Detroit AR15 Owner Stops Porch Pirate, Sight of Rifle is Sufficient

U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- In the viral video published on Twitter, the armed resident sees a porch pirate taking a package off of the porch. The resident grabs an AR15 type rifle, and confronts the porch pirate.

Link to video on boxden.com

The pirate returns the package, the pirate’s accomplice drives off, and the pirate runs off. It is a “happy ending”. Much could have gone wrong.

This almost certainly occurred in Detroit. It is supposed to have happened on 15 February.  There was plenty of snow on the ground on 15 February in Detroit, so the weather fits.

A commenter on Freerepublic identified the location as Detroit. MotorCityBuck wrote it was likely suburban Detroit, Redford Township:

This correspondent suspects the pirate is right-handed because he uses the right hand to stabilize whatever is in the front hoodie pocket as he comes up the drive and later when he runs away. A cell phone appears to be in his back right pocket as well. It would be unusual to put a cell phone in an off-hand pocket.

The homeowner allowed the pirate to get too close.  He was only holding the rifle with one hand. A disarm might well have been attempted, and very likely would have been successful. With only one hand on the rifle, the ability to use either the muzzle or the butt as an impact weapon is neutralized.

The video does not make clear what is in the hoodie front pocket. It is heavy enough the pirate feels the need to stabilize it as he walks up, and again as he runs off. This correspondent was unable to determine what it was.

A retired officer I know watched the video and opined it was probably a pistol in the pocket in front, because of the weight and the need to stabilize it. He said pistols do not print well through heavy hoodie material. The outline in the right back pocket looks very like a phone.

When armed, and confronting a criminal, don’t let them get within six feet of you. Make sure you have control of your weapon. If it is a long gun, you should have two hands on it.

While Detroit has had poor police response times, they have improved quite a bit. The homeowner likely has the local pulse of what is happening in his local criminal justice system.

He may have believed calling the police was not worth the hassle. In addition, having the perp runoff is a much cleaner and faster solution than attempting to hold a porch pirate on a snowy driveway, at rifle point, when no other weapon has been seen.

Each situation is unique and may require a slightly different response. The porch pirate never threatened the rifleman. The pirate complied fairly quickly. This demonstrates the ability of a well-known firearm to act as a serious deterrent.

The rifleman never had to point the AR15 at anyone, or verbally threaten the porch pirate.

The desired compliance happened because the porch pirate was caught in the act. He knew it, and feared possible retribution.

In a rational society, such an egregious, immoral act as porch piracy would be investigated and prosecuted vigorously.

Phone records could be checked against usage within a hundred yards of the house. That could lead to the vehicle, which could lead to the identity of the perps.

When the system in Detroit is having a hard time seriously investigating homicides, porch piracy is very low on the priority list.

About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.

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