Home Peppered With Birdshot

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GarandTd

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Last Saturday somebody peppered the side of my house with birdshot. No major damage was done, however the shot sprayed my bedroom window at the head of my bed. My wife was laying in bed reading at the time of the incident. I was in the shower of my master bathroom. The shot was from relatively close as there was almost no delay between the blast and the peppering of the house. I heard the shot, she heard the shot and the peppering and immediately went to investigate. She found on the outer sill of the window 5 birdshot pellets and I later found one pellet lodged in the vinyl track of the window.
I don't believe this was from a hunter. I think it was a neighbor. We contacted the state police and a trooper came to the house. We told him our experience and the possibility of the neighbor being the guilty party. He seemed skeptical that anything happened at all.
Fast forward to today. I hadn't heard anything and had little closure to the incident. I decided to follow up with the state police and see what they came up with. I was told by a trooper at the Barracks that there was no record of my call. I asked what I could do and he told me nothing because its been too long. :(:confused::mad:
I never confronted the neighbor because I don't know them well and didn't want to get shot in the face. I have 3 children and pets that are playing in the yard all the time as well as neighborhood children that are always running about. I am respectful of peoples rights to do what they want on there property.....until it endangers my family and the security of my home.
Any thoughts on how to handle this State Police epic failure?
 
If they weren't stuck in the siding and didn't penetrate anything I would suspect the shot being at least 70-100 yards away. How far away is your neighbor?
 
"...at least 70-100 yards away..." Farther than that if it was an aimed shot. Size of the shot and lead or steel will matter. So is how far away the neighbour is.
This isn't exactly scientific(or at glass and AL/Vinyl siding) but it'll give you an idea. http://shotshell.drundel.com/patterns/robdouglas.htm
"...because its been too long..." Call the local DA's office and the civilian complaint guys if that exists.
 
I never confronted the neighbor because I don't know them well

So, is there some history there, or not? If not, why not stop by and tell your neighbor what happened, and that it's been reported to authorities. Make it in the form of a neighborly heads-up, not some sort of accusation. You see...so they can be aware that someone may be indiscriminately firing a shotgun in the neighborhood. (If I were to hazard a guess, I'd guess some kids being fools).

If there is a 'history' of bad feeling between you and your neighbor, then, at this point, you probably need to alert, or re-alert in this case, the state police of your suspicions just so local patrol has a little background to work with in the future.

Best not to overreact in any way, because your neighbors may not be involved at all, and if they aren't, then you've caused a lasting problem. JMOs.
 
I wouldn't fault the trooper for being skeptical, but for him not to have filed any kind of a report is strange. I would file a written complaint with internal affairs.
 
There is no history good or bad between this particular neighbor and my family. I am friends with some of my neighbors and cordial with the rest, but I mostly mind my own business and am not the type to be bringing cookies and and visiting frequently. I give a friendly wave and a hello. Although I don't have much to offer, I encourage my neighbors to ask if they need anything.

The neighbor in question has fired rounds from the vicinity of their own home before. The shots have been pretty random. On more than one occasion I've heard shots while walking my kids to the bus. Never a bunch of shots like target practice and not always in a valid hunting season. While I wasn't crazy about the gunfire, I didn't feel in danger and I respect people's right to do their thing on their own property. So I never made an issue out of it.
 
I understand that a trooper needs to approach a situation with a certain amount of skepticism, but that skepticism shouldn't stop him from doing his job. I don't call the state police often. This is the 2nd time in 15 years of living in my home that I have had to call. I don't want the state police at my house. Calling them is not a decision I take lightly or one I make frivolously. So, I do fault the trooper a little bit. I do intend to talk with the neighbors in a non confrontational manner, but given the nature of the situation, I thought it best to go through the police.

The shot pellets were lead, not steel. The suspect neighbor's house is about 70 yards from my house, across the road. The back porch where they have shot from in the past is about 90 yards from my home. In Pennsylvania, law states that one cannot discharge a firearm within 150 yards of any occupied dwelling unless there is permission from the owner. It is considered a safety zone. While they are firing on their property, it is within the safety zone of my home.

My house is unique in my neighborhood as it is one of 2 houses that is surrounded on all sides by neighboring homes. The rest have back yards that border some wooded area with farmed fields beyond the woods and a a state road beyond the farm fields.
 
Skepticism is part of the investigative process. Weight and balance the evidence.

If he failed to file any report I'd contact the office and file a complaint. Find out why there's no record! Eben if they can't "solve" the case, it establishes a record of the event for the future.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
 
My wife called 911 first. The 911 operator transferred her to the state police barracks. A co-worker of mine is friends with the director of 911 in my area. He contacted the director and the director is supposed to call me tomorrow. 911 will have a record of the call even if the police won't acknowledge it.
 
Here is my evidence. The angle of penetration of the single pellet that damaged vinyl points directly to my neighbors house....coincidence? Maybe, but I don't think so.
 

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In Russia some years ago, many people who "witnessed" a "UFO" also found many small holes in the glass windows of their houses.

Turns out it was a manufacturing defect from when the windows were manufacturered, not from something... else.

OP, I'm not calling you a liar, but please make sure you know all the circumstances before bothering Law Enforcement.
 
I am surprised there was no kind of written report by law enforcement. Houses are not supposed to be hit by bullets or bird shot.... for any reason.
 
A few notes that you may find helpful for when dealing with law enforcment in the future and a question.

The question is why were the County Deputies not called out?

So far as your report, whenever you call the police out always:
- ask for their card, if they don't/ can't provide one write down their name(s) and car number(s)
- Ask for case number. If they say there is no report being done ask for the call number. Call numbers are generated for every call for every police department in the US. If the police came there is a call #.
- Ask for the process on how to obtain a report if they do not tell you.
- If you believe a crime has been committed have a discussion with the officer about what you believe the crime was and what he believes happened.

So far as your incident there is no proof whatsoever it was your neighbor who did it. Could easily have been a trespasser or poacher. You are right to be concerned but be careful getting accusatory, this could heighten the situation.
 
You might not be calling me a liar, but the Russian UFO sightings comparison is absurd. Like comparing a bear attack to a bigfoot sighting.

What do you suggest the lead pellets came from. I'm curious what else utilizes lead shot that may have inadvertantly sprayed the side of my house after a bang so loud, it made me jump in the shower.

Enlighten me.
 
My point being that harboring unsubstantiated suspicions is not healthy. Be careful where you go with it. I'd certainly follow up with the police though.

A couple of years ago I went out to my nearly new barn and found what for all the world looked like a shotgun slug had gone through the side of the metal and left a big hole in it. There were also fresh tire tracks up to the side of the barn too.

I have a video system though. Upon playback it appears that one of my neighbors steer's got loose and put a horn through the barn. He came and retrieved the steer and had never said a word to me about it. You never really know until you know.
 
garandtd

As others have said, it may not have been your neighbor. I think I would drop it and remain watchful, after giving your neighbors a friendly 'heads-up' as Tx gun suggested. I would do the same for any other close neighbors....they may have had a similar occurance. It may foster better neighbor relations with all of you, and you would know if they heard any shots. They may think it was you!

There is another possibility. Since there are woods ( trees) around, the neighbor, or someone else, may be illegally and not so carefully,shooting at squirrels. A friend of mine had one get in his house, and chew up everything trying to get out while he was away. He has declared war on them.

In your case, you may have gotten flak from a badly aimed shot. That might also explain the occasional shots you hear. Or maybe he gets critters in his back yard, or occasionally test fires something for some reason (scare critters or such).

At any rate, you have no proof, and by approaching as a friendly neighbor, you will be telling him that someone damaged your property, and you want to just warn other neighbors. That might initiate a switch to a quieter, shorter range weapon ( blowgun, BB gun??) and solve your problem. You don't want to make things worse. You just need more information. Impact spacing ( if available) may also give an indication of the distance of the shot.
 
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I appreciate everyone's responses to this situation. I harbor no ill will towards anyone. I don't believe my house was shot at maliciously. But accident or not, there are some warranted safety concerns.

The lack of perceived action by the police is a little troublesome and in my youth I was held accountable by law enforcement for a lot less.

As far as county deputies, I don't even know who that is. I live in a township, outside of the borough. The borough has a police department that covers the borough, however, outside of the borough, the state police handle all calls. My wife called 911 and explained the incident. 911 then transferred her to the state police barracks of the county that I reside in. Im pretty confident that my wife and I chose the proper avenue of action.
 
You do not mention it, but surely you or your wife were there and got the Officer's last name off his name tag on his uniform.

Are you within a town limits that forbids the discharge of firearms in town limits? :confused:
 
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