I think this is a valid reason to pull a gun

[LisaR]

Insert sarcasm!

I moved into a brand new subdivision two weeks ago. We are one of the first dozen residents. It is a virtual construction zone with workers everywhere as most of the homes are not built yet.

I walked out my front door a little bit ago to take the dogs for a walk and noticed two guys a few houses down from me. My first impressions: Matching shirts with a logo on them, three large Sherwin Williams buckets, paint brushes in hand, bending down painting the short, decorative wall that runs along the bottom half of the front of all the property. Hmmm......must be painters.

I guess one of the neighbors had a completely different impression.

As I walked past the guys and said hi, one told me they would be painting the wall today and please don't shoot them. Um....okay?? He then tells me the neighbor a few doors down saw them out there and came out with his gun drawn asking them what they are doing on his property.

A. Technically, that wall isn't his property. He doesn't maintain it.
B. There are at least fifty constructions guys roaming around here all day right now.
C. It's the middle of the day and these guys are clearly painting, not pounding on front doors or peeking in windows.

The guys had to give them the supervisor's name so the neighbor could call and verify. Really? After he confirmed their secret identity I guess he was very apologetic. A little too late, don't ya think? Is he really that paranoid? There wasn't a single part of me that thought danger when I saw those guys. Maybe George Zimmerman is my new neighbor? I'll be steering clear of that loon.

 

[HM]

Insert sarcasm!

I moved into a brand new subdivision two weeks ago. We are one of the first dozen residents. It is a virtual construction zone with workers everywhere as most of the homes are not built yet.

I walked out my front door a little bit ago to take the dogs for a walk and noticed two guys a few houses down from me. My first impressions: Matching shirts with a logo on them, three large Sherwin Williams buckets, paint brushes in hand, bending down painting the short, decorative wall that runs along the bottom half of the front of all the property. Hmmm......must be painters.

I guess one of the neighbors had a completely different impression.

As I walked past the guys and said hi, one told me they would be painting the wall today and please don't shoot them. Um....okay?? He then tells me the neighbor a few doors down saw them out there and came out with his gun drawn asking them what they are doing on his property.

A. Technically, that wall isn't his property. He doesn't maintain it.
B. There are at least fifty constructions guys roaming around here all day right now.
C. It's the middle of the day and these guys are clearly painting, not pounding on front doors or peeking in windows.

The guys had to give them the supervisor's name so the neighbor could call and verify. Really? After he confirmed their secret identity I guess he was very apologetic. A little too late, don't ya think? Is he really that paranoid? There wasn't a single part of me that thought danger when I saw those guys. Maybe George Zimmerman is my new neighbor? I'll be steering clear of that loon.

Oh my gosh that so awful.
I hope they pointed out which nieghbor it is so you can avoid going near his house.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Did he point the gun at them? If so, he can be charged. And if convicted, he could potentially have his right to own guns revoked.

 

[LisaR]

Did he point the gun at them? If so, he can be charged. And if convicted, he could potentially have his right to own guns revoked.

I told the painter I would have called the police. He said he thought about it, but he didn't want to make waves. I told him it wasn't too late to call, but he probably won't. It sounds like he did point the gun at them. When they explained who they were and what they were doing, he then put the gun down to his side, but still held onto it while the contractor was called. Once it was verified that they weren't there to rob him, he holstered the gun and apologized. The painter said he became really nice and was overly apologetic at that point.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I would just move now instead of waiting for the inevitable murder.

 

[IndyRnRfan]

Your neighbor was definitely in the wrong. But, also OP, don't be fooled by what they dress like or drive. A very rich neighborhood not too far away had some burglary issues last year and the guys apparently rented a van and painted a known company on the side so nobody thought anything about it. The broke into about a dozen homes before being caught on someones home security system.

 

[gwynne]

When out in public I always assume it's possible someone could be armed and a tad bit...off. I don't get into it with others. I feel bad for the painters. Sad.

 

[tvguy]

I personal don't think that is a legitimate time to pull a gun. Way way way way overreacting. But brandishing laws vary so wildly from state to state it is hard to say if he broke the law. In a lot of places, if he calmly went out and confronted what he thought were trespassers, it would not be considered illegal.
You say that "technically" the wall isn't his property..so it could "techinically" be his property? I can't tell you how many confrontations I have covered over the years involving easements. Especially in a new subdivision where some people make incorrect assumptions about property lines.

 

[cabanafrau]

That's disturbing.

 

[Vaughn4380]

Did he point the gun at them? If so, he can be charged. And if convicted, he could potentially have his right to own guns revoked.

Agreed, police should be called. Regardless of the guy being right or wrong, once the gun is pointed at someone the police need to be involved. Pretty much a good rule for anytime a gun is involved.

But, also OP, don't be fooled by what they dress like or drive. A very rich neighborhood not too far away had some burglary issues last year and the guys apparently rented a van and painted a known company on the side so nobody thought anything about it. The broke into about a dozen homes before being caught on someones home security system.

This has happened in our area too, a few times unfortunately.

 

[SallySkelington]

I agree. Very disturbing. I would keep an eye on that neighbor.

If there are dozens of workers all over the place, I wonder why he pulled it. Perhaps from a previous bad experience? I know a PP pointed out to be wary of how other people may dress etc., which is good caution, but I wouldn't have come out with my guns blazing.

 

[LisaR]

Your neighbor was definitely in the wrong. But, also OP, don't be fooled by what they dress like or drive. A very rich neighborhood not too far away had some burglary issues last year and the guys apparently rented a van and painted a known company on the side so nobody thought anything about it. The broke into about a dozen homes before being caught on someones home security system.

Oh, I agree. For those of us who are older, we were taught to stay away from "strangers." Strangers were described as scary people and we could definitely tell them apart from the good guys. Yeah, we all know how that worked out! This might even be the perfect place to case homes since there are so many construction workers at the moment that many wouldn't even notice. But again, I walked out, saw the two men, looked to see that the wall was being painted (primer grey was being covered with an actual color) and decided I wasn't in danger. It sounds like the neighbor came out with the "pull gun, ask questions later" approach. Maybe a good approach if these guys were looking in his window or trying to get in his front door, but it sounds like the neighbor completely overreacted.

 

[indygirl99]

We have had roofers in our subdivision all summer as the homes are at the age that all the roofs need replaced. The subdivision was all built at the same time.

We have also had yard men in the neighborhood all summer as the homeowners association is re-landscaping front yards.

We have also had 6 robberies ( 2 at gun point) by men dressed as roofers/yardmen since May 1st this year.

You don't know what his previous experience has been and you are only getting one side of the story from the painters.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Agree with police should have been called as well. Your neighbor is a few cards short of a full deck.

 

[SkaGoat]

I feel bad for the mail man...

 

[Mizzoufan]

Sounds like it going to be an adventure living there.

 

[LisaR]

We have had roofers in our subdivision all summer as the homes are at the age that all the roofs need replaced. The subdivision was all built at the same time.

We have also had yard men in the neighborhood all summer as the homeowners association is re-landscaping front yards.

We have also had 6 robberies ( 2 at gun point) by men dressed as roofers/yardmen since May 1st this year.

You don't know what his previous experience has been and you are only getting one side of the story from the painters.

His past experiences are irrelevant. He was in his home safe and sound. He wasn't in any immediate danger. The proper response would have been to stay inside his safe home and call the police. His response wasn't rationale. He chose to go outside and confront the guys. Had they truly been evil people, they may have both been armed and likely could have killed him.

 

[indygirl99]

His past experiences are irrelevant. He was in his home safe and sound. He wasn't in any immediate danger. The proper response would have been to stay inside his safe home and call the police. His response wasn't rationale. He chose to go outside and confront the guys. Had they truly been evil people, they may have both been armed and likely could have killed him.

Past experiences are NOT irrelevant. Our past experiences are what make us who we are today and we respond based on our experiences. Your past experiences told you "they are painters and they are safe".

Have you ever seen someone who is military jump/cower when a car backfires? Their previous experience has told them that may be gunfire and they need to take cover. Past experience is very much a part of everyone's life.

Again you are only getting the story from the painters and since you were not there only getting one side of the story. Maybe a nice plate of "welcome to the neighborhood" cookies and a get to know the neighbor talk may show you a whole other side to the gentleman.

Our society is way to quick to judge people based on one snippet of time. I can't tell you how many times in my life I have had someone tell me "Man you are nothing like I thought you would be when I first saw/met you".

 

[littleblackegg]

There are a couple of different medical conditions that can cause this kind of behavior. Here in Florida, we used to ask about firearms in the home when evaluating mental health and other things like memory loss. Now, the legislature forbids us to ask. We recommend people with severe mental illness or memory problems have the weapons removed from their home for their safety and the safety of others. The police are used to handling these situations. It sounds like he was confused to me. The police will assess the situation and turn the weapon over to a family member if it is determined he is not safe to have it. Gun safety is a family and community effort, and no one should should feel bad asking professionals to step in and handle it. If the poor man is confused and accidentally shoots someone, it will be just awful.

 

[jrmasm]

We have had roofers in our subdivision all summer as the homes are at the age that all the roofs need replaced. The subdivision was all built at the same time.

We have also had yard men in the neighborhood all summer as the homeowners association is re-landscaping front yards.

We have also had 6 robberies ( 2 at gun point) by men dressed as roofers/yardmen since May 1st this year.

You don't know what his previous experience has been and you are only getting one side of the story from the painters.

If the neighbor was concerned all he had to do was call the police. Easy, peasy, no one gets shot.