Burglary Attempt

[CaptainFlannel]

Not quite good advice. You can keep a baseball bat, but if you hit someone with it it's still assault with a deadly weapon.

it's fantastic advice if you want to be able to brandish something to make someone rethink the wisdom of continuing to attempt to break in to your home. No questions later about whether or not you have a license to have such an item in your home. Bats also give you reach. You can use it push someone away from you (or out your window) without taking a swing at them. I've used a bat to let someone who attempted to enter my bedroom window know I meant business. They stopped.

[Beech Court]

It seems you really know what you are talking about. And if you have had this same kind of experience then you's also understand how I feel.

[CaptainFlannel]

^yeah, something similar happened to me in college. It's scary, I know. I'm glad I had a softball bat in the apartment to grab and give me a little extra courage as I told whoever was on the porch roof trying to open my window in the middle of the night that they were in for a world of trouble.

[hfm]

The way I understand the law - if someone is completely physically in your place and threatens you, you can do what you need to defend yourself and home. In my case since he wasn't completely in if I had somehow harmed him I could be liable. Yes, that is what we are up against.The nebulous part is what do they call a threat? And it would be their word against mine.Weapon or no weapon shown to me their presence is a threat. They didn't just climb through the window for a cup of tea.

I'd call opening your screen and trying to come in pretty threatening. I guess moral of the story here is if you have a gate leave it closed at all times, if you don't then always have your window locked as much as that helps.

[JHResident]

A burglar will usually leave without being threatened, as did the original perpetrator. A home invader may well have a gun. Don't bring a bat to a gunfight has usually been sound advice.
Additionally, if you actually try to use the bat, you face the chance that an unarmed person overpowers you and now is no longer unarmed.
Finally should you be charged with a crime you may be faced with a considerable bill for a defense lawyer. None of this is to say that you shouldn't defend yourself, but that you should consider all the implications.

[Garsleat]

How can you make a quick, 'legal' reaction when a stranger just invaded your space? Allow that person to join in? Good thing she was able to scare him away and that he didn't carry any weapon. Being a female is also especially vulnerable. Self defense should be a priority with physical response as the last resort. 

[CaptainFlannel]

Don't bring a bat to a gunfight has usually been sound advice.

The point is that a bat requires no licensing, while a gun does. That's sound advice. When someone tries to climb in my window, they are threatening my safety. I'll be keeping that bat (or small cast iron pan I'm able to swing easily) for such situations.

[Beech Court]

I can tell you this - you can't predict a reaction, not even your own. Things happen in split seconds with no time to intellectualize them. As soon as I realized what was happening there was an immediate flood of adrenaline. My first reaction was to stop what was happening. I was not going to be a victim. I was not going to cooperate or flee. Luckily becoming scary worked for me. Had things escalated I don't know what my adrenaline might have done. Hopefully I will never have to find out.

[Beech Court]

The point is that a bat requires no licensing, while a gun does. That's sound advice. When someone tries to climb in my window, they are threatening my safety. I'll be keeping that bat (or small cast iron pan I'm able to swing easily) for such situations.

Captain, you make perfect sense to me.
You'd always be welcomed here for coffee. Just make sure you ring the doorbell. LOL

I'm told the law says that perp has to be all the way in your place and a threat before you can use the bat or pan. Otherwise you can be held liable for assault. Others have said grab the creep, drag him in and then he's yours. Your word against his. Something like pepper spray is a good way to disarm first and then clobber him if need be. That's called legally defending your home and self.

[Lilybell]

I lived in DC during the crack years and have been mugged twice and burglarized. I ended up slashing the burglar's fingers pretty bad with a knife as he was attempting to gain entry and didn't get in a bit of trouble except that my university charged me to clean the small amount of blood off the carpet (off-campus student housing, I was in college at the time).

Beech Court, I'm glad you are ok and thank you for the warning! I just went to make sure my fire escape window is locked.

[Beech Court]

Thanks Lilybell.

I am fine and better prepared if I should ever (hopefully not) have to face this again. I hope this thread has made others aware of all that I learned going through this experience. I'm sorry you had yours. Sometimes I think that this Covid economy tempts people into things that they might not normally try. That's sad.

As this story unfolds a clearer picture of that night is coming into focus. I'm just not permitted to say things publicly till all concerned have done their part and wrapped things up. Either way it still should not have occurred and in the end I'm the one that has to live with it.