Posted on 06/12/2012 10:12:50 AM PDT by marktwain
GUILDERLAND - While he doesn't want to reveal his identity, a Guilderland homeowner wanted to send a message about self protection in the home, after an intruder reportedly pounded and yelled outside his door.
"I keep replaying it over, why did I open that door?" he said.
He wished he'd never opened the door just after four in the morning Sunday, to a man pounding and demanding money.
"Starts yelling at him about how he wants money for two kegs of beer that he dropped off earlier that day. Individual knows nothing of this whatsoever. There was no party at the house," said Craig Apple, Albany County Sheriff.
Albany County sheriff Craig Apple says 20-year-old Cody Lassonde, an active duty Marine from Altamont, was intoxicated when he pushed his way into the home on Veeder Road. The wife inside called 911. The husband grabbed this 12-gauge shotgun, a Remington 870 used for hunting.
"At that point, I felt my only means of protection. I'm not going to get into some hand to hand combat with somebody," he said.
The homeowner said they managed to get Lassonde out of the house and locked the door, standing on one side with the shotgun poised, as Lassonde banged and shouted to get back in.
That's when deputies arrived, wrestling Lassonde to the ground and tasing him for the arrest, saying the Marine blew a point one seven after the incident.
"He was actually very cordial and polite once he sobered up. Had no recollection whatsoever. But needless to say intoxication and stupidity is not a defense," Apple said.
The homeowner was glad he didn't have to use his shot gun for self defense.
"Well, if I had to if he had broke through the door, I would've used the gun, I wouldn't have tried to kill him but I would have shot at his leg or something," he said.
Notice how just having a shotgun for home defense is news in NY.
Notice how just having a shotgun for home defense isn’t news in GA.
Not with a 20 year old Marine, anyway!
Even Marines will tell you that, if you have a loaded and functional gun, getting into hand-to-hand is just...well, stupid.
Glad the Marine didn’t get shot. Kudos to the homeowner for his restraint.
The Marine has got some explaining to do to his First Sergeant when the incident hits the blotter. Hope he also reflects on how @#$%!! lucky he is to still be alive.
“He wished he’d never opened the door just after four in the morning Sunday, to a man pounding and demanding money.”
I wouldn’t want my identity revealed either. People might realize how stupid I was.
“I wouldn’t have tried to kill him but I would have shot at his leg or something,” he said.”
Bad idea. If I am forced to shoot at all, there will be no doubt of the outcome. Corpses cannot testify or sue you.
“He wished he’d never opened the door ...”
So so true...constantly remind yourselves not to fall prey to instinctive, yet stupid actions. For example, a knock on the door and opening without looking, funny noises in back yard and going to look unarmed, having a concealed carry permit and not carrying around the home, yard etc.
It is so easy to be lulled into complacency or to be prodded into shutting the idiot up who is yelling in the front yard at you...you open the door to yell back and....oops.
Also if you do call the cops for a disturbance...don’t forget to keep your door closed behind you if they ask you to step out. They have no reason to enter your home assuming you didn’t let the bad guy in or he didn’t let himself in. When they ask to do a s ‘safety check’ or ‘look around to make sure everything is ok’ don’t fall for it. There is no reason for them to be in your home looking around. You don’t know the cops personal motives, career ambitions, or anything...You better know your rights and know how to assert them calmly and confidently...if not things can get messy and next thing you know you are in the back of a cop car too and your weapon has been confiscated etc etc.
You are 100% correct!
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