Pinning the Intruder

I'm not sure how to start blogging on this, but I wound up subduing an intruder to our apartment early this morning. No, that's not a metaphor for a cockroach or a stray dog, but an approximately 5'9", 150lb "stoner" who wandered in through an unlocked front door; hold the lecture about locking the doors, for we've heard it more than once already today.

It was a smidge before 7AM, and I had awaken from a bad dream a bit before, in which I had a troublingly-angry response to teasing within the dream. Eileen and I are talking in bed, and I hear some noises coming from the living room. Given that we're the only people in the apartment, it's not natural to hear movement in one room when we're both in the other.

I get out to find a young man seated at the kitchen table, handling a bottle of one of Eileen's prescriptions; his back was to the bedroom door. I reach over to get the drugs out of his hands, and he literally threatens to kill me as the first words out of his mouth. Eileen heard that threat as well, as she ducked behind the bed in case any bullets started to fly.

Saying "I'm going to kill you" isn't a cool introductory line when you have a guy twice your size right behind you; I'm 6'5" and about 300 pounds. I wrestle him to the floor, making sure he has no weapons to back up that threat. He starts apologizing very quickly once I get at least three points for a near-fall; I'm not sure I got the pin, but I think I did have both shoulders to the floor for about five seconds.

It turns out that I just tackled a very confused young man, closer to 20 than 30 I would guess, wearing no shirt, jeans and socks without shoes. Mind you, this is February in Kentucky where the temperature outside at that time was in the low 50s. 

He was about 5'9 and 150, a white guy with dark brown hair, a lip piercing, and a goatee; a young Johnny Depp gets to play him in the movie. He starts rambling about knowing me and having permission to crash here; he's clearly under the influence of something, for he seems to be a few fries and a toy short of a Happy Meal. He's too zoned to be a good Jack Sparrow, this is the Pirate That Doesn't Do Anything... except do unlawful entries into third floor apartments.

I call 911 and have the police sent out, keeping myself between Mr. Stoner and the front door; the 911 operator stays on the line until the police got there. The police seem to have seen this young man before; he gets cuffed, I tell my story, and Eileen, who's been praying up a storm back in the bedroom, comes out to confirm my story. When asked by the lead police officer, he admits to smoking "the usual stuff."

I opted not to press any charges, since he seems to be in enough trouble as is.

I didn't harm the guy; a lot of folks would have been tempted to rough him up once they had him pinned, especially after being threatened. However, once I sensed he was no threat to me, I let him up and called 911. I didn't even make fun of his inebriated state, just kept him around until the police came.

I feel a bit bad about not thinking any God thoughts, but other than tackling the guy when initially threatened, I didn't show any hostility and acted fairly calmly. I'd like to say that "I prayed and then did X", but I just did stuff.

A lot of the things that I've learned managed to get applied in the heat of the moment about being merciful and gentle; not a total pacifist, mind you, for I responded with appropriate but minimal force, but much more gentle than the average guy would have been when faced with an intruder.

You always wonder, after seeing news reports or TV shows involving intruders, how you would handle things. As it turns out, far better than I would have thought; I was too pumped with adrenaline to be scared and had enough of the Gospel internalized to be merciful once out of danger.

Also, the anger that manifested itself in my dream didn't transfer to real life, and that's a blessing.

[Update 7:15PM-Prayers for the young man are in order; he was lost in multiple ways and needs to both get sober and find his Savior.]

Comments

[Bene D]

I'm glad you are okay.

Fight/flight/freeze; you do what you need to do.

If you hadn't heard him in time and he'd scarfed down the pills, you could have have been dealing with a dead or dying guy.

I don't know where peace,strength and mercy comes from in threatening seconds of our lives, you are describing Grace to help in time of need.

Amazing grace and God thoughts in hindsight Mark - you didn't harm when you could have, and chose mercy for a very fried guy.

You and Ellen may be the only people who have ever prayed for him.

Sympathetic CNS response is something isn't it?
I can appreciate it's hard to find words, good on you for finding some.

Take very good care of yourself over the next couple of days as you rest and digest, eh?

[ganns]

Wow, Dr. Byron, that's quite a story. I'm glad everything is well, and you are once again an inspiration. I hope I can behave as coolly as you did if and when a similar situation should happen to me.

God superbless!

[Richard H]

Having not trained for the event in advance, it sounds like you did fine. As Christians we want to get to the place where we do what we do automatically without having to pray explicitly all the time - the idea of being "prayed up" seems to fit the bill.