Forget operatic fat ladies. I’m with Lenny Kravitz: it ain’t over ’til it’s over. To wit: “Police say the intruders knocked on the back door of a home in the 450 block of Church Street around 4:19 a.m. One of the three residents inside the home answered the door, thinking it may be a neighbour,” windsorstar.com reports (hence the funny spelling). “As the tenant opened the door, the suspects forced their way past her . . .
“She asks, ‘What’s going on?’ and they say they’re looking for someone,” said Windsor police Staff Sgt. Brad Hill. But, whoever they’re looking for doesn’t live at the residence.
“After they look around, they decided maybe they’re in the wrong house and say that to the complainant,” Hill said.
The suspects assure the resident they’re not going to harm her but, before leaving the property, they steal an Xbox game console.
The obvious lesson: don’t open your door to a stranger. To paraphrase Woody in Toy Story: spy holes. If you don’t have one GET ONE! The not-so-obvious lesson: when you’re in a self-defense situation, resist the urge to let your guard down.
Previously, on I Never Saw A Horror Movie With A Fake Ending in My Life, I shared the story of a self-defense shooter who failed to reload after dispatching a bad guy—only to have the bad guy’s friend walk up and execute him. Yeah, it’s that serious.
In this case, the cornered Canuck became a target of opportunity as the criminals’ priorities shifted. If you’re in a dangerous situation, remember that there may be multiple threats arriving at multiple times.
Also remember that you have the option to leave. There’s no rule that says you have to stay in your house if a bad guy or guys come waltzing in. Unless there are loved ones inside, there’s nothing in your residence worth defending with your life. And it’s entirely possible they would be better off with you outside getting help than inside trying to fend off invaders.
Note: it’s perfectly legal to leave the scene or a crime if your life is in danger. Just make sure you call 911 ASAP. Which leads to the obvious conclusion: carry a cell phone on you at all times. And a gun.