, but its a good chance for some of us to learn what to do if we are faced with a similar circumstance.

i think he did a good job. i might not of pointed my weapon at them or even had it out personaly, but i wasnt there and im not him.

 

[LPMan59]

not an expert here, but to someone who knows the law ....... if he held them could he have been charged with unlawfuly detaining them?? even to make a citizens arrest you need to see first hand someone commiting a felony right? and while it may not be legal what they were doing i dont hink it was a felony? not trying to monday morning quarterback here, but its a good chance for some of us to learn what to do if we are faced with a similar circumstance.

i think he did a good job. i might not of pointed my weapon at them or even had it out personaly, but i wasnt there and im not him.

just to play devil's advocate:

4 guys creeping around the bushes on your property at night and you wouldnt be at a low ready position? if you were in the house and saw them outside, would go get your gun?

 

[aikidoka]

I'm no lawyer but I would have held them to the police arrived. I'm glad it didn't trun into a worse situation for you though.

 

[Que]

Glad that you are alright and didn't have to shoot a kid. Do you have any idea what they were doing? Were they trying to steal something or possibly trying to position themselves to rob you and your buddy?

 

[Comp]

Was your friend armed as well? I'm not sure I would of split if he was not armed being 2 on 4. Glad nobody was hurt and it turned out well. If your buddy wasn't armed maybe you can use this as an example of why to get his LTCH. I donno though, a truck is a better weapon then a gun, I'm not sure I would of left the truck, maybe turn it around and rev the engine at em! Glad to hear your sneaky ninja skills are still working well!

 

[ruger1800]

Glad that you are alright and didn't have to shoot a kid. Do you have any idea what they were doing? Were they trying to steal something or possibly trying to position themselves to rob you and your buddy?

was wondering the same, now that you let them go, will they prey on the little old lady down the street.

 

[SavageEagle]

I think you did pretty well, sir. By letting them go, they may have done one of two things. A) Scared the crap out of them and maybe at least one of them realized a less stable person COULD have just shot them and asked questions later and decided it's not worth it. OR B) they laughed it off and moved on to a less aware/prepared person.

Would I have held them until police arrived? Maybe. Do I think you did the right thing? Yea.

If they come back, I wouldn't let them go though. Next time they could come back armed and a little more ballsy. Watch your six for a while.

Good job and thanks for sharing!

 

[firstrock]

Was this in Wanamaker?? If so, I'd like to know more as I live VERY close to "downtown" Wanamaker and have seen roving bands of trouble recently.

Could this have been some teens playing Army or just generally messing around? What makes you sure that they were up to something bad? Just asking for more details.

John

 

[E5RANGER375]

just to play devil's advocate:

4 guys creeping around the bushes on your property at night and you wouldnt be at a low ready position? if you were in the house and saw them outside, would go get your gun?

like i said, i dont know for sure. you could be right. i may have been at low ready, but i would have had to of been there. As far as being at home and having to "go" get my gun .... well even in my night clothes i have a gun ON ME at all times at home. call me weird but better to have it and not ned it, than to need it and not have it. and home is where the heart is .
also if there were 4 un known or un identified persons on my property outside my home at night, my household would go into TOTAL LOCKDOWN mode and i would call 911. the tactical advantage and smart responsible thing for me to do as a father and a husband would be to put my pre-planned and rehursed "in home" security proceedures into fast action and make sure my family was secure. It would be (in my opinion) RETARDED to exit a SAFE structure (my house) to assault a un known "larger force" on their terms (my yard), especialy when my exits would be considered fatal funnels. now if they attempted to enter my home then it would be "ON like donkey kong, and my "kick Azz" security proceedures would be put into motion, and i could safely (knowing my family was sheilded) make that move without hessitation, and engage and illiminate them.

but to the OP, good job. i still trust your judgement in your own situation.

 

[Captain Bligh]

I think you played it exactly right. I wouldn't try to hold them at gunpoint for 30 minutes while waiting for the police to show up. Lot's of things could go wrong with that. I think it's better to put a fast end to the situation, and that's what you did.