Man arrested for firing warning shot during confrontation with gang.

[Atash Hagmahani]

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2010/09/07/long-island-man-arrested-for-defending-home-with-ak-47/

The gun was owned legally, but apparently they didn't want him to discharge it. I didn't know about the high-tech gunshot sensors. I don't think we have those here. The police never come until someone reports the body.

I bet the gang members were not arrested.

“He starts threatening my family, my life. ‘Oh you’re dead. I’m gonna kill your family and your babies. You’re dead.’ So when he says that, 20 others guys come rushing around the corner. And so I fired four warning shots into the grass,” Grier said.

Grier was later arrested. John Lewis is Grier’s attorney.

“What he’s initially charged with – A D felony reckless endangerment — requires a depraved indifference to human life, creating a risk that someone’s going to die. Shooting into a lawn doesn’t create a risk of anybody dying,” Lewis said.

Grier said he knew Nassau County Police employ the hi-tech “ShotSpotter” technology in his area and that the shooting would bring police in minutes. Cops told Guzman he was very cooperative.

[opsec]

Don't fire warning shots. If you are threatened sufficiently to need to pull a gun in the first place, then you need to shoot the guy.

[offdalip]

yep,
you need to wait till the guy pulls a gun on you so you can blow him away WITH THE GUN IN HIS HAND
or you need to wait till the guy crosses into your abode.
in any case, it is always best to try and retreat and avoid any confrontation. wtf do people value ego soo highly for?

[Atash Hagmahani]

Not "the guy". About 30. It is intimidating to be surrounded by a gang on your own property. If it would have come down to a fight, he was too badly outnumbered. That's why he tried to scare them.

[The Future]

maybe retreat into the house and see what happens with odds like that.  or do what he did.  it may well have been the best thing to do - we don't know what would have happened for better or worse if he reacted differently - and he lives to tell the tale at least.  Reminds us that thinking a scenario through after the fact and living through one are so apart.

[karch03]

Maybe I am missing something but what prompted these gang members for coming after this one family? My father use to always tell me not to put myself in a situation I can't get out of. I wonder if this guy did just that.

[Lady Lilya]

Better arrested than dead.

[Atash Hagmahani]

The article doesn't specify Karch, but apparently it escalated dramatically when he told the ones who were there first--maybe they were just "hanging out"--to leave. He probably did not realize that they had a great deal of backup on hand. He probably thought they would just leave, and did not realize it would escalate that fast.

[Eddie]

Even Bill O'Reilly backed him up on last nights episode. Still, he would have been better off calling the cops first then putting his family in a back room somewhere and then staying low with his back against the wall locked and loaded with the lights out....dirty Harry style.

[silverseeds]

  Doesnt sound like a time to be wasting ammo..... 

[Atash Hagmahani]

Eddie, that's not a bad strategy. It might have de-escalated the situation to retreat, and if not, it would be pretty hard to prosecute if he fired during a home invasion (especially with those kinds of odds!)

I still wanna know if they arrested the gang members. If they had not trespassed and confronted him, this would not have happened.

[oldsoldier]

It seems that threatning someone is not a crime anymore. Unless the person being threatened is a politician. firing a weapon however IS illegal in some areas.  I have a friend that lives in Texas, had a rattlesnake corner his children in their yard, he shot the snake with a shotgun. Police were called by nosy neighbor, they came to his house, he told then what happened they ARRESTED HIM for discharging a firearm in the city limits took him to jail booked finger printed him and kept him in jail overnight. Ended up costing him his shotgun, $1,000 in fines and costs AND a police record. The police officers told him he should have just called them,instead of shooting the snake before they took him to jail.

 After the incident he asked THE SAME police officers what they would have done if he HAD called them........................." We would have came and shot the snake"

[Atash Hagmahani]

After the incident he asked THE SAME police officers what they would have done if he HAD called them........................." We would have came and shot the snake"

If that had been here, I would have called them liars to their faces. Seattle police won't come for snakes. They won't come for much, and when they do come, it's hard to get them to do anything. Someone can torch your car right in front of them ("malicious mischief" aka destruction of property), and they won't make an arrest. Not just my observation; we asked and they told us point blank that they have a "policy" of not making arrests for malicious mischief.

Hence the joke about "SOMEONE STOLE MY CAR AND IS USING IT TO COMMIT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE!!"

(they have to come for "domestic violence")

[offdalip]

ya'll gotta move to FL then

had a bunch of drug dealers living next door, the whole neighborhood wanted them out.

the whole neighborhood had a meeting with the district Major and lieutenant.

They said that "something" would be done within a month. the whole neighborhood asked
them what hey were supposed to do in the meantime if one of these guys threatened us
since we live out in the boonies and it would take awhile for the cops the get here if we made a call to them.
the district Major said "Well, we aren't opposed to your doing whatever it takes to protect yourselves" .  twice.

this was just a few months ago. since the meeting they raided the bad place with 40 swat including the tank w/turret, flash bangs etc

[ADSmith]

"Well, we aren't opposed to your doing whatever it takes to protect yourselves" .  twice.

This would be the typical reaction from most of the sheriffs in my part of the country (KS and CO).  The police depts. in the larger cities aren't as supportive though.

The battle in our local sheriff's election in Larimer County CO is pretty much centered around who is the most supportive of the right to self-defense, concealed carry, and 2nd amendment rights in general.