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This is a scary situation

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 89147.html

A man pretending to be a utility worker was fatally shot overnight during an apparent home invasion robbery attempt in northwest Harris County, authorities said.

The suspect, who has not been identified, was killed about 1 a.m. while struggling with the homeowner in the 3300 block of Breckenridge.

He was wearing what appeared to be a CenterPoint Energy uniform when he knocked on the door, warning of a gas leak, officials said.

"The homeowner thought that something was amiss because apparently nobody in the area has gas,'' Harris County Sheriff's Lt. John Martin said.

The homeowner grabbed a pistol and went through the garage door, where he encountered the phony utility worker and least two other people.

"One of the suspects jumped him and there was a brief struggle,'' Martin said.

The homeowner was shot once in the arm but was able to return fire, fatally striking the man in the uniform. The other suspects fled in what appeared to be a Chevrolet Tahoe or GMC Denali, authorities said.

Investigators don't believe the man was a legitimate CenterPoint worker. He was wearing a badge that identified himself as a restaurant employee. They also found a pair of handcuffs inside a tool kit he was carrying.

"It was clear he was intent on doing some kind of robbery or home invasion,'' Martin said.

The wounded homeowner was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital with non life-threatening injuries, officials said.

The incident remains under investigation.

One more reason for home carry. If you need it you probably don't have time to go get it. "Excuse me gentlemen (plural, some, more n one) while I go get my equalizer." Thank you gentlemen for teaching me to carry at home. Yes, never leave home w/o it. But also, never go to the door w/o it either.

I once started an argument about home carry on this forum...I was really against it and genuinely felt that it was wrong for me to feel the need to be armed in my home.

Over the last six or eight months I have changed my view and now carry full time. I guess I knew it was the right thing to do back then, but lived in denial!

It is hard to guess when you might need it! As I said once before....If I knew I was going to need my gun, I would just stay away from there!

Jason

This is why I carry at home. I always have one of my Glocks or 1911 in my holster when I answer the door.

jbirds1210 wrote:It is hard to guess when you might need it! As I said once before....If I knew I was going to need my gun, I would just stay away from there!

Jason

Try not to get caught with your pants down is my motto.

This one reminds me of an encounter I had a few months back. I was exiting my back yard into my driveway to get into my car. My driveway is at least 80ft long and I saw a scruffy looking guy in a plain-looking T-shirt walking up my driveway towards me. He was about 30ft from me with something in his right hand

I went to condition orange right away... a plan deal with a confrontation was running through my mind without even consciously trying to think about it.

I acknowledged him verbally and gave him a what are YOU doing here look

The guy stopped. Raised the object in his right hand and took a measurement of my neighbors gas meter... then turned and walked away back towards the street. "Center Point Energy" was on the BACK of his shirt...

Center Point's real guys are kinda shady looking.

This story brings up a couple of points.

1) looks can be deceiving
2) Just because you only see one threat doesn't mean there's only one.

Paladin you're not the only one. I saw a guy with baggy pants and a large shirt and beanie walk through my driveway and towards my back yard. I called the cops. I even looked into my backyard window and saw him. Later on I saw him walk across the street to another house and it said centerpoint energy on it. It was a baby blue oversized t-shirt. I finally noticed he had a meter in his hand. I called the cops and told them it was ok.

You can't even tell the crooks from the workers.

My wife and I are senior citizens. We live in a rural community in SE Ga. I do not carry in the home, but my bride and I do NOT answer the door to anyone we don't immediately recognize.

We do have firearms scattered at each end of the home, plus one in the kitchen area. All nicely concealed, but imminently accessable.

In this part of the country NO ONE with any brains comes to a strangers door unless he/she/they are extremely careful, and make it abundently clear of their intentions.

We have a very good lockable glass door on the exterior, and a very good lockable wooden door behind it. Both stay locked at night. If the doorbell rings, or I hear anything suspicious I immediately arm myself, and very carefully check out the bell/noise. My wife stays IN the bedroom, armed (Security Six-357mag), with cell phone in hand. She knows that unless she is convinced that all is ok she is to lock the bedroom door, retreat to the bathroom, call 911 on the cell, and shoot anyone who tries to get in to her. (Obviously I'm VERY careful when I let her know "all is well".).

We don't let anyone in to "make a phone call", take a leak, sell us anything, or for any reason unless we know them.... NOBODY.

I think most of "us country rednecks" are also paranoid to some degree, and while that's probably bad news, the good news part of that "bad news" is that bg's also are aware of that fact. Also common knowledge is that the great majority of us are armed, and they are just as likely to become the "victim" as they are to make us the "victim's"....

So, home invasions "so far" are few and far between around here. Additonally (thankfully) the State of Ga. has passed the "no duty to retreat" law and it goes into effect July 1st..

My wife and I plan to "retreat" anyway, if we are so allowed. No personal possessions we own are worth killing or being killed for. But if someone doesn't give us that option, then we will have a 12ga pump riot shotgun loaded with #4 buckshot in the bathroom with us. (Plus my wife's Security Six).

Then all bets are off.

This seems a reasonable plan to us.

Best Wishes,

J. P.

I don't normally carry in the house either, unless I'm home from an outing and just haven't gotten around to taking it off yet.
I do keep doors locked, and I arm myself before seeing who is at the door.
I don't open it anyway unless I know the person. I usually just make strangers leave. (I also know who the UPS man is that delivers in the area, so I'm good there too. Besides, he's in a marked vehicle.)