This is a re-enactment and dramatization of an actual member story. This video does not and is not intended to depict or replicate the actual persons, places, or circumstances involved in the incident.
The Situation
In this story, our member lives in a rural area. He and his neighbor have had multiple disagreements over the years.
One day, our member receives a call from his wife while he is at work. She was in a panic, and frantically told her husband about an encounter she’d just had with their neighbor. She told him that their neighbor had entered their property and harassed her. She also told her husband that the neighbor was armed. Although being armed outside isn’t necessarily uncommon in their area, this was no friendly chat. The neighbor threatened her both verbally and with a gun.
Fearing for the safety of his wife and family, our member grabbed his firearm, immediately left work, and rushed home, where he confronted the neighbor about the situation. Tempers flared, and the police were called. Our member assumed nothing more would come of it. He assumed wrong. An investigation began, and it targeted our member as the criminal—not the victim.
The Outcome
Thankfully, our member called the U.S. LawShield emergency hotline, and an Independent Program Attorney intervened. After multiple interactions between law enforcement and the Independent Program Attorney, the investigation was eventually dropped, and no charges were filed against the member.
This story is a great reminder that any confrontation can unexpectedly escalate into a full-fledged police investigation, even if you’ve done nothing legally wrong. All it takes is one person to accuse another of wrongdoing, and a victim is suddenly targeted as an alleged assailant.
Our member did the right thing by contacting the emergency hotline at the first sign of a problem, which ultimately ensured his rights were protected.
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