Author Topic: A neighbor nearly shot me today (Read 1566 times)

Rogue Ram · « **on:** September 17, 2005, 06:49:58 PM »

Working on my property, and the next door neighbor who owns a much bigger farm was in this big barn of his, shooting a .22 type weapon. I don't know what the hell he was shooting at, but the rounds wear zipping by my head at a range of like 100 yards. They were so close I could hear them whizzing.........thinking they must've been slowed or tumbling after hitting his barn wall. In any case, I hit the dirt and start screaming at him to CEASE FIRE, YOU ARE SHOOTING AT ME AND MY HOUSE. He keeps shooting. So I call the wife on my cell tell her to get the baby in the basement, then call 911.... the dispatcher does what she does, "well, is he just being dumb or is he shooting at you" "HERE, YOU LISTEN!" and I held the phone up for her, she can hear him shooting. All the while I am yelling at this moron to STOP SHOOTING and he won't stop. "The" Deputy is like 20 minutes away (1200 square miles, ONE Deputy.... on a Saturday :roll: ) so I walk out to the road, over to the fence and scream at him again. He comes out of the barn, turns his back to me and ignores me.

Deputy confronted him, guy denies shooting at all. I've never met the guy, he owns everything in the county and is a retired cop. Well, I'm an active one, who works elsewhere. I could care less about anyone shooting small bores out here, but when they get too close they need to stop and change directions. Not sure if I should go talk to the guy or what, he'd prob trump up a trespass charge or something. If I'd shot back and hit his barn you can see where this would go.

What to do what to do.......

RR

williamlayton · « **Reply #1 on:** September 18, 2005, 12:51:44 AM »

The 911 call should be recorded, sounds and voices. The barn should have evidence of penetration.
Sounds as though it should be possible, hope this guy is not a nut, to communicate by phone with him and work out the concerns. If confronted, most folks get defensive. See if a little "talking, not confronting" works.
Otherwise there is always the "legal" venue.
Blessings

Land_Owner · « **Reply #2 on:** September 18, 2005, 01:30:36 AM »

Definatley a phone call. If you have the time and resources, help the man build a berm into which he can shoot. Try to give him an out so he can continue versus the loss of his recreation. He may turn out to be a good guy.

Preaching to the choir here, he is responsible for the rounds that leave his property. Definately resolve before someone gets hurt.

Heavy Chevy · « **Reply #3 on:** September 18, 2005, 03:32:53 AM »

Edited out by Graybeard. I suggest you read the Terms of Use of this site before you make another post. One more like this and your membership will be terminated. GB

Butch HC

magooch · « **Reply #4 on:** September 18, 2005, 04:04:11 AM »

Heavy Chevy--you the man.

-Shaggy- · « **Reply #5 on:** September 18, 2005, 04:09:00 AM »

Heavy Chevy....comments like that are going to get you removed from this site real fast.......

Savage .250 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 18, 2005, 04:22:28 AM »

Sounds like you have a ..................Hmong for a neighbor.

" The best part of the hunt is not the harvest but in the experience."

pffft · « **Reply #7 on:** September 18, 2005, 04:35:19 AM »

I'm not condoning the actions of your neighbor, who is obviously a negligent nut case, but in a wide open residential area, it's nice to be able to eliminate the furry four-legged vermin that try to establish themselves on the property.
It depends on the attitude of the neighbors. I always like to hear someone out shooting because it keeps the larger predators away.
At one time, I had to limit my shots, and the less noise they made the better because the little old city ladies would invariably be calling the cops. All except for my neighbor, who was born and raised a farm girl.

Several years later now, apparently my neighbors have a better appreciation for firearms, and a few shooters who get out there rather frequently continue to do so without any intervention. It sure makes it easier for me to pop off a few as necessary. The benefits are numerous. So, until someone happens to be in the path of some nut's flying bullets and complains, it may take many years to become so populated around here that shooting is finally banned.

Hooker · « **Reply #8 on:** September 18, 2005, 07:00:50 AM »

Not only is your neighbor careless but what kind of feller shoots holes in his barn. Glad you an yours weren't hurt. This is some scarry stuff. I beleive I'd have a friendly talk with him, and explain that you don't mined the shooting but you would prefer he'd be more careful in the future. I'm sure he wouldn't want be responsible for an accident. You know try to appeal to and good sense he might have.

Pat

Nightrain52 · « **Reply #9 on:** September 18, 2005, 08:54:02 AM »

If he was an ex LEO he should have known better. I would try the phone conversation first, not a face to face confrontation. I am not making excuses for him but he might have had a set of muffs on and couldn't hear you yelling at him. He could have been using small bales of hay or straw not realizing the bullets were passing threw them. Some people don't realize how bad a 22 rimfire round ricochets off things. Who knows, if the man owns a lot of land you may talk yourself into a hunting opportunity.

Rogue Ram · « **Reply #10 on:** September 18, 2005, 10:49:48 AM »

I'm not sure what the edited post said, but wow, never seen that before!

I've since found that the guy doing the shooting is filthy rich, and from the people I've spoken to, seems not well liked. He has a business nearby that's open to the public, I'll go see him tomorrow or the next day and say "howdy".

Where we live, we HAVE to shoot. We have a major mouse and rat (!) infestation....but I'm using birdshot in .22s mostly. .22s and probably a shotgun are the most likely weapons to be needed here, but you still have to be careful as I just saw with the .22 trajectory. Rats, skunks, possums, starlings, etc etc are here all the time, as are pigeons, which I think he was shooting at when he blew holes in his barn wall (!).

We'll see what he says next day or two.

Duck n cover,

RR

Land_Owner · « **Reply #11 on:** September 18, 2005, 11:02:46 AM »

Cool. Take him a box or two of your birdshot and leave it with him regardless of the ensuing conversation. He'll get the point and perhaps he won't have to if he LISTENS.

A gift is better for someone who has "everything" becaue everyone usualy wants something from them most of the time.

bullet maker · « **Reply #12 on:** September 18, 2005, 06:52:05 PM »

Hi Rogue Ram

How long have you been a neighbor to this guy? and how far is your house from the barn he was firing from? Yes I think you should go talk to him at his buisness. I predict he will deny everthing. In which case, next time he has target practice, call the police, and say you are being shot at. They will arrest him, and it will cost him money and learn him a lesson. Your a cop yourself, you know the drill. Better to protect your family, than trying to win over this nut case. Any nut that would shoot live ammo from inside a barn, and knowing full well that their is houses on the other side, need to be put in jail.

bullet maker

Rogue Ram · « **Reply #13 on:** September 19, 2005, 04:26:29 AM »

Hi Bullet Maker,

I live in a place where the police service is virtually nil. As I said above, I only called 911 after screaming my self hoarse at the guy. A Deputy did confront him, but he denied everything (which from what I hear is the opposite of what I expected to happen). I told the Deputy at the time, hey, if things are settled yell at me, I'll walk over and talk to the guy with you....but he didn't want that to happen.

As I type this, I'm sitting appx 200 -250 yards directly in line with his barn. When he was shooting I was less than half that distance. I can't imagine why someone would shoot holes in their own barn?! The rounds weren't cracking as they went by, they sounded like they were tumbling...maybe after going through the barn boards they tipped or were deformed?

Two reasons I don't deal with it myself: My outfit (like many others) would go nuts (until their police car gets a hole in it, then they'll crucify me for not calling in an airstrike); two, if I deal with it I'm pretty much on my own.

I'll chat him up today or tomorrow if I can find him. If it goes South and it happens again, next time I'll call the State Police and there will be a different outcome.

RR

FWiedner · « **Reply #14 on:** September 19, 2005, 05:30:02 AM »

Take him to court. Doesn't have to be a big production.

Small claims. Say he damaged your favorite oak tree, shattered one of your wife's petunia pots, punched a hole in your kid's big-wheel, flattened a tire on your car, whatever.

Take pictures.

You'll get to speak to him face to face, and he'll get to stand in front of a judge, get a long lecture on firearms responsibility, and write you a check for his trouble.

Damage should be compensated. When his actions start requiring that he pull cash out of his wallet, he'll listen close.

rockbilly · « **Reply #15 on:** September 19, 2005, 12:25:04 PM »

:roll: Sometime ya just have to explain things to people. I had a neighbor, a retired postman, that took pot shots at my dogs in my fenced yard. I could never catch him in the act, but managed to catch him at the service station one day. I explained, I wanted to be a good neighbor, didn'r want any trouble, but at the same time I would not take any crap off anyone. I told him, I am not accusing you of shooting, but if I catch you, I will shoot back. Since than I have not had any problems with him.

powderman · « **Reply #16 on:** September 19, 2005, 02:02:48 PM »

Don't reckon I've ever heard a bullet tumble. POWDERMAN. :? :? :? :? :? :?

AZ300wsm · « **Reply #17 on:** September 19, 2005, 05:18:50 PM »

How about trying to catch it on video too? It would catch the sound of them going by.

Rogue Ram · « **Reply #18 on:** September 19, 2005, 07:18:08 PM »

Powderman,

Ever work the pits at a highpower match? I've had rounds go over my head before, ones that crack when they go by as they break the sound barrier. These didn't do that.......they were whizzing, sounded like a bee with an alternating buzz as they went by. Guessing the barn boards slowed them down, and thats why no "crack" as they went by. Heck I don't know, just thinking a bullet spinning and traveling true wouldn't sound like that. Never heard one act like that and thinking the barn boards knocked them screwy, thus the whizzing sound.

Make sense?

RR

bullet maker · « **Reply #19 on:** September 21, 2005, 01:55:53 AM »

Hi Rogue Ram

Whats the latest on the update of your neighbor, that was shooting your direction?

bullet maker

bullet maker · « **Reply #20 on:** September 21, 2005, 02:03:17 AM »

Quote from: powderman

Don't reckon I've ever heard a bullet tumble. POWDERMAN. :? :? :? :? :? :?

I have. I use to be a member of the (Tulsa Red Castle Gun Club), I was a memeber for 10 years. It was voted as one of the best gun clubs, in the U.S.A. by the N.R.A. a couple of years ago.
Anyhow, I use to pull targets for the shooters that were qualifying for the M1 Rifle. I believe the match was shot from the 200, 400, and 600 yard lines. Anyhow, the rounds, that tumbled sounded like this,(whop,whop, whop, whop), as they tumbled by. The rounds that didnt tumble, sound like a 22 rifle that cracked over your head as the bullet went flying over head.

bullet maker

1911crazy · « **Reply #21 on:** September 21, 2005, 02:12:49 AM »

When bullets are wizzing by they are ricocheting and tumbling near you yup heard them before its not a good feeling or sound too.

ironglow · « **Reply #22 on:** September 21, 2005, 03:00:25 PM »

Yup ! The M1 and M14 both make a good cracking sound and the floppers make that whop, whop sound ...but not near the whop, whop, whop that an incoming 4.2 mortar round...LOL

Rogue Ram · « **Reply #23 on:** September 22, 2005, 03:52:06 PM »

Hi Bulletmaker,

No, I have not. Wife has 100+ temperature, baby had it up to 104 (!), and now I've got it........ When I've gotten to work, I asked some retired fellas that work for us about this guy, they all used to be partners. They indicated maybe this guy is getting dimensia, he's upward of 75 years old and hasn't been the same. Turns out the company I thought he owned is owned by his son........and I do in fact have some business to take care of, might throw it their way, and will go in soon and strike up a conversation with the son in a roundabout way and feel him out.

For now, I'm the least sick so taking care of the others.......then it'll be my turn of course!

I'll let you know what happens.

RR

Joe VTANG · « **Reply #24 on:** September 23, 2005, 02:19:22 PM »

Hey Rogue ram,

I know where you're coming from. My property abuts a sandpit which is owned by the town. Almost any weekend without snow on the ground I have to deal with some idiot or another who can afford hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of firearms but can't seem to spend the twenty bucks to join the local rod and gun club. When I hear someone shooting over there I usually go over to check it out. They are always set up pointed at the farthest bank from the entrance which means directly at my house. While this seems safe to them, with three boys and twenty or so head of cattle running on my property I tend to disagree. Because the land is "public property" I can only ask them to stop shooting. The town manager informed me they wouldn't put up any signs because they didn't want to discourage recreational use of town land. The police chief, our one and only LEO, told me to call him and he would chase them off, but of course this always happens on the weekends when he's off duty and hard to reach. My only response to these people is to ask them if they mind if I come shoot in their backyard. This seems to smarten some of them up, the others I let the chief deal with after I've run the cattle into the barn and the boys into the house for the duration of their stay in the sand pit.

So, my response in your situation would be to proceed in the manner you intend, but if this brings no satisfactory conclusion to the problem,calmly inform him you are capable of shooting back. I hope it doesn't come to that!