Main Exhibits

Here is one that might be of interest .?

A van is parked in front of the property for several hours along the roadside. Windows are covered with material. My landlord has a husband that is constantly stoned and generally worthless. He won’t check so she goes out and confronts the man. He says he is a PI. She goes in and calls the police which is what she should have done to start. She has a 13 year old daughter and is very nervous. An hour later the police come, are witnessed talking to the man and moments later he drives away. The police say nothing to the landlord and drive away themselves. She believes he was not who he said he was or would have been allowed to remain. End of incident. The following Sunday the van reappears and is parked similarly. The landlord calls me in a panic and says the police failed to get rid of this guy and he’s back. She sounds terrified. So I take a 7.62 Tokrov in a nylon holster and try to clip it to my side. The belt clip is too tight and will not spread enough to attach it so I hold it like a sandwich, hand not even on the handle. The pistol is not loaded, I know this but just want the psychological “edge” in case this man has any stupid ideas. I’m too old to fight and am concerned that the man is 51-50. He’s been warned by the police already. As a firefighter/medic I have dealt with many such cases in absence of law enforcement due to late arrivals and so on. I lived in a rural mountain area where response time was extended and the fire dept had to deal with many situations until police arrived. From that experience, I know not to at least appear to have the upper hand, and control factors in my favor. So I approach the vehicle, motion for the driver to roll down his window and say, “It’s time for you to leave.” He nodded and complied. The pistol was never raised nor gripped as intended for use. The man turned out to be a legitimate P.I. and screamed bloody murder to the police. I explained the circumstances and they left. They returned a bit later and said the PI was insisting on my arrest and arrested me for exhibition of a firearm. The PI and his company took no responsibility for causing panic by appearing as a stalker. The police took no responsibility for not putting our concerns to rest by informing us the man had a legitimate right to be there and not to worry. (By the way, the PI was investigating a workman’s comp case on an individual on an adjacent property.) I ultimately took the entire responsibility for everyone, including my stupidity, however well intended, to the tune of nearly $7,000.00 in legal fees few hrs in Jail, 2 years probation, a $1,055 fine and nerve damage to my right wrist caused by handcuffs. Fingers went numb while cuffed for an hour or so and occasionally do so to this day. The lesson I took away from this is no matter how justified, you can become a victim of the system. You are not permitted to protect yourself or your friends and loved ones You must let the police do it if they can… in time. So, there are a few questions. Was I utterly wrong and caused enough damage to cause me (deserve) so much mental distress and financial hardship? Was the punishment befitting the crime, if indeed a crime was committed? I have always tried to conduct myself in an ethical and exemplary fashion. I many times over have put my life on the line in the service of others and always thought of myself as one of the good guys. To be treated as a criminal really caved me in. One little ooops in the eyes of the courts seems to have cancelled a lifetime of atta-boys. I welcome your opinions. I’m done whining now LOL

Public Comments

1. The only oops I see is that you were carrying a firearm in your hand when you confronted the suspect. Your first move should have been to call the police again. They may have informed you at that time that he was a PI and you could have set your landladies mind at ease. But, hindsight is 20/20 isn't it?
2. While I certainly side with you on the preventative measures of protecting family and friends, I do not see anywhere in your statement that would raise a red flag high enough to warrant you grabbing a sidearm. However, I do agree that standing up to suspicious activity is a brave and bold move, one that few people have the nerve to do. I can also side with the law that the PI had a legitimate reason to be scared, too. However, I would take into consideration for many of variables that play into this situation and if I was the DA, I would not hand down such a harsh charge for ultimately being pro-active in your case. That's one of those fine lines that can go either way, but regardless of the outcome keep doing what you do and you'll continue to receive "atta-boys" from individuals like me. I applaud people like you who can stand up to face the possibility of threats. Keep on, keepin on!
3. I understand your frustration. But you should not have taken the gun. My brother confronted some people that were riding four wheelers dangerously close to his property. He has two young children and was afraid they would get hurt. He wasn't thinking clearly either when he took a gun to their house to confront them. Even though he never took out of his pocket, they filed charges and he was arrested. Had to pay a big fine and do community service. Sorry you had such a bad experience. Hope you have better days ahead. Thanks and have a great day!
4. That is an interesting story. While I am sympathetic to your actions, I must say that individual rights end when they intrude on the rights of others. The PI in question, or most anyone, really, has the right to park their car on the side of the road, so long as they are legally parked and not otherwise breaking the law. I do think that your punishment seems a bit harsh, and I think that if I had been you, I'd have taken it to trial.
5. Sorry, you are not the Police.