In Lafayette, Colorado, a teenager tried a homeowner’s door, then came at him with a lawn chair. The homeowner opened the door, stepped outside and fired. He was arrested for attempted murder. A CBS Colorado legal analyst says the moment he left the house, he likely stepped outside Colorado’s Make My Day protections. The charge is an allegation. A court decides the facts and the law.
In Mesquite, Texas, a resident shot a man coming through his door at 4:15 in the morning. The intruder was charged, not the resident. In Makaha, Hawaii, on October 17, two masked men walked in through an unlocked back door, put a gun on the resident and left in two trucks. They never had to force anything.
Three cases, different outcomes. Where the confrontation happens matters. So do the threat, what you did and your state’s law. A weak door leaves your family exposed. A bad decision afterward can leave you facing an investigation.
The X is an easy-to-enter home and a family with no plan for staying safe, calling 911 and getting legal help.
Three moves this week: the door, the room and the call. Strengthen the door and frame, back door included, with strike plate screws that reach solid framing. Pick the room where your family gets behind a locked door with a charged phone. Plan the 911 call, then talk to a local attorney before a detailed statement.
Today’s SITREP has the warning signs and the full breakdown. 🚪