Near Incident

[Jim Beaux]

This happened a few days ago. So I was hanging out in the front porch of the 100 year old fourplex I live in and oversee (I'm an officer in the non-profit that owns it--yes I pay rent). I was chatting with a resident while he was calming his infant (she loves being outside). We are in one of the hoods of Dallas. Anyway, a male and a female started having a very loud fight across the street next to a duplex. The fight woke up the upstairs residents baby. He came out and asked them to take their fight elsewhere. They followed the neighbor back to his door and tried to follow him in. We're watching this unfold and I made my way to the street with my phone in hand to call 911. The neighbor pushed the guy out of his house. The guy grabbed for something in his girlfriend's purse. I immediately recognized it as a gun grab and both hands went to my sides to be ready. Thankfully, the neighbor recognized it as such and was able to push the guy away from his girl. The guy and girl took off down the street with the neighbor yelling a string of profanities. Thankfully, I didn't have to draw, but I wasn't expecting such a close call only a few weeks into having a CHL. This all lasted about 30 seconds from the initial asking of the two to go elsewhere. I called 911 and reported a suspicious person with a description of what I saw. The neighbor didn't want to deal with the police so he never called. Life in the hood. I'd move, but I pastor the church across the street (diagonally across from the incident) and consider being close more important than my safety.

Not trying to be a jerk, but assuming the situation escalated and you pulled your weapon, just what would have been your next move? Think about it. Be careful before getting involved. You cant put the genie back in the bottle.

[OCH]

Bad phone reception of the front porch?

[Vol Texan]

Bad phone reception of the front porch?

Can you re-state your comment? I'm not sure what you're saying here, and I'd bet I'm not in the minority.

[The Annoyed Man]

Bad phone reception of the front porch?

Can you re-state your comment? I'm not sure what you're saying here, and I'd bet I'm not in the minority.

As I understood koine2002's story, he left the safety of his porch. I'm sure that was the point of OCH's question........that it might have been safer if he had stayed on the porch. I'm not agreeing or disagreeing, I'm just explaining the question's intent.

That said, I totally understand koine2002's decision not to move. My wife and I bought our first home in such a neighborhood deliberately.....where we stood out like a couple of sore thumbs due to the lightness of our color. It's a God thing. Also, for the most part we had nothing but good experiences for the 7 years we lived there and I really enjoyed it.

[jmra]

Bad phone reception of the front porch?

Seems obvious to me he left his porch prepared to call 911 so he could better see what was happening and be a good witness.
Perhaps you would have simply walked into the house and shut the door?