So last night at about 2am I was awakened by my doorbell and someone beating on my door. My wife and I jumped up and I threw my pants on and grabbed my M&P, we got close to the door and could hear hysterical crying, we looked outside and saw a young girl, who turned out to be my neighbors 8 year old daughter. She was crying and kept saying, "someone threw a rock, call 911, mommy said call 911". I wasnt sure what was going on but thought that maybe someone was breaking into their house and something had happened. I wasnt sure what was happening but I grabbed a jacket and told my wife to get the girl inside, lock the doors and grab the shotgun. I ran down to the house the girl lived in and as soon as I got to the driveway I heard yelling and saw my neighbor had his girlfriend, the little girls mother, by the hair and was throwing her head against the wall and knocked her down. I stayed well back and suddenly heard crying, I turned and saw their 4 year old son sitting in the car, I ran back and got my wife who was on the phone with 911, I told her to grab the little boy and we got the kids into the house. I went out to look again and the girlfriend was sitting in front of the window and the boyfriend was yelling at her and I sat outside to make sure things didnt escalate again and waited for the police. I wanted to go in and do something but wasnt sure of the legal implications of me going into someone elses house in the middle of a dispute and trying to break it up, especially since he was drunk. I kept my eye on them until the police arrived and settled the situation. I feel now that I should have done more, I should have stepped in, but I dont know enough about the laws regarding domestic violence to know if I would be justified in interveneing. I just knew I had to protect the children, the girlfriend is safe, I let her borrow my truck and she hauled her stuff, what stuff the police would let her get, to a safe place. It was a tense situation but I feel that under the circumstances I did ok. I just wish I could have done more. No child deserves to be in the middle of that, if you want to beat up on each other, swing away batman, but leave the kids out of it.
Domestic Violence hits close to home
- Thread starter McGuire
- Start date
ChrisC
Revolver Division
actually you did very well and more than some people would have done in the same situation. I don't see where a citizen should have done anything more unless you could see she was in grave danger. remember its always better to be a good witness than a dead hero...
taymoor
Skilled Lover
Wow. Heavy **** man. I hope the woman doesn't come back to that ass.
Unfortunately, most do
Mitch Rapp
Well-Known Fanatic
YOU DESERVE A HEAVY PAT ON THE BACK! you shouldnt be beating yourself up because you didnt do more. the kids needed your help and you did what you could for them. theres an old saying that i'm sure everyone has heard "No good deed goes unpunished". Entering the house could have entangled your in all kinds of legal hassles or even put you in actual harms way! if you had entered the house the guy might have thought you were an intruder and, with the wacky way the law works sometimes, you might actually have been. who knows, he could have used deadly force on you and been justified in doing so.
you did great. i only hope that more people do as much as you did.
you did great. i only hope that more people do as much as you did.
Robusto
Well-Known Fanatic
You were able to remove the innocents from the situation. You alerted the authorities. You did not involve your self in the conflict.
Sly is right, you did great.
Sly is right, you did great.
Thanks guys, I appreciate the pats on the back. Its hard to see the kids stuck in the middle of something like that...
and apparently none of the other neighbors heard the screaming and the guy throwing a seriously heavy glass at the car. I despair the culture sometimes
the Ex-husband of the girl and father of the kids came to talk to me while I was at home for lunch today and wanted to know what was going on, apparently there was no police report due to the fact that no one was arrested, I hope the courts can see the environment these kids are in and save them. I hope...
and apparently none of the other neighbors heard the screaming and the guy throwing a seriously heavy glass at the car. I despair the culture sometimes
the Ex-husband of the girl and father of the kids came to talk to me while I was at home for lunch today and wanted to know what was going on, apparently there was no police report due to the fact that no one was arrested, I hope the courts can see the environment these kids are in and save them. I hope...
benjamin-benjamin
snickerpuss
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2010
- Messages
- 2,907
yeah, no way to get involved in that, you did the right thing, but you could have ended up in jail for breaking and entering or assault, had you done something more...
Scott Hearn
Well-Known Fanatic
I know that I would have wanted to smash his drunk ass around some on her behalf, but in these days and times you did exactly what you should have.
sefentress
Well-Known Fanatic
Many times in that situation if you had started kicking the guy the gal may have jumped on you, at least thats what my LE friends have told me. You made the smart choice for sure.
Corey
Well-Known Fanatic
Agree with tenxer
you did good children need someone to look out for them, it kills me when couples try to kill each other one night and are buddy buddy the next day
Did the woman go back to this guy yet?
shootingbuff
Well-Known Fanatic
Different take.
First you did what you should had done - great job.
Second don't beat yourself up. You don't know how this started and by your accounts he didn't use the woman for a punching bag etc. Did he "stop" a threat? With no "additional" details at the time who knows.
When one doesn't understand the situation it is best to observe, make sure LE is called, and interfere only if you feel safe to do so if it looks like someone is going die or receive serious bodily injury.
For the macho men it is no different then seeing two guys going at it. No normal person grows up wanting to see women bashed, beat etc, but the truth of the matter is some women don't play by those rules, want you to, or just don't care and will do what they can to harm someone be it by a broken bottle, gun, knife hvy ashtray, nails, and whatever else they can lay hands on.
You did great in getting the kids away. Hopefully the guy doesn't want to take further frustrations out on you or your wife for helping the kids mom and calling LE.
First you did what you should had done - great job.
Second don't beat yourself up. You don't know how this started and by your accounts he didn't use the woman for a punching bag etc. Did he "stop" a threat? With no "additional" details at the time who knows.
When one doesn't understand the situation it is best to observe, make sure LE is called, and interfere only if you feel safe to do so if it looks like someone is going die or receive serious bodily injury.
For the macho men it is no different then seeing two guys going at it. No normal person grows up wanting to see women bashed, beat etc, but the truth of the matter is some women don't play by those rules, want you to, or just don't care and will do what they can to harm someone be it by a broken bottle, gun, knife hvy ashtray, nails, and whatever else they can lay hands on.
You did great in getting the kids away. Hopefully the guy doesn't want to take further frustrations out on you or your wife for helping the kids mom and calling LE.
