This is a re-enactment and dramatization of an actual member story. This video does not and is not intended to depict or replicate the actual persons, places, or circumstances involved in the incident.
The Situation
In this story, our member lives in a rural area. He and his neighbor have had multiple disagreements over the years.
One day, our member receives a call from his wife while he is at work. She was in a panic, and frantically told her husband about an encounter she’d just had with their neighbor. She told him that their neighbor had entered their property and harassed her. She also told her husband that the neighbor was armed. Although being armed outside isn’t necessarily uncommon in their area, this was no friendly chat. The neighbor threatened her both verbally and with a gun.
Fearing for the safety of his wife and family, our member grabbed his firearm, immediately left work, and rushed home, where he confronted the neighbor about the situation. Tempers flared, and the police were called. Our member assumed nothing more would come of it. He assumed wrong. An investigation began, and it targeted our member as the criminal—not the victim.
The Outcome
Thankfully, our member called the U.S. LawShield emergency hotline, and an Independent Program Attorney intervened. After multiple interactions between law enforcement and the Independent Program Attorney, the investigation was eventually dropped, and no charges were filed against the member.
This story is a great reminder that any confrontation can unexpectedly escalate into a full-fledged police investigation, even if you’ve done nothing legally wrong. All it takes is one person to accuse another of wrongdoing, and a victim is suddenly targeted as an alleged assailant.
Our member did the right thing by contacting the emergency hotline at the first sign of a problem, which ultimately ensured his rights were protected.
The information provided in this presentation is intended to provide general information to individuals and is not legal advice. The information included in this publication may not be quoted or referred to in any other publication without the prior written consent of U.S. LawShield, to be given or withheld at our discretion. The information is not a substitute for, and does not replace the advice or representation of a licensed attorney. We strive to ensure the information included in this publication is accurate and current, however, no claim is made to the accuracy of the information and we are not responsible for any consequences that may result from the use of information in this publication. The use of this publication does not create an attorney-client relationship between U.S. LawShield, any independent program attorney, and any individual.
I hate to point out negatives, but several mistakes were made here. I know in these situations, emotions run high, and clouds your judgement. The wife should have called the Police FIRST, and let them respond to the situation. She can call the husband afterwards, and tell him the Police have been called. When coming home, the husband should have stayed there and let the Police do their job. The husband, by retrieving his firearm, with intent for a confrontation with the neighbor, was a mistake. That is how he got into trouble. TLS probably would not had to get involved at all, if the couple had followed the steps above.
That Member should have called the Cops, not confronted him.
This is a case where the wife should have called the police to deal with the problem instead of just the husband.
The husband should have told his wife to call the police, or called the police himself, to meet him at his residence instead of dealing with the crazy neighbor threatening his wife with a firearm alone. It only takes a split second for the neighbor to flip out even more and the wife or husband may have ended up shot or dead.
There have been too many cases of good people getting screwed over trying to do things the right way without involving police only to have the instigator turn themselves into the victim and the good guy is the one getting in trouble instead.
If the other person was on their property armed could they have shot him For trespassing ? And be in the right
I tell people all of the time just because your able to have a firearm does not mean you know the law . Laws are constantly changing I’ve been shooting all my life I still go to classes I’m 56 years old began shooting at the age of 5 never had an incident