This happened to me not too long ago...pretty scary, I dont know if I would do the same thing again, but hindsight is always 20/20 so who knows......
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=233719
I am a graduate student in Waco TX, known for high crime rates/poverty/etc so I have heard my fair share of robbery/break in/theft stories from other students in my area.
I was sitting at home the other day, around lunchtime, when someone knocks at the door. I looked out the window and couldnt quite make out who it was, but I definately didnt recognize the guy. He was a black guy and was pacing around outside the door. Not that race should be an issue here, but I live in an area that is 99.9% college students, so someone like that is usually out of place and often suspicious. I thought he may have been one of the apartment maintenance guys though....So I took my .45 to the door with me, looked through the peep hole only to see him waving at me, like he knew I was eyeing him. I opened the door and the guy starts into one of those "hey Im trying to sell magazines so that I can blah blah blah" routines. I listened until he paused long enough for me to say no thanks, but when I did, he started to step inside the apartment. I said again that I wasnt interested in what he had to offer but he kept trying to persuade me, all the while he had one of his feet in the door to where I couldnt close it. I backed up and let the door open on its own, my hand on the .45, and I told him that he had one more chance to leave before I called the police. I think it was fairly obvious that I was armed. He STILL kept trying to persuade me, but he backed out of the doorway and I closed it behind him. I thought about calling the police so that they could watch out for the guy, but I was swamped with schoolwork and didnt bother. I should have....
Later on that day, probably 3 hours later or so, I was going over to a girl friends house to pick her up for church. I was on the phone with her as I was driving to her house. I heard the doorbell in the background and she told me that there was someone at the door. She answered it while still on the phone with me, and sure enough, it was that same guy who I had dealt with earlier. I recognized his voice from my end of the line. She didnt even let him begin his sales pitch and told him that she wasnt interested in what he had to sell. She said "oh my God theres a guy at my door and he is trying to come into my house". She was more concerned with the fact that there was a big scary man at her door, and didnt even hear the "magazine subscriptions" part, so as far as she knew this guy was a rapist or robber. (I can hear everything going on over the phone at this point). I was about 45 seconds away from her house at this point, fortunately. I hurried as fast as I could to get there, even though I knew she was probably in less danger than she thought, but either way, no girl should be subjected to that kind of treatment.
I get to her house and the door is open and I see no signs of the magazine guy. (she had hung up the phone at this point) I started to worry, and took my pistol and went into the house. She was backed into the kitchen and he was standing there in the living room trying to convince her that she needed a subscription to Ebony or something like that. I was furious at this point, it was definately the same guy that was at my home earlier, and this time he was INSIDE her house, UNWANTED, AFTER being asked to leave. Now I'm no expert on the law, but I felt like I had every right to present my pistol to this guy and demand that he leave immediately. I was nervous also, but this guy recogized me and his reaction was pretty funny actually. He was probably shocked to see the same guy who he had harrassed earlier in the day. I told him to stay put (the gun was visible) while I called the police. I do volunteer work and have been actively involved with the local police force for the past couple of years, so I dialed them and asked for one of the guys who I knew would be on duty. It turned out that they had actually had a few people complain about the same guy, but the police couldnt locate him in time I guess. We were already late, so we left after the officer took a brief statement. They had the guy out on the curb cuffed, but that was the last I saw. I haven't had a chance yet to ask them what exactly he was charged with if anything.
It was a pretty nerve wracking experience, for me and her, and I think that I acted reasonably and accordingly given the situation. The officers apparently thought so too, because I didnt recieve any criticism for my actions. One officer actually told me that he liked my USP hehe
I know I probably shouldnt have opened the door in the very first place, but in a way I'm glad I did because I was more prepared for the situation at my girl friends house.
^^Basically magazine salesman uses intimidation to sell magazines, then forces his way into my girlfriends apartment after being told no several times. He earned a gun drawn and a long talk with the police.
