How to prevent a home invasion: Warning signs, precautions and castle doctrine tactics

ADFSDF1996

Note: Unfortunately there are politically biased folks who are adamant in trying to infringe on our rights and liberties as law abiding citizens to protect ourselves and our families. Despite almost every state having castle doctrine laws, there are those politically biased folks who will do whatever it takes to distort the story of a person who acted in self defense in order to paint him or her as the “perpetrator”. Which is why you must always know and follow the self defense laws of the area you reside in. Liberal areas tend to infringe on people’s self defense rights and liberties more often than conservative areas. This link shows my stances on self defense laws and liberties.

Castle doctrine and self defense disclaimer: Never use the castle doctrine or any self defense law in an unlawful way, here are some simple reasonable rules that you must follow. Use non lethal tactics as primary defensive measures, only use lethal tactics as a last resort(only if absolutely necessary), only use the necessary amount of force to neutralize the threat(s), don’t use the castle doctrine as a form of vigilantism, don’t use it as a way of settling a personal vendetta, don’t fire warning shots, don’t chase down fleeing home invaders(only certain states allow you to chase down home invaders under certain circumstances), don’t endanger the lives of your neighbors and most importantly make sure to properly confirm that a suspect is an actual threat before using force. Video evidence is your best friend should politically biased folks of the law try to vilify you. In this link I explain self defense laws in greater detail. With that being said, here are warning signs to look out for, various tactics and strategies you can use to halt a home invasion.

How to prevent a home invasion: Warning signs, precautions and castle doctrine tactics

Warning signs: Always be aware of your surroundings(who, what, where). Be wary of suspicious individuals and activity no matter where you are. Incompetent and politically biased behavioral science “experts” tend to wrongly attribute suspicion to paranoia, but in reality being wary does not equal paranoia. Being wary is simply a survival instinct that helps a person sense danger. Every living creature has a similar instinct. So, here are some suspicious behaviors you should look out for and report to the appropriate authorities if you are almost certain that there is a legitimate threat at play.

How to prevent a home invasion: Warning signs, precautions and castle doctrine tactics

Warning sign 1 stalkers: If when you are out on your daily routine you notice suspicious individuals who constantly glance at you and have a tendency of showing up wherever you go, then you must notify the police and post a picture of the culprit(s) on your neighborhood watch. Likewise if you get suspicious texts, emails or comments on your social media. Screenshot everything and contact the police.

Warning sign 2 Suspicious cars: Should you notice suspicious cars constantly driving around your house, parking around your house late at night that clearly don’t belong to any of your neighbors, keep a close eye for any further suspicious activity(masked individuals, brandishing any kind of suspicious items etc) and quickly call the police before they have time to carry out their plans.

Warning sign 3 someone you know: Normally we like to think of home invaders as being random. But many times, the perpetrators are people we know personally or maybe interacted with just once. Their motives can range from knowledge of your wealth to personal vendettas. It may be harder to spot any warning signs but they may act nervous around you, too nice, ask too many questions and or stalk you.

warning sign 4 loitering: Let’s face it, nobody likes loiterers around their homes, that’s enough to put anyone on edge. But analyze their patterns, are they specifically hanging out around your house. Do they constantly look at your house while talking on a cell phone? Do they get spooked when you turn on your porch light? Are they taking pictures or videos of your house? Are they dressed in a way that conceals their identity?

warning sign 5 suspicious doorbell ringers: Technically anybody who rings your doorbell after the sun goes down most likely does not have good intentions. But what about doorbell ringers during the day? The first major warning sign is if they try to open your door. The second warning sign is if they come in groups larger than 2. The third warning sign is if you open your door but leave the metal screen locked and they try trick you into letting them in or unlocking the door. The 4th Warning sign is if they can’t properly identify the company they supposedly work for, evade the question or leave as soon as you ask them questions about their company.

Warning sign 6 Unfamiliar and suspicious sounds: After living long enough in a house, you will become familiar with and used to all the noises your house makes like the water sprinklers turning on, your pipes acting up, your floor creeping with steps etc. But if you hear noises in close proximity that you are not familiar with or shouldn’t be heard late at night like someone trying to open your doors. Then you better act quickly and appropriately.

Warning sign 7 Threats: This is very serious, when someone threatens you in person, via phone, email, texts, social media etc. Call the police ASAP, even though the person making threats is probably just using scare tactics to torment you, you can’t take a chance.

Precautions: Now that you are familiar with some warning signs, here are some extra protective measures you can take.

Be vigilant
Be vigilant

Precaution 1 Do not post your address on social media or share it with strangers: Never post your address on social media or any online site and do not let any strangers know where you live. Bad folks can use it against you especially if you say something that angers them.

Precaution 2 join social media city/neighborhood watch groups: Fortunately with social media now being so popular, information gets around very fast. Neighborhood watch groups keep you informed on any suspicious or criminal activity within the listed city. Aside from joining your city’s watch group, join neighboring city watch groups as well. And be sure to post any suspicious activities you notice on the pages.

Precaution 3 Form close relationships with your neighbors: It’s always best for neighbors to have each other’s backs. A united neighborhood can help keep a neighborhood safe by letting each other know of any suspicious activity and coming to each other’s aid. Form emergency plans with them.

Precaution 4 Make sure you are never followed: When you are driving, make sure you are not being followed. If you suspect you that are being followed then drive around in circles and see if the car is still following you. If the car still follows you then drive to the nearest police station.

Precaution 5 buy personal defense equipment: Logically you must have some form of defense mechanism to protect yourself and your household, should you get unwanted guests. Your local sports shops, tactical gear shops and general goods stores should sell the necessary equalizers.

precaution 6 install a surveillance system: A surveillance system can come in handy by helping identify any would be home invaders, sounding an alarm that will attract the attention of your neighbors and for proof that you’ll need to deter any skepticism from biased members of the law.

Precaution 7 Check your locks: Before going to bed or going out, make sure that every point of entry to your house is locked. Never leave a door unlocked just because you live in a “safe city”.

Precaution 8 Come up with plans: You and your family should come up with multiple plans on how to proceed during home invasions. Know all your home’s escape routes, keep weapons in safe yet reachable places, know the best defensive areas and run drills every once in a while.

Precaution 9 Don’t appear defenseless: Always give the impression that you have some way of protecting yourself and your household. Never give the impression that you or your household are defenseless.

Precaution 10 take legit self defense classes: It always helps to take legit self defense classes that train you in various ways to defend yourself and your family. Be wary of fake self defense classes, do some research before signing up for a self defense class to make sure it’s legit and not a scam.

Worst case scenarios: But despite all these warning signs and precautions, sometimes home invasions still happen which is why you should know how to react. Note that your two major advantages against the home invaders are the darkness and the fact that you know your home’s layout very well. Two more potential advantages are any plans you’ve came up and the element of surprise. Also, Never assume that the home invader is working alone. Even if you managed to subdue a lone home invader, keep your guard up until police arrive.

How to prevent a home invasion: Warning signs, precautions and castle doctrine tactics

Hypothetical Worst case scenario 1, quiet escape: You reside in a house by yourself and you don’t have any proper self defense equipment or any surveillance systems. You wake up in the middle of the night at the sound of your living room windows shattering and multiple voices. You quickly rise from your bed and think about your options. In this case you have around 3 options.

option 1 quiet escape: Close and barricade your bedroom door, grab your cell phone and any household object that can be used as a weapon and get out through your bedroom window. Once outside call the police and see if you can get the attention of your neighbors so they can offer assistance. If you can’t get the attention of your neighbors then hide behind some bushes monitor your house until the police arrive.

Option 2 a small complication: As soon as the home invaders break in, they decide to split up. One heads towards your room. Quickly close and barricade your door, grab your cellphone, grab a nearby object and proceed with option one. But for whatever reason, the perpetrator gets in your room then use your improvised weapon to quickly and quietly subdue the perpetrator. You’d have a major advantage if you get the jump on the perpetrator. Afterwards, tie up the perpetrator, use your smart phone and take a picture of the unconscious perpetrator’s face. Then get out of your house and carry on with option 1.

Option 3: Taste of their own medicine/castle doctrine: You manage to subdue one of the perpetrators as in option 2 and you notice the perp was carrying a gun, use the perp’s weapon to get the jump on the remaining home invaders. Usually wounding one home invader is enough to make the accomplices flee.

Hypothetical worst case scenario 2: You live in a house by yourself but in this scenario you have some self defense weaponry you can use. Let’s say you legally own a shotgun, semi auto pistol, taser, tactical pen and some pepper spray. Aside from the options in scenario 1, you now have two more options. Keep in mind that video footage of some sort would definitely help protect your freedom from politically biased members of the law that try to distort what really happened.

Option 1 castle doctrine confrontation: you wake up, grab as much of your gear as you can. You then confront the home invaders and uphold the castle doctrine by kneecapping one of them, which will most likely causes the rest of the home invaders to flee due to them not expecting that level of resistance and because they can’t risk a shootout since the police would arrive shortly afterwards. They would also leave behind their wounded accomplice since he or she would slow them down. If the home invaders don’t flee, then retreat to a defensive position and hold the perpetrators at bay until the police arrive.

option 2: Tactical ambush/ castle doctrine: So you gather your equipment just like option 1 but instead of confronting the home invaders you surprise them by attacking them from behind. You manage to incapacitate two while the remaining home invader(s) will most likely bolt for the nearest exit.

Hypothetical worst case scenario 3: You live by yourself and also have access to self defense weaponry. However in this scenario you actually know the home invaders are coming, so you prepare in advance and plan to give them a surprise.

Option 1 warning lights: You notice a suspicious van parked down the road from where you live, you also notice 4 masked individuals getting out of the car, prompting you to call the police, shut off all the lights in your house and flicker your porch light, under many circumstances this may be enough to let the would be home invaders know that you are onto them and they’ll probably flee realizing that you may be well equipped and probably called the police by then.

Option 2 Don’t let them in: You flicker your porch lights but they persist and proceed towards your home. So in response you get your weapons ready and wait for them to attempt a forced entry, they go to one of your windows and break it. One of them goes in first but you instantly blast the would be home invader with your pistol, wounding him and causing the rest of the home invaders to flee. It is highly unlikely they’ll try anything else but if they persist and try to find another entrance then “rinse repeat”.

Hypothetical Worst case scenario 4: In this hypothetical scenario you and your family wake up to glass shattering, it is your job to get your family and yourself safely out of harms way but you don’t have any self defense weapons. Here are several courses of action you can take to ensure you and your family survive unharmed.

Option 1 lead family do safety: You wake your family up and have them follow you to a room with a window. You close the door, barricade the door. You and your family then get out of the house and retreat to safe distance while you call the police and wait for them to arrive.

option 2 lead family to safety: Just like option 1, You manage to lead your family to safety by having them quietly exit through a bedroom window but before you can get out, one home invader barrages into the bedroom. Now you must fight back by any means necessary. Use any household objects and fight dirty until you’ve managed to either stun or incapacitate the home invader, then quickly get out through the window and rendezvous with your family and call the police.

Hypothetical worst case scenario 5: You and your family wake up to the sound of glass shattering but in this scenario have access to self defense weaponry(shotgun, pistol, taser, 2 pepper spray cans and one tactical pen.)

Option 1 chase them away: The father grabs the shotgun and a tactical pen while the mother grabs the pistol and the taser. The parents then give each of their kids a can of pepper spray along with a cell phone to call the police and hide them in the closet. The parents then carefully analyze the number of home invaders and if they have any weapons. Afterwards the parents lure some of the home invaders into ambush and incapacitate two of the home invaders while remaining home invaders flee.

Option 2 citizens arrest: Just like option 1 but the parents get the jump on the home invaders and manage to force the home invaders to surrender. The parents detain the home invaders until the police arrive.

Hypothetical Worst case scenario 6: just like worst case scenario 5 but this time the parents know the home invaders are coming.

Option 1 Warning lights: Just like hypothetical worst case scenario 3 but instead the two most physically capable adults in the house grab their weapons, shut off all lights and flicker the porch light to scare away the would be home invaders.

Option 2 don’t let them in: Just like option 1 but if the home invaders remain persistent and still proceed to the house, the two most capable adults will await for them to try a forceful entry. Once one gets in the two home owners will surprise attack the home invaders, incapacitating some and causing the rest to flee.

Hypothetical scenario 7: Let’s say you know for a fact it’s only one home invader. In this scenario you have an abundance of options. If all physically capable adults work together they will easily overpower the lone home invader. Even just one physically capable home owner can handle one home invader by getting the jump on said home invader.

Household objects as improvised weapons: Almost any household object can be used as an improvised weapon. Pens, pencils, heavy ceramics, workout equipment, tools, cloths, chairs, lamps etc all can be used as improvised weaponry. Aside from household objects, you can also make your own makeshift weapons.

How to prevent a home invasion: Warning signs, precautions and castle doctrine tactics

Close range combat tips: There are many parts of the human body that can be targeted in self defense scenarios, they include the pinky, thumb, vertebrae, throat, side of knees, back of knees, back of neck etc. Be sure to fight dirty and use any weaponry(conventional and improvised) available to apprehend the home invader. If you wound any home invaders and they flee. The blood they leave behind can help identify them through forensics.

How to prevent a home invasion: Warning signs, precautions and castle doctrine tactics

Best conventional weaponry for home defense: There are certain types of weapons you can legally purchase that can give you an edge. They are pistols(Glock, Berreta, Walther, Sig Sauer) shotguns(Remington, Browning, Benelli), tasers, pepper spray, knives, tactical pens, knuckle dusters, self defense lanyards, tactical flashlights etc. They work best in close quarter environments.

How to prevent a home invasion: Warning signs, precautions and castle doctrine tactics

Summary: Be wary of any warning signs, take precautions and know what to do in the unfortunate case of a home invasion. Know and respect the self defense laws of your area, have video and or audio recordings to protect you from any misunderstandings, use common sense and stay safe.

Family at shooting range
Family at shooting range

4 of the many real cases of people upholding the castle doctrine:

https://abc7news.com/5-shot-3-killed-after-homeowner-opens-fire-on-suspects/5097275/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/ktla.com/2019/05/12/lancaster-father-shoots-kills-home-intruder/amp/

https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/intruder-fatally-shot-after-home-invasion-in-san-carlos

https://www.google.com/amp/s/kfor.com/2019/09/24/man-shot-killed-by-homeowner-during-oklahoma-home-invasion-identified/amp/

How to prevent a home invasion: Warning signs, precautions and castle doctrine tactics
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