My first post...
I had an eerily similar experience to the one you described, years ago in Colorado, while attending school. I lived downstairs in some apartments with a central courtyard. Above me lived some friends and one individual who had some kind of mental problems. You could see the erosion of his control as the months went on, but he had not become violent. One morning I left for school and he was out drilling his "troops" in an old style military uniform. When I came home that afternoon, He was out on the balcony screaming at people to get inside their homes and take cover! He began chasing people around the balcony. I was much younger at the time and a little more hot headed so I yelled at him to knock it off(or words to that effect). He answered in similar language, went inside his apartment, and came out with a 2 foot machete. I retreated to my home and loaded my 12 gauge. Sure enough, a few moment later, my front door flew open and there he stood.I had made up my mind that if he entered, I would have to put him down hard. With my wife and infant daughter there, I would have no choice. Would I shoot? Could I do it? As my finger tightened on the trigger, he backed off. It seems that the business end of a 12ga. shotgun had the desired effect. I did not have to shoot and I thank God for that. The police and the guys brother showed up soon after this. His brother explained to me later that he had quit taking his meds. He was a Vietnam Vet who had been wounded in the war and never was quite right after.
I had an eerily similar experience to the one you described, years ago in Colorado, while attending school. I lived downstairs in some apartments with a central courtyard. Above me lived some friends and one individual who had some kind of mental problems. You could see the erosion of his control as the months went on, but he had not become violent. One morning I left for school and he was out drilling his "troops" in an old style military uniform. When I came home that afternoon, He was out on the balcony screaming at people to get inside their homes and take cover! He began chasing people around the balcony. I was much younger at the time and a little more hot headed so I yelled at him to knock it off(or words to that effect). He answered in similar language, went inside his apartment, and came out with a 2 foot machete. I retreated to my home and loaded my 12 gauge. Sure enough, a few moment later, my front door flew open and there he stood.I had made up my mind that if he entered, I would have to put him down hard. With my wife and infant daughter there, I would have no choice. Would I shoot? Could I do it? As my finger tightened on the trigger, he backed off. It seems that the business end of a 12ga. shotgun had the desired effect. I did not have to shoot and I thank God for that. The police and the guys brother showed up soon after this. His brother explained to me later that he had quit taking his meds. He was a Vietnam Vet who had been wounded in the war and never was quite right after.