So I just chased off an intruder with

[neverforget]

Last edited Tue Apr 15, 2014, 03:50 AM - Edit history (1)

a broom. He was in our backyard. We heard our gate open up. Wife says to go check it out thinking it was a raccoon. I check from the front and the gate is closed. I come back in and open the sliding glass door and there's a guy climbing over our fence. I take a whack at him with the broom handle as he's jumping over the fence. I scream to my wife CALL 911! He takes off at a fast walk as I run through the house to get a description of the guy. Nothing will come of it because all I got was a look from behind was the clothes he was wearing.

Our dog didn't even bark! He chased off another prowler long time ago but I guess his hearing is going.

Here's a pic of my dog, Sabot (pronounced say bow) who didn't bark. Love him though!!

[GReedDiamond]

1. Wow...Stay Alert and Be Safe!..nt

[ChisolmTrailDem]

2. Seconded! nt

[neverforget]

5. Thanks. Totally unreal. Dog didn't bark and the prowler was a couple feet from him.

Cops are out looking for him but am not optimistic they will find him.

[GReedDiamond]

8. Unfortunately, I understand your lack of optimism...

...be safe, and best wishes.

[neverforget]

30. The sheriff deputy called us back and said they had 5 patrol cars in the area.

I'm sure the guy was long gone by then.

[stg81]

22. does the dog know him?

[neverforget]

23. I don't think my dog knew he was there even though the prowler was on the

deck next to the sliding glass door. My dog, Sabot (say bow), was lying inside right next to the sliding glass door.

[Enthusiast]

33. Our little dog completely lost her hearing.

She could hear absolutely nothing.

[neverforget]

18. Thank you!

[Skip Intro]

3. I hope you have more than a broom handy. The next one might not run.

Please take care.

[neverforget]

6. I have a .22 cal rifle locked away that I use for target practice once a year when I travel back to

Montana. And knives of course. I'm sad that my dog didn't bark. He's old, 12 1/2 years old now. He chased one intruder off when he was 2 at a different place though.

[Skip Intro]

11. As a last resort, of course. Maybe you should add another, younger dog to the house.

Thing is, if the intruder is armed and determined, a dog won't stop him.

[neverforget]

24. We're talking about getting another dog but that will be awhile.

[nomorenomore08]

25. While I would probably never own a gun, I respect others' right to legitimate self-defense.

Though lethal force, as you said, should only be a last resort. I lived in a high-crime neighborhood for 3 years and never came close to needing a weapon.

[Skip Intro]

29. You may only "need" a weapon once.

I certainly respect your right not to own a firearm, and I appreciate that you don't try to force your decision upon others. But if you live in a high-crime neighborhood, you must realize some near you don't care about laws or your rights. You may never need a weapon, and I hope that is the case. I would encourage you, though, to have some method of self-defense. There is nothing wrong with fighting back. Nothing wrong with defending yourself and your property. Nothing wrong with being as well armed as the person or persons invading your home, attacking you. Don't trust your life to luck or the morality of an intruder. If you're not in a safe area, it is only smart to be prepared to defend yourself should the need arise. Your life might be at stake.

[nomorenomore08]

31. I agree with most of what you just said. And if I were smaller, or female - I'm a 200-lb. man

- I might well carry a knife or pepper spray around.

[Logical]

62. Most cops never fire a weapon. Chances of the average citizen is much lower. nt

[CFLDem]

4. Stay safe!

[neverforget]

17. Thank you!

[red dog 1]

7. K&R...Thanks for posting

Good for you!



If that happened to me, I would:

a) attach barbed wire to the top of the fence,
b) get a big dog...a companion for the one you already have.
c) consider buying a stun gun

[oneofthe99]

13. I don't think I would want to take on a home intruder with a stun gun

Don't you have to be with in reach to even use that?

If anything I would rather have what the police carry ,
Something more like this , it's expensive but if this just happened to me . I would seriously be thinking of buying one.

http://www.discountcleaningproducts.com/TASER-M26-C-With-Laser-Sight-Black-Lik-p/m26-c.htm?Click=65&vfsku=M26.C&gpla=pla&gclid=CNLC-5bs4b0CFSISMwodZHUAag

[red dog 1]

54. I'd like to have one of those too..

but I doubt if I'll ever be able to afford it

The thing about tasers is that they sometimes kill, while stun guns don't.

[oneofthe99]

9. Holy cow ! I'm glad you're safe

Don't do that again ! , you never know what he might have a gun a knife.

Get back in the house lock the door and just call 911

[The Straight Story]

10. Sadly, the cops probably won't do too much (at least around where I live)

A neighbor down in the court, and elderly man, had someone breaking into his back porch some time back. He lives alone and is the uncle of the mailman (well, the guy who was our mailman for many years, new guy now) and the mailman would take his breaks sitting with him in the front yard.

The guy knocked several times on the front door and when no one answered right away went around the back to break in (common tactic). My neighbor was awake and got a gun and chased him off the back porch (well, the guy saw the gun and ran, can't say he really chased).

We have had a slew of break ins to empty homes here, to the point I was calling the cops about once a week. Even when they have found the people in abandoned homes taking things they didn't arrest them and not once was a report taken (and I have caught people going into three different homes, one on each side of me and across the street - two of the three are occupied now).

My one neighbor and his kids, and their friends, deal in drugs and stolen goods. They steal bikes, tv's, anything they can and sell them. They walk the streets, mostly in the bigger neighborhood over the tracks, and know who is home when (ie, they case the whole area on a regular basis). They often see me out smoking and always have something they want to sell (including a sawed off shotgun one guy carried in his sweat pants). I don't worry about them as I know them but they can and do get violent.

Point about that last part is there is always someone looking to sneak into a yard or home and steal things to sell. They might just look like some normal folks out for a walk, but they ain't. If you have anything at all in the backyard that others can see and have some value (copper/metal/lawn mowers which I have seen stolen here, etc) it is best to hide it.

The one kid was caught carrying a big screen tv down the street from a house he had broken into and got probation - but he has been stealing for years and hadn't been caught.

Stay safe and don't count on the cops to do much - will be your word against theirs and since they didn't take anything the cops aren't going to arrest him for going into a yard.

[neverforget]

35. I was talking with a neighbor after this happened tonight and he said he was

broken into a couple years ago. They didn't take much of value though.

This is the first time we've had any problems in the 8 years we've lived in this house.

[SheilaT]

12. Maybe more people should try chasing off intruders with a broom

rather than shooting to kill.

Especially considering how often someone has shot and killed a son or daughter.

[oneofthe99]

14. That's bad advice , I know it's half in jest but the OP was very lucky

best thing is not to confront them. Have a safe room you can run to if possible , call the police.

Even if it means escaping through a window .

[libodem]

16. Your answer

Is much better than shoot to kill.

[neverforget]

28. I was checking on the noise, thinking it was a raccoon or something. I grabbed the broom

not thinking I was going to be confronting anybody. When I did confront him, he was already half over the fence but I did give a good swat with the broom handle. I don't know if I got him or not.

[oneofthe99]

32. Hopefully it hit him in the head and knocked some sense into him

I'm just glad it turned out okay. If it was at my home my dog probably would have opened the door for him.lol
I have a Siberian husky and she loves everyone she meets.
Not much of a watch dog but I didn't rescue her for that.

[neverforget]

34. My dog is a lover and not a fighter too. He's your best friend to complete strangers.

Great dog though! Love him!

[oneofthe99]

36. I just looked at the pic you posted of him , he looks like a great dog

my biggest soft spot is dogs

[JohnnyRingo]

15. Those are the most dangerous intruder.

The ones that won't hurt you make sure you aren't home first. People who don't care if you're home are often prepared to take on an occupant, in one way or another.

I'm not necessarily telling you to arm yourself, but there's someone in your area who could be threatening to you and your family. Take some kind of future precautions please. Even consider a simple alarm system more sensitive than your dog. I simply swiped a friend's sign while I was helping her move and put a solar powered light shining on it. Make 'em think, and no one's stolen it yet.

Home intruders hate noise and light.

[neverforget]

19. I'm buying a motion sensor tomorrow for the yard.

If my dog had barked, that guy would've run off I believe. Instead, I got to take a whack at him with the broom handle.

[defacto7]

20. I got some advice recently from a security firm

where they were saying that light and an alarm when the intruder is outside is good, but never sound a loud alarm inside. Supposedly the scare factor has caused intruders to get angry and maybe start shooting out of being pissed off. They said send a silent alarm to the police then to hide if you can't get out, is the best way.

[nomorenomore08]

26. My folks and I live in a pretty safe area, but we have a burglar alarm installed nonetheless.

Not much crime here overall, but there have been break-ins here and there.

[JohnnyRingo]

47. I understand that nearly all break-ins are someone you know.

It makes sense because that person would know what you have that they want, they know their way around, and they know when you're home. Random home invasions by strangers, while rare, are obviously more dangerous to everyone involved.

Personally, I have a couple handguns, which I don't recommend for everyone because a gun in the hands of someone who's inexperienced with them can be more dangerous to the family and neighbors than a burglar. Someone breaking into a random home has to understand that they may meet an armed homeowner. That's another reason why that type of burglar is considered more desperate, and therefore more dangerous.

Still, I believe nothing is a more effective deterrent than noise & light.

[Number23]

61. Maybe that's why the dog didn't bark??

[pipi_k]

44. Would not feel comfortable

now without the security lights, alarms, and cameras around my house.

They're everywhere.

Motion-activated.

And the 10 cameras show up all at the same time on the three in-house monitors plus the computers and laptops, iPads, AND...we can see what's going on inside and out on iPhone away from the house as well.

Plus the film is archived for 24 hours.

Those cameras are stationary, but there are also the two Foscam cameras in the house that can be moved remotely and have two way sound capability (i.e. we can hear house noises while watching the camera, and can also communicate to the cameras themselves to the house).

Really awesome stuff!

[neverforget]

48. our house is wired for a security system. Now I'm

going to look into the cost for activating it.

[renate]

21. I'm so glad you're okay

I can't even imagine the adrenaline that's pumping through your body. I would be a complete mess, and even the amazing you, having chased him off with nothing more than a broom and awesomeness, probably won't sleep for a week... but I'm glad you're okay.

[neverforget]

27. Thank you! yeah I'm pretty wound up still. It's going to take awhile for the adrenaline

to subside.

[intaglio]

37. Many, many moons ago

Sometime round 1970 we had an intruder in our house about 2am and neither of our dogs uttered one yip. For some reason the first bedroom door he pushed open was mine. I woke, threw off the duvet grabbed an 1860 pattern Martini

At the time I was young and fit, practiced European fencing, and had several of these sword bayonets. I also slept stark naked.

So the intruder was faced with a naked man coming at him waving a very long blade and screaming "Get out of here you bastard!"

I swear this criminal teleported to the bottom of the stairs and leaving through the open front door. I chased out onto the road still waving my weapon and now shouting "come back here you w***ker!"

For some reason he didn't return. The young constable who showed up thought it all very amusing, though thinking back on it now it is a lot more worrying.

[Thor_MN]

38. "So the intruder was faced with a naked man coming at him waving a very long blade"

And a sword too!!

[safeinOhio]

39. I'm so glad you are safe and no one got hurt.

Please google "cheap home security". While I own guns, several 22s for target and hunting, I see them as a last resort. There are many things you can do that cost next to nothing to keep the bad guys out and make them move on to look for an easier target. Motion lights are great. If you can't afford an expensive security system, you can buy some fake stickers that say you do have one. Trim bushes around windows, simple stops for windows and sliding doors help. 3 inch screws in hinges and and door locks make it very hard to kick in a door, at least will cause enough noise to wake up the dog. I have a large walk-in closet I use for a safe room where I keep my fire arms. Nothing gets a quicker response from police than a 911 call that says I'm armed and I have a stranger in the house and will shoot if I have to. For when I'm not home, I found a secret motion detector phone that will call my cell and I can listen to what's going on. I have the police phone number and I can call them from anywhere and tell them what is going on. It only cost me $50 one time and I now have a system for a one time cost. There are now security films you can put on glass windows that make it really hard to break them, plus they can pay for themselves in energy savings, they can cost about $50/window. Of course these ideas can't stop every break-in, but can make 90% of the bad guys move on to and easier target.
good luck

[GeorgeGist]

40. Sounds like an inside job.

[Glitterati]

41. Pretty sure I did as well....

I pulled my car out of the garage to go to work at 6:30 PM, and this pickup truck was coming into the cul de sac.....it was odd, a strange vehicle, so I watched as I pulled out to see which house he was going to. He pulled around the cul de sac and parked on the street in one of the open spaces. So I went around the block and came back in from a different direction. When I pulled up close enough to see the driver, he looked at me terrified, and took off like a bat out of hell.

Not sure what he was up to, but it definitely was no good.

[neverforget]

42. Sounds like you did the right thing. I was lucky he

ran away when confronted. I was expecting an animal or nothing but just in case, I had a broom and my wife ready to dial 911. Thankfully, he took off at a brisk walk.

[ellie]

43. He is so fluffy!

I want to ruffle up his fur!

[Blue Diadem]

45. Glad you & your wife are ok. Please do let your neighbors know about it.

You can all watch out for each other or you may hear that others have seen someone strange in the neighborhood. Motion activated outdoor lighting helps as well.

[neverforget]

46. they all came outside when I was yelling at the guy.

I plan on buying motion activated lighting today.

[Liberal_in_LA]

63. good idea. glad u r ok. guy was maybe looking for recyclables...maybe

[neverforget]

64. Thanks. Our recycle bin is on the side of the house not behind a fence so

I don't think that was the reason why he was in our backyard.

[lonestarnot]

49. A dog that doesn't bark will usually bite.

He was conserving energy in case your broom didn't work.

[neverforget]

51. Lol! Thanks for the laugh!

He's a lover not a fighter though. He'll wag you to death.

[kydo]

50. The NRA is gonna be pissed that you used a broom and not a gun

Cute dog

I bet your dog has meet the intruder before and that's probably why he didn't bark. Of course many a would be thieves do bring food like a raw steak to feed the dog.

Either way I'm sure your dog would still have tried to protect you if you hadn't been forced to pull the broom out.

Be safe and sleep with the broom under pillow tonight.

[neverforget]

55. I'm armed and ready to clean!

Thanks!

[msanthrope]

52. If you are wired for security but have no active alarm that means you have at least one

possible source for where this burglar came from. Any workmen at your house lately?

Be safe. The fact that this guy took off at a walk as opposed to a run tells me he's done this before.

[neverforget]

53. my gut is telling me that it was a lawn care person

because they were here yesterday and the curtains were open. They woke me up when they were in the backyard with the leaf blowers. They had ample chance to look inside the house. Plus this person knew which way to leave to make their escape.

I work nights but I had last night off. I'm thankful that I was home otherwise it was just my wife and 9 year old daughter.

[lululu]

56. I love your dog.

[neverforget]

57. Thanks! He's a good dog

obviously not a guard dog anymore but great nonetheless!

[kwassa]

58. sounds like sabotage

The word sabotage derives from sabot, the French word for the wooden shoes, tossed into early industrial weaving looms.

[HipChick]

59. I love your dog..

Sorry this happened to you...any chance of getting him a younger companion?

[neverforget]

60. We talked about it briefly but it's a little more complicated because my wife raises

guide dogs for the blind. The guide dog wasn't with us last night as he was at a puppy sitter.