WHEN CRIME COMES KNOCKING

If you've never been robbed before, this is what it looks like when a gun is stuck in your face by a would-be robber. Attention getting, to say the least.

As my long-time readers remember, last July I was the victim of an attempted home invasion, and I posted about it not long after it happened.

The would-be robber was caught a week later after another attempted robbery. I was taken to where he was under detention and identified him. The perp was released on bail before his entire record was made available to the authorities; he had a warrant for his arrest.

The PD and DA contacted me and apologized, etc., and assured me he would be caught again as these types find their way back into the system, eventually. Well, he found his way back. The DA contacted me the other day and advised me to be in court this Thursday to testify against the little bastard.

However, he will probably be getting off on the charges. Why? According to the DA, when the police took me to identify him, they didn't do a line-up with other individuals; he was the only one present. Mistake. His lawyer knows this and had him plead "not guilty."

***THE DETAILS***

Back when this happened, I said I'd give you the details of the incident, but never did. Briefly, this is what happened:

When the gun was pulled on me, I grabbed it and we struggled. During the struggle, the perp dropped his holster, then decided the situation wasn't going the way he had planned, so he fled. I was lucky.

Publicly, the police advise you to cooperate with the robber, remain calm, etc. However, this is bullshit and will more than likely get you injured or killed. All robberies of this type are situational; sometimes it is best to cooperate. This was not the case with my situation--to allow him to take control inside my home was a death sentence, in my mind.

The police know this all too well and, privately, will tell you so. I have always known this and that's why my immediate reaction was to grab the gun, not to cooperate, and struggle with him. Again, I was lucky.

The lesson in all this: Be prepared, have a plan. Think through all the "what ifs" in your daily movements. Always be aware of your surroundings.

I'll let you know how it turns out.