Alright guys, I have a neighbor who has been looking in my windows at night, carrying a rifle everywhere, even to the dog park(!), and doing other weird shit like hanging raw meat inside his car. He’s posting super violent stuff on Facebook and the police won’t do anything. They say his mental health case worker won’t do anything until he’s done something illegal. He has this double-headed battle axe that he leaves outside my door or in his car stuck between the seats. My question is: is it illegal in NY to have a battle axe in your car?? Is it illegal to walk around with if you’re pretty clearly up to no good? This axe is clearly not for chopping wood. I would never want to get someone in trouble, but something has got to happen as this guy is escalating and I’m legitimately scared he’s going to hurt me or someone else. As a female living alone, I just want this guy to get some help.
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Crazy neighbor with axe
- Thread starter Beebee
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OK, kinda hard to make comments on NY laws since NY laws don't come anywhere close to being enforced like they are down here but here goes. Oh, and I am NOT a lawyer, I just have strong opinions.
In my opinion he is already breaking the law - peeping and stalking. Peering through you windows after dark is crossing the line between legal and illegal. It may be legal to walk around the neighborhood but it is illegal to peer through your windows. Somehow, I can't see how wandering around with a double-bit axe is legal. Even down here in Texas, you have to have a legitimate purpose for packing one - going to an axe throwing competition, cutting down trees, etc. Walking around in public just packing one is illegal. Besides w/ concealed carry, the right to carry a knife of any length (except where a concealed handgun can't be carried), and the castle doctrine, packing a DB axe would be ridiculous.
Down here in my neck of the woods in Texas, my sisters' would simply make sure their glocks and shotguns were loaded, ensure the locks were secure and then call the Sheriff's Department and report his ass as a Peeping Tom and a stalker. Daily. Every time he approached one of their windows, day OR night. Get a paper trail for bizarre behavior started documenting his actions. They would also tell their friends about it.
They would not tell their brothers as we would probably find the jerk and "reason" with him the old fashioned way.
The next time he leaves the axe outside your door, call the cops, report an abandoned axe and have them come get it. Or keep it.
In my opinion he is already breaking the law - peeping and stalking. Peering through you windows after dark is crossing the line between legal and illegal. It may be legal to walk around the neighborhood but it is illegal to peer through your windows. Somehow, I can't see how wandering around with a double-bit axe is legal. Even down here in Texas, you have to have a legitimate purpose for packing one - going to an axe throwing competition, cutting down trees, etc. Walking around in public just packing one is illegal. Besides w/ concealed carry, the right to carry a knife of any length (except where a concealed handgun can't be carried), and the castle doctrine, packing a DB axe would be ridiculous.
Down here in my neck of the woods in Texas, my sisters' would simply make sure their glocks and shotguns were loaded, ensure the locks were secure and then call the Sheriff's Department and report his ass as a Peeping Tom and a stalker. Daily. Every time he approached one of their windows, day OR night. Get a paper trail for bizarre behavior started documenting his actions. They would also tell their friends about it.
They would not tell their brothers as we would probably find the jerk and "reason" with him the old fashioned way.
The next time he leaves the axe outside your door, call the cops, report an abandoned axe and have them come get it. Or keep it.
JJ_Colt45
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Best thing you can do is be vigilant ... call the law each and everytime he peeps in a window or comes onto your property armed ... those are the kind of things that can be acted upon ... sadly it may take a few of them and esculating to trepass him where they will legally take action or his mental health worker will do something ...
but I wouldn't blow it off or confront him (well I would) but I wouldn't recommend it unless you are prepared for where it may go ...
file reports so there is a record and protect your family ... sad that it takes a trail of incidents but it seems to anymore ...
but I wouldn't blow it off or confront him (well I would) but I wouldn't recommend it unless you are prepared for where it may go ...
file reports so there is a record and protect your family ... sad that it takes a trail of incidents but it seems to anymore ...
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Keep calling it in. Even if the acts are "legal" doing so in a menacing way could give them grounds to act. IE, in some places I can carry a rifle to my car, but carrying it uncased and possibly loaded could be considered brandishing and menacing. Document what you can, be very sure you can back it all up. Make sure your locks are good, and your phone is charged. If someone is looking in windows while on your property, that is trespassing.
Also might be worth taking a bunch of photos of your stuff and how its arranged, then couch surf a friend's place for a few nights. Sometimes the best place to be is somewhere else.
Also might be worth taking a bunch of photos of your stuff and how its arranged, then couch surf a friend's place for a few nights. Sometimes the best place to be is somewhere else.
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Man this is a bummer. Stay clear and be safe.
If possible get some of these actions on video. If you can afford security cameras get them installed.
Do you carry pepper spray?
If possible get some of these actions on video. If you can afford security cameras get them installed.
Do you carry pepper spray?
jux t
Gold Member
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I think it is legal to look into open windows, though not if the person is on your property. I think the above recommendation of getting a security camera is a great idea. They are pretty affordable now and can link to your phone.
While it is strange behavior, it seems that you haven't observed illegal behavior. A camera could help catch him if he is doing anything illegal.
What kind of "violent stuff" has he posted on Facebook?
While it is strange behavior, it seems that you haven't observed illegal behavior. A camera could help catch him if he is doing anything illegal.
What kind of "violent stuff" has he posted on Facebook?
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I would also add, get a neighbor or 2 or 3 to call in with you, there is power in numbers- especially in a situation like this, if multiple people are calling in on the guy, it will be a more solid case than one calling in dozens of times.
This is distressing behavior without doubt. I second the nuanced comments of others regarding the legality. For example, it is unclear if "looking in my windows at night" means, like while walking in the sidewalk or going up to the house through your lawn/bushes/garden to do so. In the first case, it is intrusive but my understand is that sidewalks and your driveway are considered public-access areas and thus not trespassing per se. The second case could be argued as trespassing. Either way, as other have said, report those cases to the police and keep a log for yourself of the reporting. Maybe you can get a restraining order. Even if that doesn't stop it, while one hopes nothing will ever happen, the reporting would be useful should you ever encounter yourself in a self-defense situation. Oh, and to discuss the matter with your neighbors... so that more people and keep tabs on the guy and maybe find foul play.
Finally, since you said the person carries a rifle around, I'm guessing open-carry is fine. If that's the case, you might want to carry also if you feel comfortable doing it. It is always bad to have the matter escalate into a "cold war" status, but sticking one's head in the sand seems silly in my opinion.
Finally, since you said the person carries a rifle around, I'm guessing open-carry is fine. If that's the case, you might want to carry also if you feel comfortable doing it. It is always bad to have the matter escalate into a "cold war" status, but sticking one's head in the sand seems silly in my opinion.
Hey all,
Thanks so much for your replies. It means a lot since I really felt like I was at a dead end.
Yesterday I learned from the cops that apparently the city places a lot of people from the department of developmental disabilities in my fairly high-end neighborhood. He is one of them.
He left a new axe outside my door as well as empty alcohol bottles, so I contacted law enforcement and told my landlord that he needs to either let me out of my lease or do something. My landlord spoke with the state police finally after I informed him that this guy has prior gun charges and my landlord offered to move me to a new property ASAP. Unfortunately this house is in the same neighborhood, but at least I’m not going to be sharing a wall with him and it’s a stand alone house. I’m in college and school starts in two weeks, so I’m going down to Florida before school starts (my home state) to get a concealed carry license since NY has reciprocity. Even though I’m a medical first responder up here, in my city it’s pretty much impossible to get a concealed carry license and I don’t feel safe enough just having my Mossberg 590 Shockwave at home, since even carrying a taser here requires a concealed carry license and we have zero street lighting and no cell service. I carry my EMS knife with me at all times currently, but I don’t ever want to have to get close enough to crazy boy to use it. Especially since he seems to always be armed himself.
I’ve got a ring doorbell and got video of him carrying his gun around and showed it to the police, but they didn’t seem to mind. Somehow when he delivers things to near my front door he manages to evade view of the camera.
Also, he doesn’t know that I’m armed which I’d think is probably for the better. Let him break in... he’s only gonna do it once
Thanks so much for your replies. It means a lot since I really felt like I was at a dead end.
Yesterday I learned from the cops that apparently the city places a lot of people from the department of developmental disabilities in my fairly high-end neighborhood. He is one of them.
He left a new axe outside my door as well as empty alcohol bottles, so I contacted law enforcement and told my landlord that he needs to either let me out of my lease or do something. My landlord spoke with the state police finally after I informed him that this guy has prior gun charges and my landlord offered to move me to a new property ASAP. Unfortunately this house is in the same neighborhood, but at least I’m not going to be sharing a wall with him and it’s a stand alone house. I’m in college and school starts in two weeks, so I’m going down to Florida before school starts (my home state) to get a concealed carry license since NY has reciprocity. Even though I’m a medical first responder up here, in my city it’s pretty much impossible to get a concealed carry license and I don’t feel safe enough just having my Mossberg 590 Shockwave at home, since even carrying a taser here requires a concealed carry license and we have zero street lighting and no cell service. I carry my EMS knife with me at all times currently, but I don’t ever want to have to get close enough to crazy boy to use it. Especially since he seems to always be armed himself.
I’ve got a ring doorbell and got video of him carrying his gun around and showed it to the police, but they didn’t seem to mind. Somehow when he delivers things to near my front door he manages to evade view of the camera.
Also, he doesn’t know that I’m armed which I’d think is probably for the better. Let him break in... he’s only gonna do it once
Editing to add:
Two neighbors have taken pictures of the axes he leaves around (they’re not wood cutting axes at all- they’re way too thin. I could only imagine they would count as bladed weapons) and have reported him to the police, along with their personal experiences with him.
Two neighbors have taken pictures of the axes he leaves around (they’re not wood cutting axes at all- they’re way too thin. I could only imagine they would count as bladed weapons) and have reported him to the police, along with their personal experiences with him.
I do carry pepper spray when I’m taking out the trash and all, but I only carry my EMS knife when I’m going somewhere in the car because it’s illegal in my town to have pepper spray without a CC. I’m currently applying to combined MD and PhD programs which are extremely competitive, so having any sort of charges would majorly hurt my chances and I can’t bring myself to think it’s worth it to risk it.
I have a ring video doorbell and have caught him carrying his gun around on it and showed it to the police, but they don’t seem to care.
It’s definitely not cut and dry. We live in a building of four apartments attached to each other. He tries to look through the glass of my front door, which has frosting on it now so I can’t imagine he sees much but it’s still freaky. Knocking on someone’s door and looking through the window of it isn’t illegal though. The thing that is probably illegal is going around to the back of my apartment that faces the woods and coming up to the glass door to look in. There’s no reason anyone should be back there. I’m the only one in the building who has a door in the back. Unfortunately, I don’t have any proof it was him. I’ve since put blackout curtains on all my windows and my glass doors downstairs.
I’ve been reporting everything with a legitimate basis for reporting since I get the feeling that he’s going to break in one day since he’s been so much escalating lately. I want to have my butt covered when I have to blast him into another dimension.
He’s been posting these 20 minute long selfie videos every other day preaching violent religious stuff. It seemed to be the only thing the police are concerned about.
It takes a -lot- for police to do anything around here. I live in a fairly small but extremely liberal college town where people don’t like police and so the police are very hands-off. Which don’t get me wrong is a great thing; cops are never out shooting radar or harassing people, but apparently this hands-off policy applies to this kind of thing too. Where I am from in Florida the police would at least go talk to him and tell him to knock it off.
Normally I am the type to confront people too, especially with my work in EMS. I deal with crazies everyday and a lot of times if you talk to them sternly like a parent they’ll shape up immediately because they view me as an authority figure, but I’m a good 20 minutes away from the police station if they’re coming red lights and sirens and that’s a long time for stuff to go down.
It’s just a shitty situation in general. I’ve been reporting everything and handing over written timelines of when things have happened to be scanned into police reports in case this guy breaks in and I have to defend myself. Two of my neighbors have now made police reports too, so hopefully I’ve got myself covered.
JJ_Colt45
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if your local police aren't taking videos with violent threats seriously ... contact your state patrol ... they will more likely look into it or possibly pass it on to be looked into ...
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If he does break into your place, don't even think once about trying to "defuse the situation". Do NOT talk to him. Do NOT try to reason with him. Just Ventilate him. Once he kicks in the door, busts out a window, whatever...., as soon as he enters the residence, he's fair game. He won't listen to you anyway.
Trying to reason with someone like that in your own home is way different from trying to reason with someone on a legitimate EMS call, where you probably have FD and PD backup.
I've been an ETMT-B since 1990 and have had to defuse issues LOTS of times, but I always at the least had a partner with me for assistance and backup.
Trying to reason with someone like that in your own home is way different from trying to reason with someone on a legitimate EMS call, where you probably have FD and PD backup.
I've been an ETMT-B since 1990 and have had to defuse issues LOTS of times, but I always at the least had a partner with me for assistance and backup.
stabman
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- Sep 17, 2007
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I would ignore his wierdness unless he tresspassed/peeped in from my property.
What he does on his own property isn't my business.
However,
Tresspass and peep in my window (especially if menacing me with an axe) would get him some free body piercing courtesy of Smith and Wesson.
I live in GA, not NY so you may want to check local laws before perforating the pervert.
What he does on his own property isn't my business.
However,
Tresspass and peep in my window (especially if menacing me with an axe) would get him some free body piercing courtesy of Smith and Wesson.
I live in GA, not NY so you may want to check local laws before perforating the pervert.
While I don't know if this illegal because it still may be borderline trespassing, in my opinion it is clearly stalking. If you had proof it should trigger action with the police or get you a restraining order.