Tactical Decision Game ST-3: Home Invasion – the Aftermath (Solution and Discussion)

TDG ST-3 began in the immediate aftermath of the home invasion described in TDG ST-2. The intruders have been repelled – so far as you know – while you, your daughter, and your wife are secure on the second floor. You were wounded in the exchange of gunfire, with two 12-gauge 00 shotgun pellets lodging in your left shoulder and upper arm, emphasizing the difference between cover and concealment. Now you understand the nuances. The rest of that shotgun pattern missed, or was stopped in the door frame you were positioned behind, while the two .33 caliber pellets that struck you did less damage than they would have, if they hadn't been slowed by passing through two layers of sheetrock in the wall next to the door. 

One attacker is dead or incapacitated on the stairs in your field of view; another, by the blood trail he left behind, was badly wounded, although he's now out of sight on the first floor; and a third ran out through the broken-in back door and drove away in their van. You hear no sounds from the first floor and believe there were only three intruders. Nonetheless, you stay put and keep your attention on the stairs and as much of the first floor as you can see.

At your direction, your daughter has improvised dressings for your wounds to control the bleeding; and then dialed 911 on her cell phone and handed it to you. You remembered that part of your training, that you should make initial contact with the authorities yourself, if possible, to control what information is provided and how. When the 911 operator answers and asks the nature of your emergency, you face your next important set of choices.

SOLUTION #1a: (You were asked what you would say to the 911 operator, and why)

"My name is John Brown, I'm calling from my home at 3437 Summit Ridge Drive in the Mountain View subdivision. Armed men broke into my house and I had to shoot to defend my family. I shot two of the intruders, and one escaped in the vehicle they came in. I can see one of the wounded intruders, he is not moving; I cannot see the other one now, but I know he was also wounded. I don't think there are any others still in the house, but we are all on the second floor and do not know for sure what the situation is on the ground floor. My wife and I are both armed; my daughter is with me, and my wife is at the other end of the upstairs hallway; I am wearing shorts and a white T-shirt; they are both wearing plaid pajamas, and are uninjured. I am wounded and need medical care."

Rationale:

This is the extent of what police and EMS responders need, to approach the scene safely. I am not going to discuss what happened in any greater detail until I have spoken to my lawyer.

Discussion:

The information you provide the 911 operator should be limited to what will help first responders approach safely and address any remaining threats – for instance, the location and status of victims, or anything you have seen that suggests there might be other threats still active. In this situation, you might respond to follow-up questions about the intruders' appearance, the current situation at your home, or the intruders' vehicle, but that's as much as you should be willing to talk about at this point.

It is very natural to want to decompress by talking about what just happened to you, but limit that kind of talk to your spouse, your lawyer, or your psychological counsellor. When speaking to the 911 operator, or to arriving officers, it is better to say only the minimum necessary, than to say too much while you are under stress. Right after the adrenaline dump and Sympathetic Nervous System reaction that occurs in a lethal force encounter, your memory is unlikely to be clear or accurate. Everything you say will be recorded, and any misstatement or inaccurate recollection could be used against you in later legal proceedings. Respectfully decline to speak further about what happened until you have had a chance to speak with your attorney.

Once you have given the minimum necessary information, hang up the phone (or give it to someone else to stay on the line), especially if you have more pressing matters to attend to, such as watching for further threats, securing weapons or other hazards, treating your own wounds or others', or providing leadership and direction to family members or others.

SOLUTION #1b: (You were asked how you would respond when you hear law enforcement officers announce themselves as they enter your home)

"Hello! I'm John Brown, the homeowner. I'm upstairs with my family, and my wife and I are armed. Watch out for a wounded intruder on the first floor – I last saw him enter the dining room at the southeast corner of the house. You can get there through the kitchen to the left of the back door you just came through."

Anticipating visual contact with the deputies, I'll put my weapon down on the floor and stand up from behind my cover with my empty hands in clear view. I've told my wife, in our bedroom at the other end of the hall, to do the same when she hears me call out to the responding officers. From this point on, I'll follow their instructions to the letter – with an eye on the stairs and the first floor below, in case a threat reappears.

Rationale:

Except for the possibility of the wounded intruder still being dangerous, we're all pretty safe right now, because verbal contact with the deputies is being made before we can see each other. By the time they see me, they will know where to expect me and how to identify me, and will see that I do not have a weapon in my hands and am not behaving furtively or defensively. They may treat me, or any of my family, as suspects until they sort out the situation, and I won't resist or complain. I'll also continue to decline to answer any further questions from the deputies that are not directly related their safety or ours.

DISCUSSION:

You'll note that in this solution, the homeowner remains in his initial, covered shooting position until the deputies arrive. He does not attempt to go downstairs to check the downed adversaries, or even to find the one that crawled away around the corner. That's a prudent decision, given the scenario's assumptions that (a) this is a present-day scenario with cellular communications working and law enforcement response expected even if delayed, and (b) the homeowner and his wife have trained with their handguns and in some basic tactical concepts like use of cover, but have not trained in "close quarter" tactics for searching and clearing inside structures.

Close quarters combat is complex, dangerous, and unforgiving. In most cases, there should be no property or physical assets so important that you would risk your life to secure them without at least two persons, properly trained and regularly practiced and proficient, especially when law enforcement professionals with the proper training and equipment are enroute.

Can there be exceptions to this sound general rule? Certainly. Maybe no one's coming. Or if you are separated from the people under your protection when the fight comes, you may have no other choice than to move through your home or another building to secure or recover them. There is only one way to be prepared for this possibility. Train, now.

As the ancient sages said:

Readiness is everything. . . If an individual is careful and keeps his wits about him, he need not become excited or alarmed. If he is watchful at all times, even before danger is present, he is armed when danger approaches and need not be afraid. The superior man is on his guard against what is not yet in sight and on the alert for what is not yet within hearing; therefore, he dwells in the midst of difficulties as though they did not exist.

FOLLOW-UP:

These TDGs have focused upon armed response to a threat, and on the first stages of interaction with responding law enforcement. However, such a situation does not end there, and in many ways, it has only begun. A few more points to consider:

• An important part of the proposed solution is to follow the instructions of responding law enforcement officers to the letter – and to do everything you can to ensure they will not perceive you as a threat. Taking this farther, consider that you and your family are almost certain to be disarmed, and may be handcuffed by the officers until the scene is secured. Your firearm and probably your wife's will be seized as evidence, and you will not see them again for a long time; so make sure long before any such event that you have access to other firearms for your ongoing protection.
• As a firearm owner, you should already have a competent lawyer lined up, and you should discuss with them in advance what your statements to responding officers should be – and not be.
• Consider that the house is now a crime scene and will need CSI/detective response, so prepare for a long night, and probably for spending it at family/friends' house (if you are not taken in for questioning).
• Try to learn the identities of the perpetrators as quickly as possible and, with counsel's advice and without prejudicing your defense, try to ascertain affiliates/associations and their likely response in case of any risk of retaliation.
• Such incidents can garner a lot of attention from press, sympathizers, cranks and weirdos, so consider in advance maximizing your privacy (e.g., no publicly listed phone numbers or emails, house and vehicles not in your personal names but under an LLC or trust, no social media presence, etc. See Extreme Privacy by Bazzell.
• Expect some PTSD symptoms - research what they might be in advance, recognize them for what they are if they occur, seek counseling, and resist medicating them away.
• Consider that investigators will be taking lots of photos of the inside of your castle so consider what might end up being seen by the county attorney, and by defense counsel for the guy who got away, after he's been captured
• What recording devices (Ring video doorbells, security cameras) do you and/or your neighbors have which might contain valuable material for the investigation?
• Finally, although this TDG assumed that law enforcement assistance is available (if delayed), consider how the situation might differ in a more dystopian setting, or even in this one, when you consider other possible branches (more attackers, even slower police response), and in all such cases, the actions of your neighbors and immediate community. What are your neighbors going to do if they if they hear gunfire in the middle of the night coming from your direction? Will they respond to your assistance in any way? If they do, they might well arrive before the police, and the situation might become more complicated. ST discusses elsewhere the value of forming a group of sympatico neighbors; here's one example that illustrates the value of having these discussions in advance of any crisis.

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