What would you do?

[Snakebite]

At 2 AM this morning my faithful dog up at the garage started barking, like, Hey Dad, somethings really wrong! So I get up and go into the living room and see a car in my driveway. I grab the mag light and head out the door. There's a guy in the car, motor running, and the lights off...? I shine the light on the car and yelled if I could help him...no response. I yelled a few more times what the heck is going on, and he finally says he's on the phone...weird. I tell him to leave and there's no response. So now I'm getting worried and tell him to get off my property...no response...Even stranger. I then yell at him that he is tresspassing and to get the heck off my property. He then says that he doesn't understand how he could be tresspassing, at which point I told him he was on private property and to go away...no response. Then I got really concerned and yelled that I was calling the cops and getting my gun! Well, I got my gun, went back out and he was still just sitting there...Soooo! I pointed the .44 Blackhawk into the sky and let one fly! Four foot wide muzzle flash and all! Not to mention the loud as heck report! The guy casually turns on his headlights and slowly back down the driveway, and slowly drives off. Well I immediately called the sheriff and talked to a deputy who wasn't thrilled that I fired a warning round, and wanted to know what kind of a gun it was. I asked him what difference does it make. I eventually told him it was a revolver after he didn't like the explanation that it was a "firearm". I then asked then if there was a problem with me discharging a "firearm" out in the country, and he claimed he was concerned where the bullet went. I told him that maybe it got stuck in the moon. I was pretty upset that he was more concerned about me shooting a gun into the air than the freak on my property in the middle of the night.

So, I'm out in the country in the middle of the night and confront a stranger parked in my driveway and run him off with a warning shot after he demonstrates that yelling at him isn't doing any good...WHAT WOULD YOU DO???? Not like there's anything to be concerned about in Meth...I mean Lincoln county

[pnwcoast]

After I did what you did I would be up the rest of the night just to make sure the intruder and/or his buddy/buddies understood me.

[Got One!]

Well...I would have been tempted to have shot his radiator...but alas we can't do that...unless you "felt" threatened by the car....

Seriously though, out in the country and some wacko in my driveway? 1st call the cops (and tell them I was going outside, then go outside with the cannon. Then let darwinism run its course. The thing that is bad is that you can't approach the car because you don't know what the heck he is doing or his intentions, if you go after him outside, I'm not sure how the law works in this state.

Thats a real rotton/no win situation, I feel for ya. The cops ever show up?

[Snakebite]

After I did what you did I would be up the rest of the night just to make sure the intruder and/or his buddy/buddies understood me.

Trust me, it took over two hours to burn off the adrenaline rush before I could go back to bed...Then I had to get up to go to work

[sandman]

I think the only mistake you made was not bringing your pistolee on the first trip outside!Always get the license plate #.I kind of got into some trouble one time when i caught some guys breaking into my brother-inlaws car,They shot at me first,but the cops always(ok,not always)see it another way? :grin:

[someguy29187]

I would have personally went outside with my 12 gauge, but I don't see anything wrong with what you did. A little suprised the way the sheriff treated the manner.

[Just_learning]

What do you think? A freakin 12 guage...what if they came in your house...what you do in a situation like that?

I think you did the right thing. It may have just been someone cruising the country and did the safe thing by pulling off to talk on the phone. Ive done it before. Its good you kept your cool and fired a warning shot...I think a ******* would have been a little more scared and possibly would have crashed into something on his way out. You can never be too safe...what are the odds your shell would have hit something? Tell the sherriff to take a hike and worry about his job, and not the small probability an innocent bystander is going to get hit with a wayward bullet.

[Snakebite]

Well...I would have been tempted to have shot his radiator...but alas we can't do that...unless you "felt" threatened by the car....

Seriously though, out in the country and some wacko in my driveway? 1st call the cops (and tell them I was going outside, then go outside with the cannon. Then let darwinism run its course. The thing that is bad is that you can't approach the car because you don't know what the heck he is doing or his intentions, if you go after him outside, I'm not sure how the law works in this state.

Thats a real rotton/no win situation, I feel for ya. The cops ever show up?

No cops! The reason I called was because in case the jerk called and complained that I shot AT him. If I did he wouldn't have been able to make the call. And besides, I know the limitations of my rights...such as they are.

[baltz526]

this is my advise; never volenteer any incriminating evidence against yourself, just the facts, minus any self incrimination,you could be charged with menacing with a firearm,if this guy had a witness in the car. that is a felony with a 5 year fedral gun charge attatched.if this sheriff calls you or comes talk to you do not answer any questions related to discharging of the firearm.if he asks tell him to talk to your lawyer, because if he starts to investigate you, you will need to hire a lawyer.let the lawyer deal with it, do not answer any questions.

[duckboy]

I think i would have stayed in the house and observed him.

If he stayed there more than a few minutes, I'd get out Betsy 12 ga, go out and tell him to beat it, and that because of all of the breakins lately, he's going to get the same greeting from the neighbors in the area if he pulls in there.

Maybe he was loaded and wanted to stop driving?

[duckboy]

I know what it was,

You know that out in the country, there are areas where cell phones will pick up for a few yards and then as you drive along, you lose a signal, well, he must have found a signal neary your place and figured you were not going to notice since it was so late.

It could have just been a regular guy having a heated conversation with a girl, or his boss, or whomever, and he couldn't do the call while driving, and he didn't know the area well enough to know better.

I can't blame you for arming yourself and seeing what was up, but, IF the guy was a real whack-o, He would have Shot you after you sent up the warning round, or perhaps one of his buddies would put the hurt on you with a baseball bat from behind while you were talking to him
.
(some of those ******** work in pairs, One guy will sit in the car and be ready to drive off with the lute, or scoot, and the other guy will sneak around looking to rip off your belongings, or sneak in the house.


I think that is why i'd have left the lights off and peeked out at him and the yard for a bit, just to make sure he really was alone,

Or maybe i'd have snuk out the back of the house and gone around to the front so that he'd never see me,

That way i could walk up along side the car with my mag light, and slip a giant frankenstein mask on my head.

Id shine the light at my mask and let out a terrible growl, while firing off a series of wild random shots in every which way ,


then i'd just walk back inside and watch some tv.

Seriously though,

I am glad you did not have to level that revolver and put a shot into anyone last night. This could have gotten sideways really fast.

[Snakebite]

I know what it was,

You know that out in the country, there are areas where cell phones will pick up for a few yards and then as you drive along, you lose a signal, well, he must have found a signal neary your place and figured you were not going to notice since it was so late.

It could have just been a regular guy having a heated conversation with a girl, or his boss, or whomever, and he couldn't do the call while driving, and he didn't know the area well enough to know better.

I can't blame you for arming yourself and seeing what was up, but, IF the guy was a real whack-o, He would have Shot you after you sent up the warning round, or perhaps one of his buddies would put the hurt on you with a baseball bat from behind while you were talking to him
.
(some of those ******** work in pairs, One guy will sit in the car and be ready to drive off with the lute, or scoot, and the other guy will sneak around looking to rip off your belongings, or sneak in the house.


I think that is why i'd have left the lights off and peeked out at him and the yard for a bit, just to make sure he really was alone,

Or maybe i'd have snuk out the back of the house and gone around to the front so that he'd never see me,

That way i could walk up along side the car with my mag light, and slip a giant frankenstein mask on my head.

Id shine the light at my mask and let out a terrible growl, while firing off a series of wild random shots in every which way ,


then i'd just walk back inside and watch some tv.

Seriously though,

I am glad you did not have to level that revolver and put a shot into anyone last night. This could have gotten sideways really fast.

The cell reception theory is kinda out there.
The heated conversation thing is kinda out there too considering that it was 2AM and there's plenty of places along the road to park.
The freak getting out to shoot back would have been a bad idea for him.
Sneeking around to get a better look could have been a good idea had I not been in my pajamas at the time (they're not black).
The Frankenstein mask idea is totaly stupid.
And the ******* sneaker thing would have been nixed by my dog. He hates anyone sneaking or otherwise around the property at any time of day or night. He's the one who alerted me in the first place.
But I do appreciate your comments.

[Cool Texan]

Or maybe i'd have snuk out the back of the house and gone around to the front so that he'd never see me,

That way i could walk up along side the car with my mag light, and slip a giant frankenstein mask on my head.

Id shine the light at my mask and let out a terrible growl, while firing off a series of wild random shots in every which way ,

then i'd just walk back inside and watch some tv.

[Musicman]

I think you did the right thing, send a message that you're not playing around....no one should pull into anyones driveway in the middle of the night for any other reason than a medical emergency. What is the homeowner supposed to do with someone in their driveway with the lights off and the dog barking. I would probably called the sheriff first and then observed for a while, escalate from there. Glad everything turned out ok. On a side note, I had a car stolen a few months ago right from my driveway in a gated community. I was pretty p.o.ed! At 2:00AM, I'd say the guy was loaded and might have thought he was in his own driveway or at least was trying to sleep it off. At any rate, i wouldn't want to deal with a drunk at 2AM....shoo em away and call the cops with a license #.

[jocose]

call the police, arm yourself but stay indoors, use the weapon only if the nut in the drive way trys to come in.. if the police dont respond do what you did minus the phone call afterwards... my 2 cents.. glad your ok. joco

[Rank Amateur]

Had a friend in a similar situation a few years back. A car pulls up in his drive way and tries to turn around in a dirt spur. Spins his tires alot and then gets to the highway and shuts off his engine and sits there. Well my buddy goes out on his porch and yells down to get the heck out of there. It is night time. No response from the car, so he pulls out his over and under shotgun and cranks one off into the air. Instead of the car starting up, both doors open up and two guys come heading for him up the driveway. Now what do you do? Well my friend just couldn't bring himself to cut them in two, so he waited till they got within range and struck the first one with the ventilated rib of the barrel in the forehead. Put first mister intruded down hard. Luckily his brother-in law was visiting and arrived in time for my friend to hand off the gun to him and went hand to hand with the second intruder. I'm was laying in bed and the phone rings and it is my friends wife, definately distraught, I tell her to hang up and call 911 again and tell them that shots had been fired. Being an ex-officer, I grabbed the .357 and head out to help. My friend had fended off the other guy except for the two gals that piled out of the car and kicked him in the head as he sat on top of the guy in the driveway. Luckily the brother-in law, which was a big boy, got back into the scene, after getting rid of the gun. I went screaming through town, thinking if the cops want to stop me (I knew them all) they could at the scene. Actually they were waiting for back up just a quarter of a mile down the road from my friends house. It was over an hour from the time the first 911 call came in until the first of three patrol cars pulled up. All four passengers of the car went to jail. I believe there was discussion of a possible menacing charge against my friend, but our local sheriff killed that idea.

So you can see that shooting a round into the air can have unanticipated consquences. In some locals it will probably get you arrested. The best advice I could give is to, arm yourself, observe the vehicle, gather information, make the 911 call, then yell to the occupants that they are unwelcome and you want them to leave. If they do not comply they have just committed the act of criminal tresspass. Wait for the cops to deal with it. If they come after you for some reason, wait for them to break into your house. Then they are yours to do as you wish. You may have to wait an hour or two for an officer, but you are going to be up all night anyways at this point. Stay calm and cool, put yourself in the others guys shoes, he may just be lost, but any reasonable person should leave when warned to do so. This may not be the Macho approach, but it will go over better with the cops and your own soul, if you ever have to shoot someone.

[**busyfishin**]

You might not like this.. But, I would have gotten my pistol, just in case. If I was as concerned as it sounds like you were, I would call the Sheriff from inside the house while watching the vehicle/person. I am a firm believer...I do not fire a weapon unless I know my backdrop and where the bullet will end up. Firing your weapon into the sky...I feel was reckless. If the person came to me or threatened me or my family in any way before the Sheriff arrived. I would make sure my sight picture is clear and fire until the intruder drops. That is well within your rights. Firing a weapon into the sky, even in the country, is not. If you check, there is a Statute that says you may not use a firearm to menace another, even when they are in you driveway.
I would also ask. Why would you want to escalate a situation with a firearm that seems nonthreatening at the time. What had this person done to threaten you, to make you want to fire your weapon? You took a horrible risk discharging your firearm. Liability and lawsuits being what they are..ask yourself...was it worth risking all you own and worked so hard for..to prove a point? How would you have felt if your bullet had struck a child sleeping in their room miles away? What would you have done if this person felt threatened and ran you over, got his weapon and shot you, or backed out and came back later? Your actions placed you in a situation you knew little about and needlessly risked your and your families safety. Rights are wonderful as long as you can still fish. If you are dead you can't do that.


What would you do different...anything?? :shocked:

[dejawho75]

I think jocose is correct. Call the police. Arm yourself, but stay inside. Only use the gun, whether it be a warning shot or at him if you feel threatned for your life or property.

Firing the gun in the air can lead to bad things. My brother is a sheriff and he'll tell you doing that is a no no. The sheriff prolly could have given you a ticket for unlawful discharge of an firearm or reckless endangerment. And I can't say what he thought, but he prolly thinks what you did might have upset the stranger. Where he could come back later and get his say with his gun and who knows.

#1. Where did the bullet go and what if it did hit someone?? I don't think the stranger would be held liable if your bullet did hit someone or thing.

#2. You could have made a situation go from bad to worse and who knows if he had a gun. Are you willing to risk your life, unless you're really in danger?

#3. You might have won the round, but really [potty mouth] him off and he might come back another time and retaliate when you're not expecting it. There are psycho's out there and you just never know.

I know it's easier said then done, but sometimes adrenaline and fear can get the better of us. I am not saying what you did was wrong or right. I think picking the phone up and making a call to the sheriff or police would have been my choice. Then write down the plates, car description and description of the person. Keep an eye on him/her and if you have a firearm, keep it at bay until your life, family, or property is really in danger.

Just glad that nothing more happened.

[Catching Nemo]

I think you are very lucky that you didn't get yourself killed.


Here are some thoughts:


1. There could have been 1 or more persons around your house that could have attacked you, and then gained entry into your house, when you went to confront the man the first time.

2. Announcing that you are going to come back out with a firearm gave the person(s) the advantage to possibly shoot first when you came back out the door.

3. Discharging one in the air, took the firearm away from the direction of the threat and also degraded your ability to hear and see(If you noticed the 4 ft wide muzzle flash - then your eyesight was degraded as well.). It also may have caused the other person(s) to fire at you - not knowing what you were doing other than possibly shooting at them. Losing eyesight, hearing and fighting tunnel vision plays havoc with your situational awareness.

4. You are responsible for that round you fired and if it had hit someone - you would be finding yourself in criminal and civil court.


If I was an armed meth user/*******/whatever, I may or may not have taken you out on the first encounter. But when you came out again and fired your revolver - I would have then shot you. Or maybe my buddy would shoot you or club you from behind or to your side.

Personally, I would have assumed, at that late hour, with engine running and no lights, that something is not right and call 911. I would inform 911 of what was happening and that I was armed and would defend myself if the intruder(s) tried to gain entry into my house. I believe you would also get a faster response once 911 hears that you are armed.


The way I see it, you walked twice into a situation that you didn't fully understand and you also left yourself open to potential criminal charges. Not trying to bash you, just offering a different viewpoint and an alternative scenario for what could have taken place (but fortunately didn't).

Your dog definitely deserves an extra T-bone for being "on the job" :grin:!

[Gus Orviston]

I think you over exposed youself to a potentially dangerous situation. I was going to throw the simple scenario out like the one above.

... so you walk out with a pistol, and guy gets out of his car (do you shoot him?)

.. then he says in a slurred voice, I was just on the phone and walk over and says buddy you got a light
(do you shoot him?)

...You say/yell.. now get out of hear or (blah blah blah) .. he says on come on buddy I just want a light, my ol'lady left me at the bar and I am just not doing so good right now
(do you shoot him then?)

... then he steps toward you and your bad pistol one more time to about 2 yards
(do you shoot him now)

he staggers a bit and steps out to shake your hand, saying come on pal I ain't no bad guy
( do you shoot him now?)

Maybe the guys wife did leave him and now the andrenaline is so high the guy just may jump out to commit suicide.

Take a CWP course and learn more about what/how you should handle yourself.

There is a lot poor advice IMO on this kind of topic, and it will get somebody innocent killed and the home owner put in jail someday.

gus

[burnsfactor]

I think everyone knows by now that pulling into someones driveway now days and sitting there in the middle of the night is a no no. I think next time you need to be armed right off. Give your dog a big treat. I've had the same thing happen to me. Other than that your aim was a little high. Could have saved someone a kicker motor. Good luck!

[Rescue3]

this is my advise; never volenteer any incriminating evidence against yourself, just the facts, minus any self incrimination,you could be charged with menacing with a firearm,if this guy had a witness in the car. that is a felony with a 5 year fedral gun charge attatched.if this sheriff calls you or comes talk to you do not answer any questions related to discharging of the firearm.if he asks tell him to talk to your lawyer, because if he starts to investigate you, you will need to hire a lawyer.let the lawyer deal with it, do not answer any questions.

This is good advice. The only way cases are resolved is with evidence or someones testimony. My wife's father was a 30+ year veteran of the London Metropolitian Police Department. He said the easiest cases were the ones against other cops because they were sure they could tell a convincing story. The ones who kept their silence usually got away with it. Should it come to that--and it shouldn't--keep your peace and let a lawyer do the talking for you. Good luck.

[Silver Hilton]

This is good advice. The only way cases are resolved is with evidence or someones testimony. My wife's father was a 30+ year veteran of the London Metropolitian Police Department. He said the easiest cases were the ones against other cops because they were sure they could tell a convincing story. The ones who kept their silence usually got away with it. Should it come to that--and it shouldn't--keep your peace and let a lawyer do the talking for you. Good luck.

1) I would have picked up a smaller weapon, with more bullets. A .40 s&w for example.

2) I would have called the cops immediately.

3) If I felt the need to discharge a round, I would have done so into the ground. However, you weren't being actively menanced, so you should have stayed in the house. Turning on all the lights would have been good.

4) If you are holding a weapon when the cops get there, rightly or wrongly, the cop is going to be more interested in you than the guy in the car. The cops don't know who the bad guy is when they drive up.


I doubt any charge of menacing would stand up - you're on your own property, and a reasonable person would have felt endangered by the guy. If he'd gotten out of the car, I'd have thought about shooting, and I suspect most other people would have, too. The test is whether a reasonable person feels that his life is at risk, and 2:00am, a strange car in the driveway, in the country, who isn't leaving when you ask them to, well, I doubt there is a jury that would convict.

[elron]

A friend of mine just spend the last two years defending himself because he killed a man who pulled a gun on him in his own neighborhood in a very similiar circumstance. The friend happens to be a cop but was acting as a private citizen, and has been cleared of any wrongdoing. Knowing that and what he's gone through both personally and professionally, I think I would have gone for the arm yourself, call the cops, and stay inside theory. Bottom line though, none of us were there and you were. I would never second guess a man for doing what the gut says is right at the time. Its your, and your loved ones, life and property.

[Lawdog]

Bottom line though, none of us were there and you were. I would never second guess a man for doing what the guy says is right at the time. Its your, and your loved ones, life and property.

Well put Elron. I'm not sure how I would handle that situation and I think that most people would say the same thing. It's easy to arm chair quarterback the situation, but Snakebite did not have that luxury. That being said, there are some good points in this post that hopefully will be retained and I will be able to recall if the situation ever finds me. Sorry you had to deal with that Snakebite and happy everyone ended up safe.

[Catching Nemo]

Well put Elron. I'm not sure how I would handle that situation and I think that most people would say the same thing. It's easy to armchair quarterback the situation, but Snakebite did not have that luxury. That being said, there are some good points in this post that hopefully will be retained and I will be able to recall if the situation ever finds me. Sorry you had to deal with that Snakebite and happy everyone ended up safe.

Suggestions from people, who either have previously thought about how to handle such encounters, have been trained to do so, or have already been there - is not "armchair quarterbacking".

Please remember:

Snakebite did ask "what would you do?". He didn't ask for "please validate my actions and only agree with me". My assumption was he was faced with a highly tense situation and was posting for support on what he did and/or how he could have handled it differently. He was the person on the scene and he called the shots as he saw them - maybe next time he might do it differently. Regardless it is his decesion and his responsibility.

My bad, if this post was just a validatation of manhood and RKBA issue .


John

[Rank Amateur]

[/quote]
I doubt any charge of menacing would stand up - you're on your own property, and a reasonable person would have felt endangered by the guy. If he'd gotten out of the car, I'd have thought about shooting, and I suspect most other people would have, too. The test is whether a reasonable person feels that his life is at risk, and 2:00am, a strange car in the driveway, in the country, who isn't leaving when you ask them to, well, I doubt there is a jury that would convict.

[/quote]

I would hope this would be the case, but then again who wants to go to trial or have civil charges brought against them. Talk about some sleepless nights.

In the example that I gave above about my friend, what the intruders claimed was that their engine died as they tried to pull out of the driveway and would not start, (you know those starters that don't work when they are hot.) When my friend torched a round in the sky, they then were in defense mode (being macho) for the woman they had in the car. Poor choice if you ask me, but when you are drunk thats how things go. The main point I was trying to make though, is that a gun may turn into a liability as it did in my friends case. If the guys would have had a weapon it would have been a sadder story, but when an unarmed man comes at you, it is hard to pull that trigger and may be harder to explain later. So don't put yourself in that position. As long as you can protect yourself and your family that is all that matters. The guy can sit im my driveway all he wants, until the cops show up. Please do follow the above advise about not flashing your gun around when the cops show up, it could get you shot. Just stay inside until they come to talk to you and leave the gun set aside.

A bad guy could drive into your driveway at any time of the day, we seem to treat those at night a little differently which I can understand. But give yourself the biggest advantage, if the situation starts to look bad, let the intruder put himself at a disadvantage by putting himself in the kill zone of a door way. Approaching a car puts you in his kill zone.

I'm glad things turned out alright for you Snakebite, I hope others can learn for your experience and the advise on the forum. We were not in your shoes, but the above is what I would do. I learned most of the above while in law enforcement, especially about trying to enter a house after a suspect, thats why they have SWAT teams, it is extremely dangerous and you are at a huge disadvantage.

[reelbigfish72]

Call the cops, keep an eye on the guy from inside and NEVER fire a warning shot, especially into the air. When you fire a weapon you have used deadly force and must be justified and prepared for the consequences. If you fire a gun you are responsible for what the bullet does and any damage it causes. I would highly recommend not confronting someone on your property unless they are a threat (a guy in a car in your driveway is not a threat, he becomes one when you confront him).

[TheKing]

I would not have confronted them knowing what I know today. I would have gotten a plate number and called the police.

I had a similar situation 2 years ago. After losing a boat motor and other things to thieves I saw a dome light flash down my driveway at 3:00 AM. My driveway is 2000ft long. So I jumped i the truck and headed down the drive at full speed. The punks jumped in there truck when mine started. They hit the end of the driveway and went left down the dead end street. So I blocked the road and called 911 from my cell. By the time they figured out they had hosed themselves they where pretty P/O'd. They spped up to me like they where going to Ram my truck. The passager gets out and reaches down to his baggy pants like he has a gun so I back up and let them go. Ihave their Licsense number. The police arrest them about a mile down the road as they where responding. They told the police that they where poaching deer with a crossbow. They had my boat pulled out to hook up, Acted like they had a gun etc and all the police could do was warn them. Had I brought a gun along I would have been in more trouble according to the DA. You cannot deal with tresspassing with guns etc. I solved the problem by building an electronic gate. Each side of the gate is over 1000 lbs of steel so if they want to try and push it in they will be doing some damage. I have not had one problem since. It cost me close to $10k to build the set up but I figured it was better than paying lawyers and the insurance companies. I figured it would happen again and again over the years and I would not always be home but my family would be.

[RvW]

An additional two cents. . .

Hes in your driveway in plain sight, motor running, dog barking. Not exactly attempting to keep a low profile which would indicate to me that he doesnt care if you know hes there or not. Hard to commit a crime when he lets everyone know hes there.
Flashlight, repeated warnings to get him to leave and he doesnt? Obviously hes well aware that you dont want him there, and theres no question youve called the police but hes not in a hurry? I would guess other than "turning around in your driveway" he'd have no fear of being sighted or arrested for anything, or he'd be in a big hurry to leave.
See where Im coming from?
Put yourself in his shoes, he doesnt care that your dog is barking, doesnt respond to requests to leave, says "hes on the phone", doesnt respond when you say youre calling the cops, takes his sweet time after you fire a warning shot.
Sounds like a typical lost Californian to me.

Meth? Whatever.

I'd have done what you did, except I wouldnt have told the cops I fired a round unless they asked.

[ajfishfinder]

First dial 911, but be sure to let them know that you are ARMED and prepared to defend yourself. By mentioning that you are armed they will make it a priority call. This also lets them know that the good guy has a gun so when they arrive with their own huge adreneline rush, they know your on their side.

[Snakebite]

I appreciate all of your posts, but it appears to me that alot of you do not live in the country on a dark road. The cops around here have much better things to do than hassle me about what I did, let alone get out here in less than 20 minutes or so if I called them first. My ex son in law got shot with bird shot from a revolver that his wifes boyfriend came after him with, at which point he beat the guy silly with his own gun, both mandatory 10yr. sentence federal crimes, and you know what? neither of them got in trouble in the end. There's still a bit of cowboy justice out here that the sheriffs deputys tolerate. Besides, they'd have to write a report, and they don't want to do that. As far as meanacing with a gun, I can walk out my front door shoot my gun anytime I wish. If some trespasser happens to be on my property at the time, that's his problem. Folks shoot guns around here all the time. No DA in their right mind come after someone with no criminal record for that. JMO.