Friend being prosecuted for threatening people with gun on his own property

I agree, these guys are always well vetted by cable companies, and they do not carry Firearms etc.....
He should have offered them breakfast rather than threaten them.

 

I wouldn't go out to face a threat in my yard unless I had to. My dogs would keep them out of the back yard without my direct permission. Racking the shotgun and yelling at people during the daytime is a little over the top. They had already been there a few minutes and had not harmed or threatened anyone. I would have called the police as long as they stay outside. I don't know Utah law, so I don't know what should or will happen. I would have immediately defused the situation by offering them some food or drink when he discovered their purpose. Whenever I am in a car accident, no matter who is at fault, the first thing out of my mouth to them is "Are you ok?" A little civility goes a long way. If I didn't think the situation warranted the police, I would have taken my gun with me, but I would have spoken to them politely until I perceived they were a threat. I hope your friend turns out OK. I'd hate for someone to go to prison over a misunderstanding, especially when nobody was hurt.

I did have people in my backyard at 0200 one night. We were in the middle of an ice storm and the power was out at my house. The flashing lights on their truck and their cat 4 PPE made it obvious what they were doing. I called my dogs inside and asked them if they needed anything from me. They were OK. I didn't want their job that night.

 

I am very friendly anyway, and get along well with People, in broad daylight you can easily tell friend from foe, even the Bible says if you kill someone by daylight, you are blood guilty because the ease of identity.

 

I keep trying to open the door naked when they come calling, but they're too impatient and leave before I can strip and get to the door.

 

The man to woman ratio in their organization is quite low, you might get a Marriage proposal !

 

I'm already married to an ex-JW. Irony in action.

 

Do you have a link?

 

http://kutv.com/news/local/man-faces-10-years-for-shotgun

Shockingly a working linky to an actual story !

 

I don't believe your story. First, in the real world, before utility workers enter your yard to do more than read the meters (which for the most part is done electronically now anyways), they knock on your door to tell you. Second, you omit an important detail--did he point the guns at them, and threaten them, or did he just have the gun in his hands?

In my state, I don't have the right to protect my property with lethal force (I can protect my house, which is a different matter). I would have first figured out what the heck they were doing, and then decided to do something.

What state is your friend in? What actions did he do specifically? What did he say specifically? What kind of gun?

Edit:
Having read the story, I still don't buy the homeowner's side. Recently, we had some similar utility work in our FRONT YARDS, and the utility was scrupulous about telling us that they were from AT&T and were running cable for U-verse. I can't believe that anybody doing BACKYARD work wouldn't warn the homeowners, especially since a lot of people have dogs in their backyards.