(Update: Youtube version of the video found.)
From the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office
BREAKING: Two males broke into an occupied south Everett residence this morning, assaulting the female homeowner and ripping the jewelry off of her before stealing other items and fleeing. If you can identify either of these suspects, or have information about this incident, call Det. Geoghagan 425-388-5258
If anything, the video is conformation that the “just hide, don’t resist and they will leave you alone” tale is BS. Big Ass Warning: I am not advocating doing a house clearing if you are alone (If family is present and in danger, that is another deal) but I also not in favor of placing yourself in a situation where you have no recourse but to be injured.
The concept of a Safe Room makes sense if you realize the passive restrains alone are not enough, specially with cheap inside doors like a closet’s with a $15 door knob as locking device. You would need to upgrade the door to at least a solid core with good locks (and even a dead bolt) and outside opening or come up with some sort of devices that would stop a lazy home invader or if you face a dedicated one, it will give you time enough to access your defensive weapons. Never forget that time and distance are your allies as they give you time to prepare.
My choice to reinforce an inside door? A cross-bar with the hooks firmly attached to the wall studs. There are plenty of manufactured door bars and other security devices, but never forget that if you really need it, it means you are on emergency mode running on adrenaline and gross motor skills. Anything that requires some sort of finesse to engage might not be the right call.
And, of course your weapon of choice must be there, ready to be used. This is the location where a good second-hand pistol, rifle or shotgun pays for itself with lots of interest. Be smart about it: if you have an ample closet or you are securing the bedroom where a long gun can be manipulated, do so. If you have very little space, then a pistol might be the right choice. Goes without saying that if you have kids, those guns must be secured with a device that does not require fine motor skills but still keep the guns from the little ones.
Other things you may need? Light source, a charged spare cell phone (does not need to have service to call 911) and a small med kit.
You can improve your chances of survival with some adjustments and according to your budget. Just take the time to research and think what could happen and how to minimize it.
I lived in Everett for about 8 years (or for 7 years and 364 days after realizing I wanted to go back home to Idaho) and that area, near Mariner High School, is notorious for gang activity and violence. Building a safe room should be step 2, step 1 is don’t live near Mariner High or anywhere like that
90%+ of people that break in to a home want nothing to do with harming anyone. That is true.
BUT, that same 90%+ of people tend to go to great lengths to make sure there aren’t people home when they break in. They watch to see if it’s empty, knock, etc. etc. They look for empty houses to burgle.
If someone breaks into an occupied house…then you can bet they DON’T think that that action WON’T lead to interacting with the people in the occupied house. And they usually don’t plan for that interaction being a pleasant one for the occupants.
So yeah, passive cannot be relied upon at all. If you want to lock yourself in a room…then you do you; fine. But you better have a backup plan for in case they aren’t OK with that.
The “they just want stuff, stuff can be replaced” attitude applies to burglars, not home invaders. You have to assume the worst about home invaders.
Britain’s gun control and perverse court precedents against self-defense have created the situation where home invasions are more common than burglaries. That way the occupants can show them where the most valuable items are, and if anyone acts in self-defense, well, the criminal can rob them again in a lawsuit!
Plan A-armed at all times with a back up 12ga and carbine handy, cameras outside and driveway alarm…..
Plan b in the works.heh heh
All I saw was a 30 second ad and then nothing but a rotating bar in a circle after watching for 5 minutes. Video never loaded.
My apologies, at the time of writing the Facebook video was the only version available. I finally found a Youtube version and it is posted now.
Nice stacking in the fatal funnel. If the home-owner had been armed (and competently trained with some attempts at mental-preparation)….. Crime statistics would go down by 2 perps for the foreseeable future.
This is IMHO the perfect scenario for defensive use of a shotgun with 00 buck. Lots of power with lots of BBs and probably the interior wall becomes concealment rather than cover.