The comments below are offered in the spirit of after action review to learn from experience and be better prepared for next time:A-R wrote:scary stuff ... thanks for sharing so others may learn
one criticism ...
Good - exactly what you should dodavefrmmrfy wrote:I grabbed the phone and dialed 911 ...
Not so good - what if the "ninja" had an accomplice hiding out of sight waiting to jump you as soon as you opened the door?davefrmmrfy wrote:... And headed out into the front yard in my night shorts to see where the guy went. He was long gone.
The following scenario is even more likely than the less than happy circumstance of encountering an unexpected accomplice:
The PD was already on scene because either someone else had already reported a prowler or they were doing extra patrols due to previous reports, and they encountered this guy in shorts outside with a gun in his hand.
The best possible outcome would be spending some quality time proned out on the lawn trying to convince them you're a good guy with a gun in your hand and turf in your mouth.
The possibilities go well south from there.
Take a moment to think about it - what would you have done if you saw the suspicious character across the street in a neighbor's yard?
If you answered anything but go back inside and update your 911 call with the additional information, you would have been headed for a whole boatload of serious and unnecessary trouble.
If you stay inside, all your options are available and good and your loved ones remain protected by the person best equipped to defend them. There's nothing not to like there.
If you go outside, you've given up almost all your tactical and legal advantages and left those inside undefended.
That's not the way we do things at my house.