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This last Tuesday at 11:00 I was getting ready to turn in for the night and went to the front of the house to verify everything was secure. As I rounded the corner onto our foyer, I noticed through the full length windows which are on either side of the front door (I know… bad setup) that there was a man trying to peek in through the blinds. That in itself was bad enough, but the dude was dressed in black stocking hat, black bandana, black shirt, pants and shoes.

I was apparently backlit and he saw me as I reached back around to get a hold of the gun I had in the kitchen. He took off like a flash. I grabbed the phone and dialed 911. And headed out into the front yard in my night shorts to see where the guy went. He was long gone.

I relayed to the operator what happened and within 2 minutes at least 2 of Plano’s finest came screaming down the street spot lights going like crazy. Apparently we have had a few incidents in the area and they were on alert. They called back and reported that they had picked someone up and asked me to verify the description.

No idea if they got the right guy, but at least the BG knows that my place may not necessarily be a cakewalk.

D

scary stuff ... thanks for sharing so others may learn

one criticism ...

davefrmmrfy wrote:I grabbed the phone and dialed 911 ...

Good - exactly what you should do

davefrmmrfy wrote:... And headed out into the front yard in my night shorts to see where the guy went. He was long gone.

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?

A-R wrote:scary stuff ... thanks for sharing so others may learn

one criticism ...

davefrmmrfy wrote:I grabbed the phone and dialed 911 ...

Good - exactly what you should do

davefrmmrfy wrote:... And headed out into the front yard in my night shorts to see where the guy went. He was long gone.

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?

Never go outside looking for where the BG went. My CHL Instuctor told us a story about a student of his some years back who went outside to stop some guys who were burglarizing his garage. He had two guys held at gunpoint while they were still in his garage. He never saw the 3rd guy come up behind him with the shotgun. Tragedy followed.

What part of Plano are you in? Major street intersections would be helpful if you don't mind.

A-R wrote:scary stuff ... thanks for sharing so others may learn

one criticism ...

davefrmmrfy wrote:I grabbed the phone and dialed 911 ...

Good - exactly what you should do

davefrmmrfy wrote:... And headed out into the front yard in my night shorts to see where the guy went. He was long gone.

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?

The comments below are offered in the spirit of after action review to learn from experience and be better prepared for next time:

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.

Yep, I agree with all the comments. That's how we al learn. Hopefully there will not be a next time, but if there is, I'll be a little smarter.

As for location, NE quadrant of Legacy and Independence.

D

davefrmmrfy wrote:Yep, I agree with all the comments. That's how we al learn. Hopefully there will not be a next time, but if there is, I'll be a little smarter.

As for location, NE quadrant of Legacy and Independence.

D

Dang that's too close to my house.

Yeah, only about 2 miles from mine. I have kids (early high school aged boys) in the driveway periodically checking car doors to see if they are open and catch them on video, but no other prowlers that I have seen so far. One of the Plano detectives has several videos of my visitors.

Scary. I have friends who live in that area. Sadly, they are totally oblivious to the possibility that anything bad can happen to them.

That is very near our home. I will be on the alert.

Unless someone is a "SWAT Team Leader", with back-up nearby, one is making an application to the "Darwin Awards" site, if one attempts to clear a house or building alone and/or go outside and look for, or chase bad guys/girls (with or without a gun). Like spiders and scorpions, if you find one...there is usually another one lurking around...lol.

Some have died doing this. Others have wished they had died. A very few others consider themselves "VERY LUCKY" nothing happended to them or theirs.

JMO

Did you learn anything about the person Dave? Was it an adult or kids messing around?

Keith B wrote:Yeah, only about 2 miles from mine.

Same here... I may have to start looking for better ways to hide my stuff from the windows.

Seems like yall should have a cookout

loadedliberal wrote:Seems like yall should have a cookout

Sound good to me, only if you come unannounced wearing a black swimsuit you may notice a red laser dot on your forehead from inside the house. I cook a mean hamburger.

Seriously, this has been an excellent learning experience for me, and hopefully for many more.