Deterrence....presence....Q8

First, we are in a very low crime area and our next door neighbor is renovating so there is nobody home.

About an hour ago (11sh pm), my wife and I were sitting in the family room, watching a movie when we heard a small thump….

As is normal, we’re not sure if it’s real or imaginary or caused by any house movement.

About a minute later, another thump. Like someone hitting something with their body. Like someone trying to force a door.

Now it’s real….

She reaches for the phone to call 911, I move quietly to the front door to put my shoes on, then she whispers, get your flashlight, meaning the Q8. Frack….she’s thinking clearer then me.

Bolt out the door, move fast with the light on full power. She’s got 911 on the line, I’m moving quickly around both houses……NOTHING. Well, there was something, a rabbit. Really, a rabbit, we’re swimming in them, kind of funny, but not really.

Great, nothing beats even the smallest something. No sign of intruders anywhere. Check his doors, check everything, no sign of attempted forced entry either.

Despite my wife telling 911 everything was clear, the cops showed up. Fine with that and that is good. Our taxes at work.

After I calmed down….the big takeaway from all this is….I got the Q8 as a $45 toy. My post in this forum before this reflect the “wow, nice toy”, but now realize that it’s so powerful, there is no mistaking it’s overwhelming PRESENCE. Never mind the fact that it lit up both houses and I could see many houses over. More importantly, it’s a HUGE warning sign that someone is coming so RUN. Sure, we’re all macho man that can beat everyone up with a pinky, or can bring out the 1911 for some Dirty Harry action….but in reality, the absolute best course of action is simply avoid confrontation entirely.

A very powerful flashlight can be that PRESENCE and do that. Unless of course you are dealing with a level of crazy.

We have plenty of normal box store flashlights in the house, so there was no “real need” for the Q8, but after tonight, it is no longer “just my toy”, it’s getting a brother (SP36) and one of them is going to be a permanent resident in the bedroom.

A bit too much unwanted excitement, a lesson learned and all’s well that ends well…

Oh man, that could have been a very dangerous situation. Nice job getting 911 dialed immediately and keeping your wits about you. High powered flashlights do a super job of lighting things up that need to be seen but, allow me if you will, they also make you an easy target. Turning on a bright light and running straight toward the noise is not the greatest idea and I see that later on in your post you acknowledged the fact that avoiding the confrontation would be prudent. Especially you knowing that reno was being done in the neighbors house and nobody was home should have kept you inside your house and let the police do the dangerous stuff.

I have read too many stories through the years where someone who means well gets themselves killed doing that exact same thing. Had it hit too close to home when I lost a uncle who attempted that same thing 20 years ago. I am a law abiding citizen that is armed 100% of the time. Thankfully I have never had to draw a weapon on anyone. I have come close twice but, I was able to move myself and the person with me towards a door quickly before I was involved in the dispute that was turning ugly quickly. I have no reservations using my weapon anytime to protect the life of my family or someone else I see needing their life protected but, I will not be responsible for putting another body in the ground for a piece of property, mine or not. Even though in Missouri there are laws to protect me when I choose to, I would rather not take a life for whatever it is that someone needs more than I do.

I am sure your wife wouldn’t want to lose you over some building supplies in a neighbors empty house. Be careful my friend. If you are going to go running toward the house next time, don’t turn on the light until you have to and have a way to defend yourself.

Take care.

Sorry, but Im not buying it. If this is true, then Im sure the police must have chewed you a brand new anus for leaving your home in pursuit of a potential suspect. Had there been one, and he been armed, your chances of survival would have been about ZERO. Just aim for the light and empty the clip. Plus, the police would have drilled that information into your dead to the point that you’d be far too embarrassed to post such a foolish story on a public forum.

Folks, if you feel threatened in your own home, DO NOT GO OUTSIDE OR PROVOKE A POTENTIAL SITUATION. Lock the doors and Dial 911.

Yep… nothing to add except……

Avoid the situation ’if’ you can.

If that is not possible……. Never ever go to a potential gun fight armed only with a flashlight!

Sorry about your uncle.

Thank you for your concern.

I’m in Canada, in a very low crime area. The probability of a gun armed BandE is very, very small. Also, “running to” needs clarification. I’m in the saburbs, I kept about 100’ from the house. No running down narrow corridors/lanes between the houses. Lots of room for them to run away.

The big takeaway is that the Q8 (or any) immense light turns the area into daylight AND from a distance, removing any of their element of surprise or ability to hide because of the darkness. Plus it’s “night into day” will surprise them. I doubt any druggy would expect that.

That the high lumen lights could do this is not surprising, but needing to do it for real, was an interesting and instructive moment. So much so that I’m buying more for the first line of security.

Now, if they could make them into light sabres…

My original Q8 could also deter an intruder rabbit, however my modded Q8 is now able to both paralyze and cook a rabbit.

In hindsight and a bit of re-thougt, you are right.

Perhaps because im in Canada and where I live, it’s the lesser fear of b and e turning a gun incident. Of course it’s not zero.

Thinking further….if they were trying to break through my door, my first reaction would of been to get the shotgun….

Lol.

A bit surreal. I’m concerned about anyone running down the side of a house….and I get a rabbit.

Honest to God truth….that can’t leave my mind. Everybody remembers were they were and what they did on 9-11. I was racing back to my house and family through the city and I hit a….chicken. In the CITY. Of course it was coincidental but it added anothet level of surreal to that miserable fckn day.

Nah, next time just use a BLF-GT — they won’t be able to shoot at the light if they can’t see.

Here in Western Europe the crime numbers are pretty low too, in Amsterdam burglaries are fairly common but the chance of running into a criminal who has a gun on him (knives are much more common) and if so who is prepared to fire that gun at someone is very very low (guns are no neccessity for burglars because the chance for a burglar to be confronted with an owner with a gun when breaking into a house is minimal) . Burglars avoid confrontation at almost all costs, for good reasons because that is for them the most effective way to stay in business.

So over here, if I come running at a suspect situation with a bright flashlight that will be a very effective way to make a burglar run, with virtually zero chance of getting myself killed.

If your wife is calling the police, I recommend not going outside to look for burglars. That’s a good way to get shot when police arrive and see you creeping around.

Well, jeez, I don’t know how to say this without coming off like a douche. But your assumption that just because you live in a safe neighborhood and that your perpetrator is a druggy and wouldn’t expect it is the exact thing that can get you killed. Bright light is going to make you a target and it will show the bad guy exactly where you are. Though they may be surprised at the brightness of your light you still gave them a target to shoot at. I am no expert in shooting statistics but I think it’s safe to say that your odds of being killed by a bullet are far greater when someone is shooting at you versus not shooting at you.

Good luck in the future sir. I hope your future is not cut short by relying on a flashlight as a blinding weapon.

OP, Where abouts are you? One mistake could get you killed man. What I mean is trigger happy cops as main factor. Too many shoot down for mistaken identity. I can site a few recently. Trader Joes Store Manager, Military guy legally armed trying to help active shooting, shooting of unarmed teen, etc… Many more.

You are lucky as cops these days shot and thing later. Especially if you have bright light in their face.

So TRUE. See my post above this reply.

I have to agree with toddcshoe. Assuming anything can get you killed……

There is a vast difference on the danger level between countries which I don’t think my American friends see.

To obtain a handgun in Canada, where I am, it is a highly restricted weapon. You face extensive multiple background checks, courses and ridiculous level of restrictions. You can not even move the gun between your house and the shooting range without police permission. If I remember correctly, you can’t even get a permit of you are not a member of a gun range.

To obtain an illegal gun costs thousands and unless they are connected to a gang, it’s hard to find them.

Also, unless they are crazy, they know that a break in is going to be a few years of jail, maybe not even that, an armed break in will be 10 years or more.

Just like where you are, the majority would carry nothing, some may carry a knife and an the vast majority would choose to run. On the very rare occasion of one carrying a gun, 30 meters is a pretty long distance for them not to feel trapped so again, running away is the likely scenario.

Of course there could be an exception.

I am a pro-gun advocate, but unfortunatly, there is a completely different level of danger in an equivalent scenario in the US.

Regardless, I thought that it was an interesting discussion of how a powerful flashlight added a dimension of safety….particularly because it just happened to me. But alas….

The cops in our area do not arrive at the scene with guns drawn. Particularly on a well lit street in an low crime upper middle class residential area. Their first choice of drawing something was their flashlights. Lol.

I may be wrong, but from what I know, for them to draw a gun, they would need to feel that there is a violent, gun related crime in process.

Having said this, I appreciate the concern. Anything can happen and perhaps in hindsight, a little more prudence is needed.

This discussion has gone sideways. My bad.

Well, I think you did well. My neighbor and I have a mutual watch going when we are on vacation or away for a weekend.
We do a walkabout of our property checking for anything unusual. I investigate with a big light. I do have my cell on and with me and if really concerned a Glock. We also have bears after our fallen apples and we were awakened one night by a cougar hitting the electric fence around our garden. Man, that was one loud scream.

With the Q8 on any burglar could see me coming from 100 yards away as the properties are both over an acre. I really don’t think they would hang around to confront me.

My situation was a little different, when I was staying at a different location, I had neighbors that every weekend would play music well into the evening up to 2am-4am. This would even happen on regular work days as well. There’d be times I’d call the police but sometimes they would come, sometimes they wouldn’t, and when they did it would take them like an hour to make a pass. . . . .

So what I did is I purchased the Fenix LD75C that has the police Red and Blue LED’s and I’d go outside and turn it on to make it look like the police were on their way. . . worked everytime. lol

I even got crazier and bought a bullhorn from amazon that had built it siren. I’d turn that on too if I had to wake up early the next day.

One caution — when pointing the light at any potentially armed person hold the flashlight at arm’s length to one side, so anyone shooting at the light is a bit less likely to hit you. Don’t hold it right in front of you and make yourself a large target behind the light.

I learned this when trying to get the attention of some probably drunk probably idiots who were night-shooting randomly off a mountainside road turnout, right above our family campsite.