General Music Chat

The christmas eve part didn't fully 'click' until I was trying to go to sleep for the night, but Sans, you mentioned something about defending your property on one of those nights.

I'd love to hear that story, if you are willing to tell it.

Hell of a time for trouble.

Honestly the issue has been a brew for some small time but I'll spare the details.

Lets just say I live out of the city limit and many an urbanite has moved out here until we are a little mores suburban than rural.

My neighbor, ( behind us) whom has not been there long, had moved in where some really nice folk had moved out.
When ever I or they would come home our dogs and his would have a vicious sounding barking match at his chain link fence.
Instead of being intelligent and befriending my dogs ( as the previous owners had ) he decides to be a dick and shoot at them with his pellet gun.

Hey ... no problem ... it's his property ... he has a right to be a dumbass.

The night it came to a head we had just come in from the evening service.
The dogs of course joyous at our return have to charge around the yard barking to prove that have not been goofing off while we were away, right.
They never even crossed the barbed wire fence line.
As my family and I go into the our home I can hear dumbass pumping his gun. Then I hear a pellet whistle across my property between my shop and the house. I hesitate a moment with my truck between he and I... yet one stray pellet ... is no big deal.
After again hearing him pump his gun I heard the round strike the back of my home. At this time I was on my porch when I heard the SECOND round strike my home. I drew my Glock and carefully put four .40 S&W rounds over his head. My eldest son hearing the gunfire responded and I sent him for my rifle. As my son came out and located the guy in the scope ( it was quite dark ) I called 911 and informed the County Sheriffs Department whom arrive pretty quickly I might add.
After discussing the incident with the officer ( I had holstered my sidearm and had my son store the rifle because the guy had run into his home and turned out all the lights, I assume he heard me talking to the dispatcher)
The officer went to discuss with the other guy, whom of course denies shooting my home or even owning a gun. ( I figure he has a record already, idiot that he is )
When the officer returned he asked me if any further trouble was had to please call them first.
I thanked him, assured him I would call ... but I would also defend my family if needed.


Funny thing ... my two outside dogs never even left the porch while the officer was talking to me.
They just sat there wagging their tails.

He decided to just shoot at your animals and property without coming over and talking about his issue?

Apparently ...

This guy is obviously an idiot.

I mean sure we are in the "country" and there are damn few animal proof fences and no leash laws.
He can by law of course shoot my dogs on his property if he feels threatened.
I really have no problem with him shooting them with his pellet rifle just to educate them that he is a dumbass as long as they are on his property.

But to fire a weapon at my home?

I'm a tolerant man.
I could have by law just shot him dead and been done with it.

That's just not my way.

That's chicken sh*t of him, and yeah... DUMB.
He's doesnt have the balls to come talk about it, but somehow has the nerve to shoot at your stuff - and he thinks that will work out better for him, HOW??

He don't know me too well.

I pray he never puts me in a position in which I feel eminent threat to my family.

I'd prefer he just went away. Perhaps I could have some neighbors like the ones whom had put that home there in the first place.
They were good people.

That's really a sucky story because the guy needs help and it is just an example of the lack of tolerance in our country. A real American would have come over to you and made friends with your dogs and even more with you.

George, sorry , but right now it looks like America has become the land of the FREE,,,,,, asssholes.

Sans, You are a patient man...

I personally would have conjured him step off his property and find a way to beat him silly for shooting my dog. I have a theory, that folks who pick on animals like that are cowards and likely to elevate to shooting people.

The fact that this guy decided to play 'Dukes of Hazzard' on your house just illustrates that. Anyway, I'm glad nobody had to die. I really feel for the dogs...Seems All they ever wanted to do was play... Why must the guy have such a hard heart against that?

Sans, You are a patient man...

I personally would have conjured him step off his property and find a way to beat him silly for shooting my dog. I have a theory, that folks who pick on animals like that are cowards and likely to elevate to shooting people.

The fact that this guy decided to play 'Dukes of Hazzard' on your house just illustrates that. Anyway, I'm glad nobody had to die. I really feel for the dogs...Seems All they ever wanted to do was play... Why must the guy have such a hard heart against that?

I have found that life has it's own way of dealing with fools ... I'll leave it at that.

George

One of my responses to my always desperate need for money (back before IT) I used to supervise the armed security officers at the Compton CA branch of a guard company you'd recognize.

From the perspective of how I trained those guys to be in accordance with the law in all they did, I also counsel, "No warning shots." You can end up in trouble and your adversary is still standing.

However - in your situation you had no good options. Somebody fireing at your house...damn.

I think you found the best of a hobson's choice and did the measured thing. You escalated just enough to get your point across real effectively, but so much that blood got spilled.

btw - don't try that up North!

Talbot

lol Lucky it was you and not me.

He'd have needed more than a pellet rifle.

Some people aren't lucky enough to actually have someone level headed enough to call the cops.

And some are lucky enough to be out where there aren't any cops nearby.

Point is, some just start shooting and ask questions later.

I am glad you can readily tell the pellet.
I might have become disoriented and had to "return fire".

Thank god it didn't turn into something ugly..

Power perceived is power acheived (probably spelled that all wrong). My guess is that he won't be shooting at your dogs anymore. People are idiots that need to be put in their place-and no, they won't go there voluntarily. I say well done.

Fortunately my family were already indoors.
Equally fortunate that I was able to easily determine the "level of threat" so that a show of force was sufficient.
I credit my Father and my Sifu's training for me to remain calm.

Had the level of threat been higher I might have been forced into a more direct response of "higher caliber".

I am at heart a peaceful warrior ... but placing my family at risk is a fools errand.