NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — When a woman was forced to fend off a home intruder with a knife, the intruder fled. He returned a little while later and tried to break in again. This time he was fended off with a gun. She fired two shots, sending him fleeing for his life. But, he must have thought he was really onto something with this one. He returned with a gun of his own.
That’s when he ran into the police.
According to WDSU 6 News, the woman first encountered the man at approximately 5:20 a.m. when he broke into her home. After a brief struggle, she got a knife and forced him out. He returned a short while later and she used a handgun to defend herself. Thankfully, by the third call, the New Orleans Police Department was waiting for Deangelo Adams. He wasn’t smart enough to leave while he was ahead. And go figure, he brought a gun of his own to even the score. Now he’ll be in lock-up for quite awhile.
Even in the short space it takes for police to arrive, a lot can happen in those brief minutes. Having to defend yourself multiple times from the same intruder is rare — but not implausible. You’re dealing with some real sick puppies out there on the streets. Thankfully, the occupant of the home was armed and ready to defend herself appropriately.
In the middle of a struggle, it’s everything a person can do to ensure that he or she gets some upper hand. Whether it’s grabbing a knife or a lamp, it doesn’t matter. Improvised weapons can sometimes make all the difference to beat your attacker back until you can reach safety or safely get your gun out.
Composure and blood pressure aside, the second you get that moment free, it’s time to get the gun. Never take for granted that the bad guy is just going to go home and lick his wounds. Assume that whoever was motivated enough to break into your home will return again when the situation suits him.
She took that moment of reprieve to get a gun and get on the phone with police. Smart.
And her fears sadly turned out to be true when, in fact, Adams returned to the very same scene of the crime he had just been forced to flee. Bad guys don’t understand boundaries. They don’t understand why people don’t just lie down and play dead whenever they show up. No, some bad guys want to prove how tough they are by terrorizing their victims. This one was one of those.
If police hadn’t arrived in time, it may have been up to her to decide the ending of this confrontation. As it stands, she’s got at least several months of reprieve before Adams is back out on the street and terrorizing people. One thing is for sure, this gun owner is never going to forget the valuable role that gun played in evening the playing field. I think we can count on her getting some serious range time in between this interaction with Adams and the next.
In the meantime, if you’re ever caught in this situation, do yourself a favor and file a restraining order. Not only is it easy to do in cases like this, but it provides a paper trail. So, if someone like Adams decides to try those same antics outside the home, police have a very fast answer as to why he’s several ounces of lead heavier.