Machete wielding thug followed me home!

[writerwife]

As a woman, I would like to respond to some of the comments made.
As stated earlier, I have a permit to conceal carry and I am trained. I'm skilled enough that I was told that I was one of the best shots to come out of training in several years (this was yrs ago) and was requested to join a local police force. I do have a few relatives that are officers (between here and New England).

Having been in a few 'iffy' situations in the past, I have a fairly good grip on how I do react in particular situations.
Firstly, if someone is following me that close and in any sort of a threatening or suspicious manner, I do make sure that my firearm is at hand (and I ALWAYS drive with my doors locked). Then, if close to home, I will drive by, not into my driveway and NOT into my house as one poster mentioned (I live verrrry rural). There's no way I want this idiot to know which house I live in if he doesn't already. I will then drive toward a populated area and if the person is still following me (suspiciously) I will head for the nearest police station or cop that I see. Usually, if someone following had any unsavory ideas, they will take off at that point if they haven't already.
IF, somehow, I got out of my vehicle somewhere/anywhere and someone such as mentioned in the OP's post got out, brandished ANYTHING (including fists, remember, I'm female) while yelling at me like that, I would probably try to get back in my car first but have my gun within reach. If able to get in my car and leave without incident, that's what would happen. (of course I would be calling 911 at any given opportunity during all of this) If he approached me at all before I could get in my car or in my car but not moving yet, He would see that I have a gun (and I let him know that if he comes any closer I will shoot) and at that point the decision is his whether to back off or not. If he backs off, fine. If not, as soon as he was close enough and still heading my way, I shoot. While in training I was taught that a man can cover 25ft in 1.6 seconds when attacking. So, while I would allow this person a certain amount of leeway, I also would prefer to shoot him than become a victim myself.
And, armchair quarterbacking is always easy as is hindsight.
Not shooting is preferred but, I don't shy away from it either. The news channels on tv don't normally tell you the MANY stories of people that are alive because they did use their guns. That wouldn't benefit their agenda.
We are lifetime members of the NRA and as such we receive the monthly magazine National Rifleman. In the front pages every month are stories of people that used firearms in self defense and are alive to tell it. One recent one was a 65 yr old woman in Decatur.
I would much rather be one of those stories than have my obit being read.

Also, in reference to the post referring to "Alabama" training. I think it's a great idea for any gun owner to have some training. But not mandatory. Owning a gun is a RIGHT, not a privilege. A driver's license is a privilege.

So no, some of us wouldn't have reacted by immediately shooting the guy, but would be willing to if we felt it necessary. The situation with the original poster could very well have gone the other way and this thread wouldn't exist for this argument. Unless he brandished and used a weapon.

FYI...as a side note, I was told by law enforcement during training that if I had to shoot someone, shoot to kill. If I wound a thug, I will be in court and being sued for some time to come. The way of the world nowadays, I suppose.

WWJD? He would have cast the demonic spirit out of the machete wielding maniac.

[MadHaus]

Originally Posted by writerwife

WWJD? He would have cast the demonic spirit out of the machete wielding maniac.

Back to the OP: Yoo Shin, will the police notify you if they locate/arrest the crazy man who threatened you? I'm guessing they'd ask you to identify him, but don't know how that works.

I have a permit for concealed carry, but have rarely taken advantage of it. Dh has mentioned buying me a nice holster to encourage me to keep my Glock handy. We've been in AL for over a decade and never experienced a road rage incident, but we were previously threatened by a real looney. He was the reason I renewed my NRA membership and brushed up on my skills.

Does anyone know of a good training facility in the Huntsville/Madison area? I have a daughter there who has tended to think of herself as immune to danger, but she's becoming more realistic. I don't want to buy her a gun until she's had some training (& not by her dad and me, but by a professional.) I'd like for her to take a refresher course in self-defense, too, but am mostly concerned about making sure she knows how to use a weapon when/if it's necessary.

[Caleb Longstreet]

Originally Posted by writerwife

As a woman, I would like to respond to some of the comments made.
As stated earlier, I have a permit to conceal carry and I am trained. I'm skilled enough that I was told that I was one of the best shots to come out of training in several years (this was yrs ago) and was requested to join a local police force. I do have a few relatives that are officers (between here and New England).

Having been in a few 'iffy' situations in the past, I have a fairly good grip on how I do react in particular situations.
Firstly, if someone is following me that close and in any sort of a threatening or suspicious manner, I do make sure that my firearm is at hand (and I ALWAYS drive with my doors locked). Then, if close to home, I will drive by, not into my driveway and NOT into my house as one poster mentioned (I live verrrry rural). There's no way I want this idiot to know which house I live in if he doesn't already. I will then drive toward a populated area and if the person is still following me (suspiciously) I will head for the nearest police station or cop that I see. Usually, if someone following had any unsavory ideas, they will take off at that point if they haven't already.
IF, somehow, I got out of my vehicle somewhere/anywhere and someone such as mentioned in the OP's post got out, brandished ANYTHING (including fists, remember, I'm female) while yelling at me like that, I would probably try to get back in my car first but have my gun within reach. If able to get in my car and leave without incident, that's what would happen. (of course I would be calling 911 at any given opportunity during all of this) If he approached me at all before I could get in my car or in my car but not moving yet, He would see that I have a gun (and I let him know that if he comes any closer I will shoot) and at that point the decision is his whether to back off or not. If he backs off, fine. If not, as soon as he was close enough and still heading my way, I shoot. While in training I was taught that a man can cover 25ft in 1.6 seconds when attacking. So, while I would allow this person a certain amount of leeway, I also would prefer to shoot him than become a victim myself.
And, armchair quarterbacking is always easy as is hindsight.
Not shooting is preferred but, I don't shy away from it either. The news channels on tv don't normally tell you the MANY stories of people that are alive because they did use their guns. That wouldn't benefit their agenda.
We are lifetime members of the NRA and as such we receive the monthly magazine National Rifleman. In the front pages every month are stories of people that used firearms in self defense and are alive to tell it. One recent one was a 65 yr old woman in Decatur.
I would much rather be one of those stories than have my obit being read.

Also, in reference to the post referring to "Alabama" training. I think it's a great idea for any gun owner to have some training. But not mandatory. Owning a gun is a RIGHT, not a privilege. A driver's license is a privilege.

So no, some of us wouldn't have reacted by immediately shooting the guy, but would be willing to if we felt it necessary. The situation with the original poster could very well have gone the other way and this thread wouldn't exist for this argument. Unless he brandished and used a weapon.

FYI...as a side note, I was told by law enforcement during training that if I had to shoot someone, shoot to kill. If I wound a thug, I will be in court and being sued for some time to come. The way of the world nowadays, I suppose.

WWJD? He would have cast the demonic spirit out of the machete wielding maniac.

Good job. You kept your cool as best you could and had the presence of mind to note the car, the tag and kept distance from this clown as best you could. Probably don't want to let them get so close that they can yell at you from their window next to your car after you circled the cul-de-sac but, this was a scary harrowing experience.

I'm glad to see you are trained and proficient. Something all gun owners should aspire to. It's mostly practice but, good fundamental training is not lost on anyone at any skill level. I go once a year for formal training when I can afford it and the range every month no matter what.

As far as shooting one when you think it's okay is a very dicey proposition. Here in Georgia we enjoy the Castle Doctrine and that helps thwart some, not all, legal challenges to self defense. However, saying you would shoot someone who was not in direct threat of you (imminent danger) can open up a whole bunch of potential legal troubles. On top of that, the moral challenges after a shooting I'm sure are quite difficult to deal with.

The legal repercussions could be devastating. First, the legal. God forbid these neighbors saw something a bit differently than you did....before you know it, you could be facing real, real trouble....

Then the civil....it might be as bad! Punitive damages don't go away. And if the bad guy lives, you can take it to the bank that some lawyer is going to try to seperate you from your hard earned money.

So, if you have to shoot, make sure you are 110% in the right and that there are NO other options...sitting in a running car that was capable of driving away could put you in real trouble with a certain type of District Attorney...especially in an election year looking for "change"....just a reality....

Be careful, be trained, be vigilant always. You did a great job in a very, very tough circumstance. It's a good thread for all of us who do believe in ownership as well as those that do not to be vigilant at all times....you just never know when some half-baked idiot is going to ruin your day.

Bizzare story but, perhaps this happens more than we all realize?