Pulled On BG Sat Nite

[RedRyder]

Well, not sure I handled it right but I'm still here and he went away so guess it worked out ok. Was staying at hotel and wife was in hospital. Once I knew she was ok, I went and checked into hotel and promptly went to bed at 7:00pm. About 8:30pm, banging and pounding on door and I got up turned on lite and yelled, "who's there, who are you looking for". No answer. Looked out drape and no one there. Figured it was kids. About 15 minutes later all snug in my bed, the pounding and banging started again. Once more I yelled, Who's there". Again no answer and no one outside the door. OK, so I'm now awake and started to read my book, got up to go to bathroom and just as got back to the bed it started again, I picked up my P9 and opened the door to find an Hispanic mail 200+ pounds and over 6' with beer in hand and a stupid looking pimp hat on head. Pointed the gun at him and asked why he was trying to break down the door. I could tell he was at least a bit startled but not like you'd have thought. He said he was just knocking. Told him this was only warning and to leave door alone. Slammed the door and put on night latch. No more problems but kept wondering if LEO would show up and slap me in jail for brandishing or assault. Probably should have just called the desk and reported but this is the old west out here and I like to stomp my own snakes. Ask a LEO friend of mine and he told me, that if he had gotten the call he would have taken report and just gone away.

What does the forum have to say about this one?????

Thanks for listening, er, reading.

[MW surveyor]

Ah jocko, ever the compassionate one.

RedRyder

You probably did good since he went away.

[les strat]

Glad it turned out ok. Sometimes people need a hint and to be reminded that not all people put up with BS that our leaders have taught us to be compliant with.

Yes, you could have went to jail for BAW. But then again, I bet latino dude didn't want to be anywhere near a LEO.

[JohnR]

Meh, if he spoke English he might not be illegal. Just trying to rob your room, or thought yours was the room his "employee" was in, and he was trying to tell her her time was up. If he was drunk maybe he won't remember it.

[muggsy]

If I pull my gun I pull its trigger multiple times. If I want to warn someone I just reveal that I am armed. I seldom if ever warn. What you should have done was dial 911 and told the dispatcher that someone was beating on your hotel room door. You then should have sought cover and waited for the police to respond.

[chrish]

Yep, I think you dodged a legal bullet, pun intended. But glad nothing came of it and it worked out OK for all involved.

I don't even answer the door to my own home unless I know them or it's an obvious kid selling stuff for school, scouts, etc. Just not worth it and I have no interest in talking religion, politics, or whatever an unknown adult wants to chat about. Hotels, never had that happen, but I keep the inside lock flipped over and take the same action, if they don't have a hotel badge or the like and if I haven't ordered room service, not gonna even open the door.

I would have just called the front desk and beyond that, as mentioned, the police.

[yqtszhj]

Here is something to wonder, is NM a castle doctrine state and would castle doctrine cover a hotel room that you have rented for the night?

If I remember correctly NM does have castle doctrine in place and even your car is considered your castle and you can carry in your car without a permit because it is your "castle" so if your were about to be carjacked you would kave a right to defend yourself. I may be thinking about another state but I believe either NM or Kansas has that. I did some research in the past because my carry permit was not accepted in those 2 states at the time.

Of course you may have to educate the local LEO about that so you would have to know the details of the law.

[Ikeo74]

That's what you get for staying in those 1 star Hotels. :D

[7shot]

Glad all worked out good for you. I would of never opened the door, invites to much trouble. Should of called the cops and let them handle it.

[johnh]

Castle doctrine in Missouri includes hotels or anything else you are dwelling in, so may be there as well. Here if you are living in it is the primary test of what is a dwelling. Cardboard box, car, hotel room, RV, tent...

[Barth]

Yep, I think you dodged a legal bullet, pun intended. But glad nothing came of it and it worked out OK for all involved.

I don't even answer the door to my own home unless I know them or it's an obvious kid selling stuff for school, scouts, etc. Just not worth it and I have no interest in talking religion, politics, or whatever an unknown adult wants to chat about. Hotels, never had that happen, but I keep the inside lock flipped over and take the same action, if they don't have a hotel badge or the like and if I haven't ordered room service, not gonna even open the door.

I would have just called the front desk and beyond that, as mentioned, the police.

+1
I would have never opened the door at all.
If they break down the door - open fire.
Until then you have the advantage inside and out of sight.
Even armed;
when you open the door much of your advantage is lost - IMHO.

[yqtszhj]

Cardboard box, car, hotel room, RV, tent...

What's the daily rate for a cardboard box? I'm alway's up for a good deal.

[CJB]

Ditto Florida.... your hotel is your castle, so is your car while you're in it.

Pulling for knocking.... would be sticky. You'd most likely be ok, but... if LEO was involved, they might make it difficult. Big "might", or big "might not"... hard to tell.

Reason is - BG wasn't inside. Just knocking? Hmm. Questions arise. Did you call front desk? Why not? What compelled you to open the door? Did the BG have the means to break into the (normally pretty strong) front door? Big grey area.

I'd have done it your way, but then again, I take my chances beyond what most folks would. I tend to use the FBI principle of "overwhelming super force" to subdue.

Your call, you did ok, move on with it.

[Popeye]

Should have called the front desk to tell them, the next time the Popo. Go with the safest less lethal options first before you start pulling gun. As your life was not in immediate danger. Knowone forced you to open that door. I agree I think you dodged a legal bullet. Drawing your pistol is the last thing you want to do, and if you do your better use it, or it maybe it will be you with three hots in your chest. The dude was probably drunk high or both.

[Barth]

Should have called the front desk to tell them, the next time the Popo. Go with the safest less lethal options first before you start pulling gun. As your life was not in immediate danger. Knowone forced you to open that door. I agree I think you dodged a legal bullet. Drawing your pistol is the last thing you want to do, and if you do your better use it, or it maybe it will be you with three hots in your chest. The dude was probably drunk high or both.

+1
I really don't want to get into an argument about it.
But drawing your weapon should always be a last resort, no more options, solution - IMHO.

Seems like lots of other options were available...

[wayneo1]

Never do that in my opinion. What if he thought you were his buddy. He could have made move to give you a drunken buddy hug. What would you have done in that split second shoot and kill for what. Turn it around he has gun at hand and you answer and point but he shoots before you know whats happening. Call the front desk and if he then comes in start shooting. Just my way of thinking Iam like the previous poster, if I point my gun at you the next thing you will hear is a bang.

[CJB]

ok got it... NEXT time... have him come inside the room, pull, shoot, then call the front dest.

Easy peasy!~

[StrangeBird1911]

I'm not a lawyer, but I'm fairly confident that you can brandish in your own home. Castle doctrine probably not necessary. (Castle doctrine is about shooting.)

From a practical point of view, it was probably not a wise move.

[Popeye]

Problems don't always end when you draw your gun or shoot somebody. In many ways they could be just starting. Doing so should always be the last resort.

[Bawanna]

Sadly it's all the fine print laws and liabilities that frequently end up with good guys dead and bad guys still alive and voting.

I firmly believe in my head that most officer deaths are directly related to liability worries. Probably rightfully so, had they prevailed and lived they would have been ran through a wringer.

[knkali]

Had this exact thing happen to me years ago. I called the front desk and kept my gun right next to me. I figured if they come in then it is go time. Fortunately, the front desk handled it. Turns out the person banging at the door was drunk off their head and did not know what they were doing.

[painter]

Problems don't always end when you draw your gun or shoot somebody. In many ways they could be just starting. Doing so should always be the last resort.
Well said sir.

[CJB]

On a related note - 20 or so years ago, when I was in an apartment, I had a guy bust into my kitchen. Went in, started looking for stuff in the silverware drawer.. had all the other drawers open too...

I heard a sound like sifting of silverware thru fingers... WTF? I was actually LOADING 9mm rounds. I called my wife - who was out to a meeting - thinking she came in early, and it was her in the kitchen.

No response.

More very bad sound.....

I loaded my Browning HighPower with the ammo I'd just created, walked into the kitchen and confronted the BG. Ordered him, at gunpoint, the HP chambered, cocked and trained on his chest, to sit on the floor with his hands on his heads. I had no idea what to REALLY do, but I figured he couldn't lunge at me, and I'd be able to see his hands.

I called the cops.

Got into a nice 3 way conversation on the phone between me, the dispatcher and the head cop. Told 'em EXACTLY what they'd see when they came thru the door. Told them when they came in, I'd immediately point away and clear my handgun, and leave it in plain sight on the dining room table... but stand away from it.

As I waited... about three minutes, the BG kept trying to get up.. I kept ordering him down. Dispatch was freakin out! I was adement... SIT ON THE FLOOR, HANDS ON YOUR HEAD, or I'LL TAKE YOUR ACTIONS AS HOSTILE AND SHOOT IF YOU APPROACH.

This went on a few minutes... up, down, up, down....cops came in and the BG bolted to his feet to the door. Bad move. Cops grabbed him, turned him around and introduced his face to my kitchen cabinets. BG was drunk off his ass, sustained a busted nose, numerous cuts and bruises on his face. They took him away, but later released him. His GF's apartment was two more stories up (I was 2, she was 4), but the same apartment location on the floor as my own. His story checked out, the GF came to get him. I was happy I didn't have too big a mess to clean - some blood, but not too much - from his busted nose. Most of it went into the sink..... He told cops, at the jail, he was looking for a bottle opener and another beer (he stole one from fridge too).

Cops were like... why didn't you shoot him!!!! I just said... I didn't have to. Cops also laughed when I told 'em I was LOADING ammo in the spare room when he busted in the door.

Talk about the wrong place at the wrong time.

Florida law is such that... that sort of pulling on the BG is fully sanctioned. I could have pressed charges over the beer and such, but thats sort of picayune compared to gettin' yer face busted open and nose permanently bent by cops. I let it drop, it wasn't worth it.

[knkali]

On a related note - 20 or so years ago, when I was in an apartment, I had a guy bust into my kitchen. Went in, started looking for stuff in the silverware drawer.. had all the other drawers open too...

I heard a sound like sifting of silverware thru fingers... WTF? I was actually LOADING 9mm rounds. I called my wife - who was out to a meeting - thinking she came in early, and it was her in the kitchen.

No response.

More very bad sound.....

I loaded my Browning HighPower with the ammo I'd just created, walked into the kitchen and confronted the BG. Ordered him, at gunpoint, the HP chambered, cocked and trained on his chest, to sit on the floor with his hands on his heads. I had no idea what to REALLY do, but I figured he couldn't lunge at me, and I'd be able to see his hands.

I called the cops.

Got into a nice 3 way conversation on the phone between me, the dispatcher and the head cop. Told 'em EXACTLY what they'd see when they came thru the door. Told them when they came in, I'd immediately point away and clear my handgun, and leave it in plain sight on the dining room table... but stand away from it.

As I waited... about three minutes, the BG kept trying to get up.. I kept ordering him down. Dispatch was freakin out! I was adement... SIT ON THE FLOOR, HANDS ON YOUR HEAD, or I'LL TAKE YOUR ACTIONS AS HOSTILE AND SHOOT IF YOU APPROACH.

This went on a few minutes... up, down, up, down....cops came in and the BG bolted to his feet to the door. Bad move. Cops grabbed him, turned him around and introduced his face to my kitchen cabinets. BG was drunk off his ass, sustained a busted nose, numerous cuts and bruises on his face. They took him away, but later released him. His GF's apartment was two more stories up (I was 2, she was 4), but the same apartment location on the floor as my own. His story checked out, the GF came to get him. I was happy I didn't have too big a mess to clean - some blood, but not too much - from his busted nose. Most of it went into the sink..... He told cops, at the jail, he was looking for a bottle opener and another beer (he stole one from fridge too).

Cops were like... why didn't you shoot him!!!! I just said... I didn't have to. Cops also laughed when I told 'em I was LOADING ammo in the spare room when he busted in the door.

Talk about the wrong place at the wrong time.

Florida law is such that... that sort of pulling on the BG is fully sanctioned. I could have pressed charges over the beer and such, but thats sort of picayune compared to gettin' yer face busted open and nose permanently bent by cops. I let it drop, it wasn't worth it.

Great control of the situation CJB. Tha t could have gotten ugly(ier) darn fast.

[Popeye]

Very well done CJB. You have the right to protect you and yours. Reguardless if he's drunk or not he illegally entered your home at the time. He is lucky that he did this to a person who knows how to control a bad situation without needlessly taking it to the next level.