The legallyconcealed.com vlogger above is as unequivocal as he is taciturn: warn any home invaders that you’re armed and the cops are on their way. Makes sense to me. Especially if you’ve called 911 and put the phone down, so the service will record everything you say, for use in your defense. Only…is it possible that you’d want to ambush one more bad guys coming to rob, rape or kill you and/or your loved ones? What if you’re not in a defensible position? Do you really want to sacrifice the advantages of speed, surprise and violence of action? I say it depends on the situation; that you don’t want to commit to ANY default course of action. Have a plan but know that it probably won’t survive first contact with the enemy. What say you?

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117 COMMENTS

      • Yeager hate is so 10 minutes ago… Yeager haters are terrified that some Fudd or liberal will accuse him of enjoying shooting. Gotta be a serious operator so I have credibility among people who hate me anyway? Nah, lighten up.

  2. If I am aware that someone is in the house, but I’m “barricaded” in my bedroom, I’ll do the 4 step warning taught in the NRA PPIH course with 911 on the phone should they start banging on my door.

    * Get out!
    * The police are on their way!
    * I have a gun!
    * If you come in I’ll shoot!

    If it’s more of a surprise attack and I don’t even have time for the phone call I’ll let the muzzle blast do the talking for me.

    DISCLAIMER: I live alone and don’t need to herd any children to safety, which would require a different approach (i.e. being quiet until everyone is accounted for).

    • Generally agree.

      Default to using a warning (or several), but never do anything tactically unsound in any given situation.

    • If someone is actually searching for the intruder (because some people have medium sized homes with kids) I “think get the fudge out, I have a gun” would be sufficient.

      • Agree that getting family to safety requires a different approach.

        The multi-phrase warning being recorded on 911 proves that you really didn’t want to have to shoot, but once those warning are issued the sound of a door breaking down followed by gunshots should help bolster the self defense claim.

        • That makes sense. Just as a tie goes to the runner, a tie should go to the home defender. If one guy is the homeowner standing there in boxers, with a crying wife, terrified kids, and a broken down door, while the other guy is a crackhead stranger lying in a pool of blood in the hallway in the middle of the night, I’m giving the benefit of the doubt to the homeowner.

    • I also live alone; my kids live in separate time zones.

      Everybody that needs to get into my house knows how to do so quietly.

      Everybody that needs to get into my house knows to call me first to see if I’m home.

      Anybody making a noisy unexpected entrance will get ONE chance to turn and leave.

    • I live alone. So….BAM! Call 911. “Intruders in my home, I warned them to leave….I had a gun. I was forced to stop them from attacking me”. If one or more survive, my word against theirs. Did I lie….yep. Do I care….nope. Upside is one or more scumbags who will NOT victimize someone else. That’s called a win win.

      • Except you just admitted to thousands(millions?) of people online your intention to lie to law enforcement…..

        • To Hell with that. I’ll say it right here, right now: If someone forcefully breaks into my place, I confront him with weapon in hand, and he doesn’t immediately either drop on the floor or run for the exit, he is going to die right where he stood, and thanks to the Castle Doctrine there isn’t a goddamn thing any prosecutor can do about it.

          If you’re worried about that kind of statement being used against you in court, consider moving to state that protects the rights of its citizens over its criminals.

    • Suprise attack? How about just the actual times to draw and fire (using college kids unfamiliar with firearms) compared to the reaction times for a trained LEO (to simple light/sound signals vice actual scenarios). Even under these parameters which give a best case timing for a LEO reaction relative to a suspect– the LEO loses.

      http://www.forcescience.org/demos.html

      If you’re facing someone with a firearm in their hand, they’ll have shot you two to three times before you can finish the sentence “I have a gun”. And having committed to the course of action of yelling a warning, it will delay you changing course/action as circumstances change.

  3. Yeah, I figure I’ll yell get out or I’ll shoot. If they don’t, that’s when the #4 buck comes out.

      • Really? Maybe you don’t live in the free part of America but for the rest of us a dead dirt bag in the house is not getting anyone sent to jail. Outside? Eh, that’s a lot more complicated.

  5. If someone is in my house with a weapon they have forfeited any opportunity for warning. The fight should be over before one party in the fight even knows it is begun. If I can ambush them without their knowledge, I most certainly will.

    • I agree that the intruder has forfeited his right to any kind of warning at the point, but look at it from the other side: you could potentially avoid shooting someone. I know people like to talk about stopping bad guys, but best case you’re going through a lengthy and expensive investigation. Worst case, your life as you currently know it, is over. If I could SAFELY end the situation without firing, I’d absolutely do so.

      If I’m not somewhere where I can safely issue the warning, then all bets are off. “Survive the fight” has to always be your number one priority.

    • and what if they don’t have a weapon?

      what if it is your daughter or son sneaking out or back into the house?

      use your most powerful weapon first – your brain. Shooting first and asking questions later, if you aren’t under attack, is incompetent.

    • If the intruder has gotten past the fence, the outside dogs, the dead bolted steel door, the inside dog, and they are armed, they are going to win the wrong end of Remington 870.

    • Weapon? I’m not waiting to see a weapon. I will assume that anybody who forces entry into my home while I am here is both armed and intent on doing people inside the home bodily harm. Fortunately I live in the free state of TX, where a jury would be instructed to assume that anybody forcibly entering my home was both intent on dojng me serous bodily harm and capable of doing just that.

  6. I think it’s generally a good idea to warn the intruder under most circumstances – if for no other reason than to identify that they’re not someone you don’t want to shoot. Like a teenager sneaking in after breaking curfew. Also, there’s nothing wrong with a defensive gun use where no shots need to be fired and the suspect surrenders to wait for the police to pick them up.

    Now, if they’ve battered your door down or done something else that makes their intentions plain, then it doesn’t make much sense to warn them and lose your advantage.

    • mostly agree – but even most perps who kick the door in aren’t looking for a gunfight and will flee when warned.

  7. I have locks on all of my doors, an alarm system that will be blaring if you break in, and a big guard dog that will be barking from my room. Those are your 3 strikes. If you decide to continue an incursion into my home, the next thing you’ll hear is a succession of loud booms emanating from the end of a gun barrel.

    • Right there with you, NYC2AZ.

      You have to have gotten through layers (window shields, wedged windows, {or outer security door, then steel door, and steel no-kick frame with dual-side frame locks if you are bold enough to just bust in the front door}, alarm, then dogs) to get into the home. If someone is still coming up the stairs at that point they are most certainly up to no good thing.

      All of those layers are deterrence. A pro, or those truly dedicated to getting in, will get in. That said, if they are that dedicated to getting into my abode, I don’t think they are there to give me the publisher’s clearing house check. Either bad guys, or uniforms that got the wrong house. Hopefully the layers will slow the uniforms down enough that they don’t ‘accidentally’ shoot my kids and dogs.

      • Exactly right. If those deterrents aren’t enough for an intruder(s) to turn around, I will expect the worst of intentions and respond in kind. That being said, AZ is different than other states. If I still lived in NYC, I would expect even a 911 call with clear cut self defense audio recording would probably land me in jail.

        • In the military they call that I&W, Indications and Warning. Things that you consider in assessing the intent of an unknown force/individual/unit etc.

      • If a leo shot my kids or dogs after forceing their way into my house, uniform or not ALL bets are off and they deserve the .45 thats about to vacuum clean their skull.

        • Hell, Doc, here in Vegas they don’t even bother with “accidental”. They just decide that your house will serve their purposes as a outpost, bust down your door, truss you up, then proceed to squat about using your home as a base. So much for any form of ‘due process’.

          http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/07/03/59061.htm

          With things like that happening, why should any other form of trust or competence be expected.

    • That is why I live in Arizona, I spent 10 years in Alaska after I bailed out of loonie leftie So Cal. and wont ever go back untill they run all the leftie loonies out of the state!!!!!!

  10. NO.

    Unless you have children or guest.

    The tactical advantage of surprise is priceless. Plus, if there is more than one intruder, the second intruder will most likely bug out. Then call 911 and ask for the clean-up crew.

    Remember what happened to the homeowner who shot the thief (female) recently and then was arrested? He was arrested. He made the mistake of warning them first. If he had just shot them, he would probably be free now.

    You owe nothing to evil.

    • I guess it depends on the state. In NJ, having it on the 911 tape that you tried to avoid a reason to shoot *should* help, since the state is so anti-self defense.

      In a more free state that doesn’t create laws for the protection of criminals, there’s probably more acceptance of just ridding the world of the criminal.

      • It seems with many news stories of defensive shooting in anti-states that even with that you are still likely to spend time in lock up, get your ass sued off, have the perp’s friends and relatives show up to harass you, and be vilified by those around you for having the sheer nerve to have actually defended yourself with lethal force. After all, you are just supposed to lay down and die. That poor person in your house is just looking for support themselves and you are denying them that right.

        /end sarcasm (or not)

        • If they try to arrest me for defending myself or family there will be another gun fight. Any leo trying to force an ilegal act on you is guilty of a felony and you can defend yourself with what ever force nessasary. That is acording to the federal courts!!!!!

    • John B:If we’re both thinking of the same guy, he executed them both after he had neutralized the threat they posed. In free states, you can claim self defense if you shoot an intruder for not complying with a demand to leave or hit the floor, but if you then walk up and put several more bullets into them after they’re down, you’ve just committed murder.

  11. Nope…an invader was already warned by the locks, dogs, and security system…now its their ass

  12. If feasible… like if I can put a good door between us and/or I have no reason to think they’re armed. I’d rather risk a live crook getting away than blow away some poor drunk shmuck who got lost and walked in the wrong door. But ultimately that’s the kind of decision that it too situational to know…

  13. To everybody who says “I’ll let my gun do the warning.”

    There’s shit that will never come back to bite you in court, and then there’s the stuff you guys just said.

    • In any situation where a shooting would be legal ( your in danger ) you would not be required to warn an attacker. If your NOT in danger but may be, say a guy is trying to kick in your door but has not yet, then a warning would be ok.

    • I live in Oklahoma, and assist in carry classes. We have NO “duty to retreat”. I take defensive action against an intruder….I have no kids to worry about. ANYONE who forcibly enters my home, is an unwanted person. I know the layout of my home, they don’t. And our (Oklahoma) laws state, that no action, civil, or criminal, can be brought against me, by a survivor, or any one else. (family) if it’s a lawful shoot.

    • If your reloading, then being able to call 911 doesn’t even seem like it will be possible in the near future. You will be to busy in a hefty firefight.

  15. I am right on in agreement with ‘Mr. Intensity’ in the video. That describes my position perfectly (with a less intense gaze). I have no desire to shoot the person, but I will if the situation demands it.

    That said, you may not be given the luxury of calling 911 and giving a warning, depending on the proximity (or armament) of the bad guy at the time you first are made aware of their actual presence.

  16. I doubt that any intruder would be able to hear a verbal warning from me once my three dogs realized someone was breaking into my house.

  17. Any defense plan needs to be flexible, because there are too many variables to lock into one mode of action. Is there one attacker? three? seven? Is only one of them armed? two? three? six? What are they armed with? which one is the most dangerous? Where are your family members? Safely behind you in a defenseable location? Scattered through out the house? Me personally, I’m not warning anyone that has already intruded in my house, unless I am reasonably certain that such a warning will greatly induce them to immediately leaving out the door.

  18. Before I shoot any criminal who broke into my home, I’d warn him that I am armed, prepared to shoot and have several bottles of Resolve put aside for the post-shooting cleanup.

      • Its all those old guys lining up at the Walmart loading docks at 5am, buying it all up.
        Guess I’ll have to put that on my list for next gun show.

        Sure hope no one starts a run on the Depends.

    • Crime Scene Cleanup Should Never Be Done By Amateurs
      Professional, Compassionate, Local Service Available 24/7

      http://www.aftermath.com/

      Relax with an adult beverage, let the pros handle it…

      The cost will probably send you to the poorhouse…

  19. I will issue one and only one warning to anyone attempting unlawful entry. If they do not heed that warning, I will do what I have to do to protect my home and property.

    I do not want to shoot anyone–not even an anonymous thug who happened to pick the wrong house. If I can make them leave without firing a shot, I consider that the ideal resolution. Unfortunately this is not a world of ideals.

    • Agreed. I think it would be hard for me to live with myself knowing I’d justifiably killed a teenage kid committing his first B and E. On the other hand, I’m not sure I’d have the presence of mind to issue a warning or even the strength of voice to do so!

  21. Generally, no. I don’t want to give up any tactical advantage I may have, to a misguided sense of fair play. That’s not absolute. Depending on circumstances, my plan is subject to revisions..

  22. What you can lawfully do will depend on the state you live in. Personally, I feel that warning an intruder and telling them you have a gun, only gives them more information that can be used in subsequent intrusions.
    I would yell out “Police are on the way” or keep silent and wait to see what will happen. If he comes into the bedroom, that means I fear for my life as well as my spouses life. In that case. I would probably shoot, too late for warning!

    • It is critical to know your State’s law on home invasions. When I got my Minnesota permit I was told that Minnesota is NOT a Castle Doctrine jurisdiction. It is a misdemeanor to burglarize an UN-occuped residence; a felony to invade an OCCUPIED residence. One has a right to use lethal force to repel a felony; but, not a misdemeanor. Consequently, you may shoot and wound a burglar who then claims that he believed the house was unoccupied. You are thereupon accused of having used excessive force beyond that authorized by law. My recollection is a somewhat casual description of the problem.
      – – – Most important issue is to reinforce your perimeter so that you have ample notice of the invasion. If you have no time to recognize the evidence of the invasion and respond accordingly then you are unlikely to make an appropriate response. That will cost you in your trial for assaulting the home invader.
      – – – Next most important issue is to understand the law in your State and then understand the appropriate rules-of-engagement. I can not understand how so many self-defenders are so ignorant of the most fundamental aspects of rules-of-engagement. They wind up convicted of manslaughter or murder.

      • It may not matter under the law if the criminal thought the house empty. While intent would certainly matter in some crimes, the fact is he broke into an occupied home period. Though B&E and burglary of a habitat are felonies in most jurisdictions

  23. “I say it depends on the situation; that you don’t want to commit to ANY default course of action. “

    This. Ten thousand times, this.

  24. As for me, depends on if there’s time to do so or not. I would only do it simply as a formality in the unfortunate event that I would have to pull the trigger. My think is that it would help should I ever have to go to court.

    “See, my client at least had the decency to warn them first, your Honor! They knew what was coming after that.” 😉

  25. I’d say, if you get the drop on them and they don’t see you, warn them. If they get the drop on you, come out shooting.

  26. If they’re trying to get in, attempt to warn them off. If they’re already inside all bets are off.

  27. Morally I’d feel obligated to warn the intruder if doing so didn’t put myself or others in danger. There’s always a chance it’s just a drunk guy in the wrong house (or cops for that mater). I wouldn’t want to shoot someone who didn’t have it coming. As far as calling 911, I’d take care of business myself and worry about whether the cops needed to be involved later.

  28. If someone has broken into my domicile, I feel no duty or responsibility to engage them in a meaningful dialogue as to their intentions or future course of action. The fact that they broke into my domicile tells me all I need to know about their intentions and future course of action.

  30. I have a roommate, so I know better than to shoot immediately. I also live in a hundred-year-old house, so disturbing noises in the night are common. We’re both ex-military, we occasionally set up challenge-response words. Not as often as we should, but probably often enough. Shouting “pineapple” (for example) at a possible intruder is more than enough for me. I also benefit from living in a state where an uninvited guest is legally considered a lethal threat. So if the sinister silhouette doesn’t answer “banana” when asked “hedgehog?” I will shoot first. Current lead of choice is 185 grain hollowpoint from Buffalo Bore, with the 870 project not far away in the safe.

    I can’t stress the idea of challenge words enough. It’s free, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t do it. I’d rather yell “purple” than “I have a gun,” because I am ready to kill someone. I actually know what the 911 response is around here, and it is not good (they don’t know where we are). I also know that my neighbor has three young girls, and anyone breaking into my house for easy money will likely break into their house next. They have a nice house, and a trampoline. Formula for frequent sleepovers. If someone breaks in to my house, I want to make sure it’s their last B&E. Not for my property, but for the neighborhood’s. And the neighbors.

    I also know how I handle deaths I’m tangentially involved in, and I’m not going to let that happen again.

    For anyone unfamiliar with the challenge word system, think of a random word. Now try to find the last word someone might come up with as a response to that word. When presented one, respond with the other. It’s that easy.

    • I wondering how many souls have arrived at judgment with a ringing in their ears and asking St Peter “why was that guy yelling hedgehog at me?”

  32. It’s better if I shut up. I’m a stealth guy + the temptation to do action-movie one-liners would be too great.

  33. Anything you say, CAN and WILL be used AGAINST you in a court of law. Everything else is hearsay. Strange how that works. The police will testify against you, not for you, regardless if it’s a 911 recording or an officer with a recording device or recollection from memory or written police report.

    Are you going to trust government with the chain of custody of data that you do not have whole and unfiltered access? Chain of custody documentation has all the veracity of a restraining order. Less, because there is no independent means of verifying the chain of custody.

    As mentioned on this very site, invoke your Fifth Amendment rights and advise the 2nd responders that questions will be answered by your legal counsel. Learn the minimum you must say and then keep your mouth shut. Don’t let an ambitious, over zealous prosecutor use you as a means to further their career goals.

    Just my opinion.

  34. Rules are to broken of course, but here’s an example of someone that probably would not have shot his daughter if he had issued a warning

    http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/Police-Man-Shot-Daughter-Returning-to-House-270954461.html

    Of course breaking rule 4 is the main issue here; but from a PRACTICAL standpoint, if he had issued a warning pretty good chance his daughter would have said something, he would have recognized her voice… etc..

    Layers of defense are important, so are layers of rules/protocol to prevent accidents.

    • He probably didn’t have time to say anything, or issue any warnings. the report said that she was running towards the door where he was. If she had indeed, been an intruder, he would not have had time to do anything but shoot.
      Sad story, I wonder if the daughter knew her father had a gun, probably did??

  35. Q: “…is it possible that you’d want to ambush one more bad guys coming to rob, rape or kill you and/or your loved ones?”

    A: Do you recognize them from a previous break in or attack? That may affect your evaluation. So too would be: is a defensive shooting worth the fallout sure to follow where a non-discharge DGU would stop the intruder and cause him/her to depart? If you can identify them they’ll be good for the burglary or assault when and if caught. Knowing their target is armed will likely disuade them from returning unless they have a special attraction to you or your home.

  36. Nj, legally required to:

    the use of force is justifiable…only if the actor first requests the person against whom such force is used to desist from his interference with the property, unless the actor reasonably believes that (a) such request would be useless; (b) it would be dangerous to himself or another person to make the request or (c) substantial harm will be done to the physical condition of the property which is sought to be protected before the request can effectively be made.”

    • That’s just for use of “force” (i.e. pushing someone away, using pepper spray, etc.)

      “Deadly force” has a whole additional set of conditions, and protecting property is not a reason in NJ.

  37. PS, I’ve also had discussions with the wife and kids about “who does what, where do they move/when”,

    in a mall shooting scenario, or a
    walking down the dark street approached by aggressive panhandler/mugger, and the
    classic stopped at red light in rough neighborhood carjack…

    kids now being teenagers, they have become aliens, or I have,
    as they think I am nuts, barely one step above a goofy Doomsday Prepper….;)
    but the hope is it sticks, when tshtf.

  38. Hell yeah, you give a verbal warning.

    If they choose not to abide it, you’ve done all you can.

  39. Honestly I’d probably not warn anyone. I’m living in a “changing” neighborhood south of Chicago. I don’t think I’d yell & 12gauge WOULD be at the ready. No racking sound either. If some idiot was pounding on a door I might yell. In the house-all bets are off..

    • The one time I was in a house that a break in occured I racked a 12 ga. According to all the tacticool mall ninjas(who seem to have no problem with lighting their ar’s up like xmas trees) I should have died in a hail of auto weapons fire from a well trained team of uber terrorists.

      Guess what? The bad guy left in a hurry and no shots were fired. If at all possible and it doesn’t put me in danger(more danger than a hostile already in my home?) I will dial 911 and shout warning/threat to bad guy.

      The best gun fight is the one that don’t happen.

  40. Well as in all things it depends on the situation. There’s just no cut and dry response here.

    If I have on intruder and I have a enough confidence that he’s unarmed then I’m likely to give him warming and give him a chance to surrender or just leave unharmed. I’d obviously prefer him to surrender as I’d prefer to have him arrested and take out of general circulation.

    However if I’m stuck in a home invasion situation there will be NO warming given. The first intruder that comes into my field of vision will be fired upon. Possibly multiple times. Reason being this might force the entire group to break and run.

    The later example might not be the ‘right’ way to do it. However I tend to believe in the concept that it’s far better to be judged by twelve than be carried by six. Even more so if I’m in a home protecting other people.

  41. “I’d prefer to have him arrested and taken out of circulation”
    With today’s overcrowding of jails and the justice system in general, there’s a good chance the “would be intruder” would be back out on the streets in a day or two.
    There’s also a good chance he will mighty pissed off that you turned him in, and may devise a plan to return to your residence, adequately armed, with intentions of making you “pay” for your interference into his new chosen profession.

  43. Warning, yes. Not shooting somebody will save me a ton of money and time. Shooting someone, even if they richly deserved it, is a mess. You have to spend hours with lawyers, prosecutors, cops, maybe juries and judges. I can do without that.

  44. No warnings. Just a triple tap. Then I yell, “Hey kids we’re eatin dinner tonight!!!!”

    • Even with the Castle Doctrine in place, I have to assume cannibalizing the intruder’s corpse is bound to get you a strange look or two from the prosecution.

  45. I am trying to imagine how a teenager would relay the scene to their parents if you got the drop on them and while holding them at gunpoint rattled off flawlessly a movie quote like;

    Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you’re not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. ‘Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That’s just the way it is.

    I’m sorry, did I break your concentration? I didn’t mean to do that. Please, continue, you were saying something about best intentions. What’s the matter? Oh, you were finished! Well, allow me to retort. What does Marsellus Wallace look like?

    There’s a passage I got memorized. Ezekiel 25:17. “The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy My brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay My vengeance upon you.” Now… I been sayin’ that shit for years. And if you ever heard it, that meant your ass. You’d be dead right now. I never gave much thought to what it meant. I just thought it was a cold-blooded thing to say to a motherfucker before I popped a cap in his ass. But I saw some shit this mornin’ made me think twice. See, now I’m thinking: maybe it means you’re the evil man. And I’m the righteous man. And Mr. 9mm here… he’s the shepherd protecting my righteous ass in the valley of darkness. Or it could mean you’re the righteous man and I’m the shepherd and it’s the world that’s evil and selfish. And I’d like that. But that shit ain’t the truth. The truth is you’re the weak. And I’m the tyranny of evil men. But I’m tryin’, Ringo. I’m tryin’ real hard to be the shepherd.

    I am guessing that urine would starting flowing as soon as they realize the connotation, but I wonder if their parents will get he reference?

  46. One thing is for sure, if this happens at night, and don’t plan on warning the invader first, you better be 100% sure they are an invader, and not just a family member or something.

  47. Not a black or white question. If you treat it as a yes or no question then you are headed for big trouble. No two situations are alike and how you treat that situation may very well dictate what the rest of your life is going to be like. Make sure you know what the persons motives are, make sure you know who the intruder is or is not. More than one house hold death has occurred because Junior got up in the middle of the night to get a glass of milk out of the refrigerator. I know situations where warning the intruder can put others in danger by allowing the intruder an opportunity to gain an advantage or hostage. If they are outside and trying to get in, I am going to tell them, “I have called the police, I have a gun and I WILL use it.” If they are kicking my door down and rushing into my home, then it is going to be BANG! “Stop or I’ll shoot.” This is anything but a stupid question, and for those that can not answer the question, they need to get firearms instruction. It isn’t a game, there are no take backs and the person you shoot isn’t going to get up between commercial breaks to be seen as the bad guy on some other show. Knowing that what you did was the true and correct thing to do as opposed to “I could of.” “I should have.” “I would have.” is very important. Not to mention even if you are justified in the shooting not understanding your rights or how to answer a question by the police may end you up in prison. Training, instruction and practice will go a long way to make sure that what you do is an informed and knowledgeable action rather than simply pointing a gun at a vague and questionable target and pulling the trigger.

  49. Verbally warn first at the top of your lungs. It sets the stage for a potential witness within earshot to confirm you tried to solve the issue without first resorting to deadly force, a huge mark in your favor in any ensuing court case.

  50. Trick question, there’s more than one correct answer! Calling 911, “I have a gun,” “bang, bang,” and checking them and me for a pulse can happen in any order.

  51. I suspect I’d use the strobe function on the TLR-1HL to give the warning… after that, the ball is in the invader’s court. This of course assuming I’m not separated from him/her by a door or wall.

  52. For me it’s not about giving a warning but target identification.
    I remember a case about ten years ago go where a father
    accidentally shot his 16 year old daughter sneaking back in
    after a party. This alone turned me away from the ‘shoot-
    first-ask-questions-later’ mentality. That said if you know your
    target then giving a warning is akin to fighting fair; and fighting
    fair is a good way to end up in a body bag.

  56. You will get a warning, mister would be criminal, despite the previous “warnings” from my steel reinforced doors, deadbolt, dogs, and security film glass.

    If you survive 77 grain OTM to the upper thoractic cavity, be prepared to be civilly sued for ruining my hardwood floors (and yes, I do value my hard wood floors more than I do the life of a career criminal. I would also place my dogs on a higher pedestal than them). I would sue their family too depending on the circumstances.

  57. This is an interesting concep…and a difficult one to give a good rule for following. Personally, I’d hesitate to call 911 first. First, that bump you heard may be the cat or some other random sound outside. Calling 911 has police coming to your house while you’re going around with a gun clearing the area and they find a dude in his undies with a gun…and no bad guy…well, I just never want to be holding a gun in the presence of police that are going into a “dangerous” situation…not good for my health. Furthermore, if you’re are CERTAIN it’s a bad guy, you don’t have time to make a phone call… Maybe in some larger homes you do, but in my house, if I recognize a REAL threat, I have SECONDS to take action… I have alarms and everything but by the time I see someone, I have seconds. I’m not calling the police for a possum walking up my driveway or a dead battery in the back door motion sensor.

    I feel in my home, by the time I realize I need to be shooting, I’m grabbing my gun and opening fire. I don’t have time to call.

    I’d argue warning them only gives up your position and that you are armed. The idea of warning them is you give them the chance to retreat…or regroup/ready their arms. They gave up the chance of safe retreat when the decided to violate your home. Giving them any kind of a warning only serves against you. Yes, if you have the phone on and say that it can help in your judicial defense but if the person is armed and is now getting ready to shoot it out with you, you may not live to see your trial.

    Heaven forbid the day you’d need to kill someone for ANY reason…let alone in your own kitchen or something…but if someone comes into your house at night, it is not only legally acceptable(in all free states), it is Biblically acceptable, to shoot them. During the day, you have the benefit of light…then they must be armed or pose a threat somehow. That’s a fair enough restriction…but at the end of the day, I want to secure the safety of my family first and THEN I’ll be calling 911. Now if you live in a 2000 sq foot mcmansion, first, congrats on the sweet house. Second, you might have the luxury to make a call…if you then choose to make a warning I’d give them a second before opening fire…and when I say second I mean “Get out!”bang. So maybe not even a second. Remember, they’re the intruder…they came looking for trouble.

  58. You can’t write in stone what you will or will not say. To “program” your response could spell disaster, depending upon the situation in which you find yourself…IF you only program ONE response into your toolbox.

    If the entry is a home-invasion (in this case, meaning “violent and tumultuous entry” with broken doors, locks…etc…), I don’t feel you are giving yourself ANY advantage by issuing any type of warning. The invader has already showed a willingness to commit a violent act, and must be dealt with NOW. In this case, the likelihood of being able to dial 911, or get everyone to your hardened room will be about zero. Engage, and stop the threat RIGHT NOW.

    Hopefully, you have a big, protective dog who will be deep in the invader’s ass…or better still will have made the invader think better of your home as a good place to visit in the first place.

    If the entry is a “surreptitious entry” and if you are lucky enough to have warning…then by all means dial 911 and issue a warning AFTER you have armed yourself and gathered your loved ones into a place of cover.

    My home is not that large…just over 2000 sq ft on a single story. My wife and 10 year old daughter are the only people who I need to protect. My bedroom is right next to my daughter’s at a 90-degree angle entry, so I don’t have to go far to secure her. I am retired, and my wife is a currently-serving officer. Her job is to cover my butt while we go to my daughter’s room and fort up in a SURREPTITIOUS entry situation while 911 is called. We have the aforementioned 95lb landshark who SHOULD be teeth deep into the ass of anyone who comes into our house illegally, so from cover I could issue a warning once my family was ensconced.

    The response has to fit the situation.

  60. My wife and I have “emergency drills” for multiple things including fire or gas leak so that we each know what to do and no OODA loop issues.

    The few times I’ve heard a “thump in the night” at our place the roles are… We get armed, she grabs the phone and stays out of the way, I kick off the “1 touch recorder” on my phone and announce loudly and clearly “If someone is in our house, we have called the police and they are on the way. We are armed and will defend ourselves. This is your opportunity to leave, NOW! In ten seconds I am releasing the dogs!”

    The next steps involve her calling and me doing whatever is needed for the situation.

    In one instance we had a ‘possum chewing in through the back door screen that was just terribly impressed by our organization (LOL).

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