My Neighbor shot at Me and My Chickens This Morning

[moniquem]

Oh My......If I told my DH that our neighbor shot at me with a firearm I'm really not sure what he would do but I do know it would NOT bode well for neighbors.

 

[Then I Will]

Not to stir the pot, but to follow up:
I visited my next door neighbors this morning to be sure that the crowing wasn't annoying anyone else.

They informed me that the crowing was not a bother to them at all and that they liked my chickens and had been admiring them for some time now.

They also informed me that they were related though marriage to the neighbor who shot at me, but NEVER spoke to him because he and his dad were mentally unstable and not nice people. They advised my husband and I not to go down there and try to be friendly, but to report to the police if anything else happened, and then they offered to help me watch the coop from here on out.

It's nice to know one set of neighbors has our backs!
I also found three pellets sunk fast into the wood of my coop and run as well as a dozen other nicks and dings from deflected pellets. I took photos and emailed them as instructed to one of the officers who responded to our call yesterday, explaining that I wanted them put on file for when we press charges the next time something like this happens.

I was standing at the gate just inches to the left of where this pellet landed.

Let's just say, our first time calling the cops was a warning shot. The next time will be a sting mission.

 

[bobbi-j]

Not to stir the pot, but to follow up:
I visited my next door neighbors this morning to be sure that the crowing wasn't annoying anyone else.

They informed me that the crowing was not a bother to them at all and that they liked my chickens and had been admiring them for some time now.

They also informed me that they were related though marriage to the neighbor who shot at me, but NEVER spoke to him because he and his dad were mentally unstable and not nice people. They advised my husband and I not to go down there and try to be friendly, but to report to the police if anything else happened, and then they offered to help me watch the coop from here on out.

It's nice to know one set of neighbors has our backs!
I also found three pellets sunk fast into the wood of my coop and run as well as a dozen other nicks and dings from deflected pellets. I took photos and emailed them as instructed to one of the officers who responded to our call yesterday, explaining that I wanted them put on file for when we press charges the next time something like this happens.
View attachment 1267964
I was standing at the gate just inches to the left of where this pellet landed.
View attachment 1267967
Let's just say, our first time calling the cops was a warning shot. The next time will be a sting mission.

I'm glad you talked to the next door neighbor. Also - wow! Good photos! Those are great evidence.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Not to stir the pot, but to follow up:
I visited my next door neighbors this morning to be sure that the crowing wasn't annoying anyone else.

They informed me that the crowing was not a bother to them at all and that they liked my chickens and had been admiring them for some time now.

They also informed me that they were related though marriage to the neighbor who shot at me, but NEVER spoke to him because he and his dad were mentally unstable and not nice people. They advised my husband and I not to go down there and try to be friendly, but to report to the police if anything else happened, and then they offered to help me watch the coop from here on out.

It's nice to know one set of neighbors has our backs!
I also found three pellets sunk fast into the wood of my coop and run as well as a dozen other nicks and dings from deflected pellets. I took photos and emailed them as instructed to one of the officers who responded to our call yesterday, explaining that I wanted them put on file for when we press charges the next time something like this happens.
View attachment 1267964
I was standing at the gate just inches to the left of where this pellet landed.
View attachment 1267967
Let's just say, our first time calling the cops was a warning shot. The next time will be a sting mission.

Sounds like a great plan and the photo evidence is perfect. I'm so glad you made a report and talked to your other neighbors.

 

[Skipper81]

Those are hollow point pellets they do serious damage.
They don't bounce off chickens or people. If you had been hit you would have been injured.

 

[Hopperkiller]

@Then I Will Holy crap! You're located just a mere 16 miles southwest of me. I'm familiar with your area...and I would consider it to be of a rural/agricultural type of locale...plenty of noisy farm animals. I can't believe the PSP didn't lock them up for discharging a firearm at another person...regardless of caliber. PA DOES HAVE the "Stand Your Ground" law that was added to the Castle Doctrine...I'd be seriously utilizing that right if I were in your situation.

Stand Your Ground:
A person in any lawful place outside his home “has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his ground and use force, including deadly force if . . . (he) believes it is immediately necessary to do so to protect himself against death, serious bodily injury, kidnapping, or sexual intercourse by force or threat.” (18 PA consolidated statutes 505(b)(2.3)).

Dont call a pellet or bb gun a firearm because legally they arent. They make be mistaken for one and a person may react accordingly. Even with castle laws you have to respond reasonably. Pellet and bb guns can cause injury. It is encumbant upon the person using that law to prove they met the requirements. Shooting at my chickens with a bb gun from a distance would not justify deadly force in any state. These neighbors are and should be considered dangerous because of their unreasonable actions and police records. You may be able to file a misdemeaner complaint in city court. I am surprised though that it appears no action was taken.
Spent 40 years responding to similar situations and it appears that this call handling is incomplete.

 

[Then I Will]

I'm curious enough myself why they didn't check the coop and run for signs of pellets. Hopefully, my submission of the photos helps when "next time" rolls around.
They seemed to know the neighbor and his record well enough too...

My next courses of action will likely be a camera on the coop as well as a few locks. I'll be more cautious not to go out there after dark and always have my phone and a weapon on me when I do.

 

[bobbi-j]

Dont call a pellet or bb gun a firearm because legally they arent. They make be mistaken for one and a person may react accordingly. Even with castle laws you have to respond reasonably. Pellet and bb guns can cause injury. It is encumbant upon the person using that law to prove they met the requirements. Shooting at my chickens with a bb gun from a distance would not justify deadly force in any state. These neighbors are and should be considered dangerous because of their unreasonable actions and police records. You may be able to file a misdemeaner complaint in city court. I am surprised though that it appears no action was taken.
Spent 40 years responding to similar situations and it appears that this call handling is incomplete.

I agree with this. I would also say that shooting at my chickens with any kind of gun does not justify deadly force. They are chickens. However, if someone is shooting at me or someone I love with any kind of pellet gun or firearm may be a different story. But chickens? Nope - not worth a human life.

 

[RiverOtter]

Those are hollow point pellets they do serious damage.
They don't bounce off chickens or people. If you had been hit you would have been injured.

These are what I use to butcher rabbits. A rabbit's skull might not be very thick, but these go right through them no problem, instant kill every time.
It might take a lucky shot to seriously hurt or kill you, but eye or throat ... "firearm" or not, I'd take this very, very seriously. So much so that I'd take a few more pictures with a tape measure next to them - those are hitting a LOT higher than if someone was aiming for a chicken and that is a factor that should be in the record.

Stay safe and keep us posted!

 

[shawluvsbirds]

These are what I use to butcher rabbits. A rabbit's skull might not be very thick, but these go right through them no problem, instant kill every time.
It might take a lucky shot to seriously hurt or kill you, but eye or throat ... "firearm" or not, I'd take this very, very seriously. So much so that I'd take a few more pictures with a tape measure next to them - those are hitting a LOT higher than if someone was aiming for a chicken and that is a factor that should be in the record.

Stay safe and keep us posted!

Yep. Exactly what I was thinking. I have a pump up pellet gun and with the right pellet in the right place it can kill. We've eliminated many opossum with that little gun. Would be a long shot to land a kill shot on a human but it could do some serious damage.