Sounds like your best bet is to tell this to someone you trust - someone really trustworthy - and then deposit the information with them for safekeeping and for their information, with the understanding that should you turn up murdered or disappeared or abducted or whatnot, that they then have the information and know to give it to the authorities or otherwise make good use of it.
This. And it’s more compelling that you’ve added that “occasional physical violence” is part of that person’s behavior. Quit trying to figure out how to speak from beyond the grave and tell someone now when it could make a difference.
I’m ex-corporate IT and this is a really bad idea. We probably won’t even notice it before we delete it. Print it off and put it in a safe-deposit box. And speak to the police.
I’d have to say that your evidence may be no real evidence at all. Did you make a note that X shouted at someone? Or do you have a recording or video of X committing aggression or crimes?
What is the point of holding on to this “evidence”? Is the person threatening you because they know you’re keeping some kind of file on them?
If the police are trying to track down a suspect to your murder, they’re going to talk to your friends and family, not index your work computer’s file system nor call your lawyer.
Send it to your parents or a few friends.
Quit communicating with the crazy guy. That won’t work and no matter what message you think you are sending, that won’t be the one he receives. Neither will his response be the one you predict.
Your “evidence” is useless in the legal sense. But a talk to the police is a useful record. Even if they say, as I predict they will, that they can take no action absent blood or a bruise, at least they’ll have that tidbit in their database. So when you turn up missing they’ll have a lead to go on.
In my state, FL, they have something called a civil injunction that’s made for these situations. Not cost free, and a piece of paper isn’t much of a physical defense. But it is a pretty clear message and it has a lot of value as a base from which to escalate as this guy’s mania (or drug problem or both) slowly escalates.
IANA expert, but I’ve never seen a violent problem person just drop it. Instead they ratchet themselves into jail or into a fight with somebody badder than they are followed immediately by a one-way trip to the morgue. You might be the 3rd party beneficiary of that, or you might be the victim that puts the guy away.
Thank you. I thought that my work computer was a good idea, but you’ve convinced me it isn’t. I’ll follow your advice.
No. The fact that the person knows that I have some evidence (the extent and legal value of which they aren’t sure of) seems to prevent outbursts. That, and the fact that while I can’t avoid that person, ignoring them seems to be working.
This is all very clear, thanks.
This again. We had an incident recently where my wife felt threatened by an angry man, as was his intention I believe, but he didn’t SAY anything threatening. The only thing the police wanted to know was, “did he make any threats.”
Your guy has crossed that line.
Since you’re Belgian, couldn’t you entrust a notary public with these evidences? I don’t know if it’s possible for them to keep documents on your behalf (other than deeds, wills, etc…) but couldn’t you annex the evidence to a will (or leave it as a mystic will, hence sealed, assuming such wills are allowed under Belgian law)? In this case, you have the certainty that it will be opened upon your death.
Note for American posters : a civil law notary public has pretty much nothing to do with an American notary public.
Report it to the police. Threats are considered “assault” in some states. It is a crime!
Another reason to bring it up to the police is that if it’s nothing they’ll write up a report (so you’ll have something in writing), roll their eyes and shoo you away. OTOH, if they’ve already had a handful of reports on this guy, you’re just adding to the list, especially if he’s been told (legally) to knock this stuff off.
If you don’t want any contact with this person anymore, I agree with the others that you need to cut them off, don’t proactively seek them out, even if it is to tell them that you’re documenting all run ins with them. Perhaps the next time you see them you just need to say ‘HEY, you’re making me nervous, you need to stay away from me or I’m going to get a restraining order’. Empty threat or otherwise, it’ll be interesting to see if he takes it seriously. Don’t get me wrong, some people just don’t get social cues, but if you’re fearing him, it might be time to let someone else deal with it and like I said, if he’s doing it to you he might be doing it to others as well.
Have you looked him online to see if he’s been in trouble for this before? FTR, if he has, I wouldn’t even think about it, I’d stop at the police station after work.
I agree with multiple copies in various places.
If your work computer has Outlook and is hooked up to Exchange, you can create an email with the file as an attachment. You can then delay sending the file for a month or so to someone. Just make a reminder to change the send date before the file is sent. Of course if you are killed or something, you work might delete your account before the email is sent.
It shouldn’t matter if it’s empty bluster. Surely Belgium has laws about making threats against people. At the very least, you’d get him to stop bothering you for good. That’s gotta be worth something. Hell, you might not even have to deal with him at all, if they decide it’s credible.
I was going to suggest giving it to your local District Attorney … I believe it’s illegal to make death threats … but I could be wrong.
Talk to the police.
If this is happening at work, talk to HR or someone higher up in management.
Death threats and occasional violence are nothing to fool around with. Depending on where you are, this person may even be subject to involuntary committal for being a threat to him/herself or others.
As the former IT guy at work, this. We just format and re-image without ever looking at what’s on there. We’re also not going to look at what you had stored on the network without a reason either.
This is your best advice.
Another poster saying you should follow Jonathan Chance’s advice. Your focus shouldn’t be on getting the guy caught once he kills you. Your focus should be on preventing him from killing you.
Go to the police. For all you know they’ve already got a record on the guy and this may be the additional info they need. And, the police generally want to prevent violence and homicides, not get called to the tragedy of a dead body.
And, if you do get killed, Hercule Poirot isn’t around any more to solve the mystery.
Kill him first. Problem solved. Delete that folder first, though.
It’s never a good idea to poke a bear. Even less so if the bear is crazy.