Dealing with possible drunk in apt. complex

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okiebuckout

Inactive
I would like to get some opinions on what others would have done in my situation.

The other night I was at my GF's apartment, which is in a high crime area, and was heading out the door to leave (around 2200hrs). As I stepped outside an individual who looked drunk or on something (staggering and slurring words), started to walk to our door while talking to us (again undecernable words). I told them I didn't want to talk. They keeped coming towards us and rambling words. I finally told them to stay where they were and not come any closer. At this time they were about 20ft away. They didn't listen and so I decided to just step back into the apartment and wait with my GF for a while before I left again.

I was armed, but hadn't thought about needing it at that time. If I was alone and had not been at my GF's house I would have just continued on to my vehicle trying to avoid the person while maintaining my situational awareness, but since she was alone I felt I should stay there for awhile. What would some of you have done in my shoes?

My background just for FYI: 28yrs old, 10yr army vet, army combatives trained, and some martial arts experience. I have handled firearms my whole life and competed on my past NG's shooting team.
 
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So lets see...you avoided a potentially dangerous situation in a mature reasonable and responsible fashion. Accordingly, you fullfilled your obligation to the public as an armed citizen.

Anybody who would do anyhting else shouldnt be carrying a gun.

WildanybodywanttobuyaseanteseatAlaska TM
 
I think you did a great job. I suppose you could have listened or watched to see if he moved on or not. If he didn't, then I'd call the police to see if they would remove him.
 
It depends. Not really enough to go on from here.

Probably a good choice for now. Dodging a drunk in the hall by just avoiding him (going inside, no muss, no fuss) was an OK tactic. If the guy was really incoherent, maybe I'da tried to steer him to home. If he was at all aggressive, banging on the door, etc., is time to call the cops. If he was threatening, time to neutralize the threat (deck him, not shoot him) and call the cops.

All in all, I'd try to deal with him in a way to minimize any downstream bad feelings or fallout. After all, your girlfriend has to live there (at least for a while). Sounds like you did fine, for now.
 
I should have watched through the window for a awhile, but neglected. I did however look out there prior to me leaving about an hour later. I checked around the immediate vicinity when I left, but its a big complex so you never know they could have been a couple buildings away.
 
You did well to avoid the situation. However, drunks are notoriously unpredictable and could mean trouble for someone else. Drunk in public is a jailable (if only for their own safety) offense in most places. You shoulda called the cops.
 
No mall ninjas suggested deploying tactical tear gas (pepper spray) or using the strike bezel of a 200 dollar flashlight to subdue the perp so you could deploy your tactical restraints (zip ties) hold him at gunpoint until the Apartment Tactical Unit (security...if there are any) or local LEO could arrive?

It sounds like you could have taken this guy down in a wide variety of ways (from looking at your background) but chose to retreat to see what the guy was going to do next. No machismo or need to scare the guy back? I think you were tougher than a lot of folks would have been. Good job, I have had some weird run-ins similar to that in public but never at the front door of someone's home (more personal and threatening than at a gas station due to proximity to home).

Calling the cops after you went back into the apartment sounds like a good idea but if it's already a questionable neighborhood they probably would put a call like that on the bottom of the list, guy probably would have been long gone.
 
So lets see...you avoided a potentially dangerous situation in a mature reasonable and responsible fashion. Accordingly, you fullfilled your obligation to the public as an armed citizen.

Anybody who would do anyhting else shouldnt be carrying a gun.
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I agree 100%

No mall ninjas suggested deploying tactical tear gas (pepper spray) or using the strike bezel of a 200 dollar flashlight to subdue the perp so you could deploy your tactical restraints (zip ties) hold him at gunpoint until the Apartment Tactical Unit (security...if there are any) or local LEO could arrive?
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I am no mall ninja and as I said believe avoidance, as practiced in this particular case, was the best policy. At the same time I have always advocated carrying OC in addition to your firearm (as I always do) specifically because of drunks, dogs and stupid kids who may be dangerous but do not exhibit and lethal force but cannot be avoided.
 
What a great reason to spend the night at the girlfriend's! ;):D

Just kidding. I would have done the same thing. If the guy started banging on the door, I would have called the cops and had them deal with it. Just because you are armed and can kick butt doesn't mean you should. unfortunately, getting stupid drunk is the only way some people can have fun. Not all of them are looking to jump you. Besides, if they are that drunk, I'm sure you could take them down even faster (if push came to shove).
 
Reading these post i do think I should have called the local PD, but like someone else said I doubt they would have done anything since they had not actually tried any physical violence on me. On a better note, the GF is now in the process of getting loan for a nice 20ac place out of town. No more dealing with drug and violent ridden neighborhood. She will be able to go outside at night without feeling fearful, plus her CCW just came in. 2 pluses in the same week.:D
 
From the details that you gave, I think you did everything just right. Police aren't going to take note of a report of a drunk staggering through or past a building, especially if he's not doing anything but staggering and being incoherent. If he'd have started banging on a door, becoming aggressive, etc, that's a different story, but none of that happened. Again, I think you did the right things in the right order.
You might think about talking your girlfriend into switching locations if it's possible though. ;)
Sarge43
 
as far as im concerned you did the right thing, he might have ended up puking on you or something.

as stated above drunks/junkies can be super unpredictable.

many PD's dont consider an apt complex "public" if the drunk is a resident, so the cops probably wouldn't have bothered unless he became a nuisance/danger.

but remember its the christmas crime season, so extra vigilance is reccomended.
 
i think you've blown the situation out of proportion

some drunk guy was slurring in your general direction at an apartment complex
whoopidy freakin doo

for all you know he could have been saying "please step to the side, im very intoxicated and my apartment is right behind you. i'd really hate to inadvertently bump you while i'm trying to enter my home."


so what happened while you waited? did he just walk past?
did you even look?
if it was really a traumatic and frightening event, werent you even curious?
even if it wasnt, it still envoked a reaction from you, a reaction that you were so unsure of that you are posting it online and asking for criticism and critiques of your reaction..... wouldnt you have atleast looked?



or were you using this as an excuse to stay in your gf's apartment a little longer?
maybe get those endorphins racing.... and as her daring protector, you could hide "undercover" with her all night

this would at least explain your overreaction and subsequently your complete indifference to the situation once you were back inside with your girl.
 
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agree with the nice guy

I only spent 8 years in the service. If posted every time a drunk guy tried to talk to me terabytes of servers would be full. I am suprised a ten year vet would even consider this an "event" let alone ask advise on it.....
 
To the last two. I was standing directly in the doorway of my girlfriends apartment, so I don't think he was going to his apartment. Secondly who is blowing anything out of proportion? I and my girlfriend really didn't want someone coming to her place. No one said it was a real big deal. I think I did state that I was curious of others thoughts. Would the two of you have just stood there waiting to see if he wanted to come into "his" apartment? Or would you have just left your girlfriend there and walked past the guy and not given it any thoughts? By the way, what need would I have in trying to act all macho in front of her? I had no intentions or needed excuses to spend the night with her that evening. I have read enough of these threads, guess I should have expected a little Bobby Knight internet coaching.:rolleyes:
 
no officer

God forbid you go to a bar....

But officer I had to shoot ever one they were drunk and coming close to me....

Sorry man I just couldn't resist...:D
 
God forbid you go to a bar....

But officer I had to shoot ever one they were drunk and coming close to me....

Sorry man I just couldn't resist...
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I was just about to post an incident on the very topic...:p

I guess describing things with a key board makes it hard to accurately portray the actual scene. Aw well. I assumed it was drunkeness, but it could have been something else. I just didn't stick around to give him a field sobriety test or ask if they were on something. Next time I shall do a field interview before I make any assumptions.
 
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