Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

I know I'm opening myself up to some couch quarterbacking here, but had an interesting experience the other night that I thought I would share. Interested on thoughts of what others would have done.

My family and I were watching TV at around 9PM when our house was lazed from across the field. The way the house is situated, our family room has a sliding glass door that faces the field, and our sitting area is right in front of it. When the laser showed up, it was just above my daughter's head.

We called 911 and evacuated the room, I retrieved my weapon and determined where the laser appeared to be originating from. The laser stayed on for about 45 seconds, turned off about a minute, then another 45 seconds. That was it.

Deputy arrived 20(!) minutes later. Of course, the event had been over for a long period, so I asked him to just check it out - probably a kid playing type thing. He went over to investigate and then departed. I did not get feedback on what was discussed.

My obvious key concern was that the laser was pointed at our sitting area. Not the roof or another inanimate object, but us.

Beyond that, what could have been done? Over-reaction, under, or just right?

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Attached is he picture of the laser path, my house is on the right side of the picture.

I think you did the best thing at that particular moment. With that said and it happens again, then I would do my own investigation.


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It looks like there's a building near the field end point. Do folks live there, and do they have a kid? Maybe the other buidings further to the left? Might be worth bring up to them and reinforcing that it was takenas a threat to life.

I do not consider it overreaction. Police would consider it an active threat if they were lased.

I'm not really into lasers, but from what I understand and have seen with boresighters and pointers, you could probably get an idea about the distance based upon the size of the dot on the wall.

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GeneFrenkle wrote:It looks like there's a building near the field end point. Do folks live there, and do they have a kid? Maybe the other buidings further to the left? Might be worth bring up to them and reinforcing that it was takenas a threat to life.

I do not consider it overreaction. Police would consider it an active threat if they were lased.

I'm not really into lasers, but from what I understand and have seen with boresighters and pointers, you could probably get an idea about the distance based upon the size of the dot on the wall.

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Where the line ends, that is a house with a 12 year old kid there. I'm not sure if that is the originating point of the laser, or if it came from further back. The dot was rather large.

Sounds like that might be a reasonable starting point. If it was the kid, there needs to be an understanding that the behavior can be harmful... Even if unintended.

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On the way to the kitchen I would have drawn the drapes amd caome back with my cup of coffee.

Jim

arkypete wrote:On the way to the kitchen I would have drawn the drapes amd caome back with my cup of coffee.

Jim

In my case, it was a glass of wine.

I'd wander off to the house, ask if the kid has a laser, and very kindly tell him pointing it at someone's house is 1) dangerous 2) seen as a threat 3) impolite.

Yeah...most likely he is just a stupid kid, but I would have been seriously annoyed. Now if any of the nonsense that is on the cusp of breaking loose ever does I would consider that an immediate threat.

I remember being the same age and I pointed a laser at someone in Va Beach. That would have been 13 yrs ago. The guy gave a good bark at me and ever wince then I've never pointed a laser at anyone. I didn't know at that age how lasers could be perceived as threatening like I know now.

It was probably a police officer or military guy that I lazed out of uniform now that I recall his tone of voice.

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I would have gone to another room, opened a window and lit the area with my own laser ( not saying what laser is attached to).

Lasers are dangerous in and pf themselves. There's a reason pilots and the FAA goes ape when airplanes get lazed. Blindness is easy to cause.

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They can be dangerous, I think I would have closed the blinds, continued on watching tv. Stupid kids doing stupid things, but not like they're vandalizing stuff.

Sounds like you did right. If nothing else it helped reinforce what to do when/if something does happen.

Or you could you could have picked up the nearest mirror!

Are you sure of the angle of that line? Because it would seem to me that the beam would of came straight across from the dormer on the other house.

I paraphrase Mel Gibson from "Lethal Weapon" when they're in the garage:

"Do what I do when God Laze's you... laze him back."

thekinetic wrote:Are you sure of the angle of that line? Because it would seem to me that the beam would of came straight across from the dormer on the other house.

Pretty sure I have the angle right. It was right outside the south side of the dwelling.

I love these responses all!

How much motion did the beam have - or was it steady?
The second 45 seconds, was it painting the same location?