I don’t think it would be unreasonable for you to shop around for a home security system. Dogs are good, but they can’t dial 911.
I’d put this as ‘mildly alarming.’ I definitely wouldn’t pursue a restraining order, because as of now he probably has no idea where you live. Why give him that information?
If he’s been homeless for awhile, I doubt he’s techno-savvy enough to get information on you. But in case he is, or hires someone who is, do a Google and Whitepages.com search on yourself and make sure you cannot be found easily with just your name. If you can, take steps to opt out.
I’m an anti-gun Canadian lawyer who’s clientele includes women who have been threatened (and a lot worse). Despite my very strong objection to an armed populace, I say with all seriousness, get some guns and learn how to use them.
I know it’s been mentioned a couple of times but please read The Gift of Fear.
It’s an excellent resource, bringing up all kinds of things you might not think about that can make you safer and even more importantly feel safer without radically changing your life.
This statement makes me want to caution you about acquiring a firearm for self-defense in this particular case without some serious contemplation. The officer who advised you was no doubt well-meaning but you also need to appreciate that he comes from a context where both the presence and potential for use of firearms in a tactical application (i.e. to shoot people) is a daily reality. This isn’t to say that I object to the possession and use of firearms for defense or other purposes but any means. I have been around and used firearms nearly all of my life; I was trained in both static marksmanship and tactical shooting by professionals, some of whom (I have to assume based upon skills and offhand comments) used firearms in combat. But there are some considerations to take into account before acquiring and using a firearm for defense.
There is no question that a firearm, and in particular a shotgun, is the most effective defensive weapon a civilian can possess and is really the only assured response to an armed and determined attacker (based upon personal experience I have little confidence in pepper spray and only slightly more in Tasers). But it also has some downsides, both legally and logistically; specifically, you are absolutely responsible for ensuring the weapon is secured at all times from incidental or deliberate misuse, and that all people who may use it are trained in at least basic firearm handling safety and function.
Any time you use a firearm for self-defense which results in major trauma or death there will be a police investigation, likely media coverage of varying degrees of accuracy and inflation, quite possibly liability suits, et cetera. Even if the shoot is totally justified and these are just nuisance issues, they will consume a large amount of time and result in a lot of stress, and probably a significant amount of cost in legal fees and lost work. If there is any question to the validity of the self-defense claim, there may be months or years of investigations into every aspect of your background, repeated questioning, accusations from various quarters regarding your motivations, et cetera. And then there is the emotional impact of having ended the life of another person. Even if you were completely justified and had no reasonable alternative, unless you are part of the approximately 3% of people who are capable of dropping the hammer on another person without innate remorse to can expect to suffer from some degree of psychological trauma or issues which will require some kind of therapy (formal or otherwise) to process. Attackers to not instantly drop from wounds and stop breathing like you see in the movies; they often scream, flail, and cough up blood while you watch the life slowly eke out of them.
Mind you, all of this is better than being killed or watching a loved one being mortally wounded by some attacker, but it all needs to be taken into account before you make the decision to use a firearm for defense, and in addition to the basic safety, marksmanship, and tactical firearm training you should obtain. Failing to account for this, and failing to understand the laws and parameters in which the use of a firearm for self-defense is legal and defensible in your jurisdiction is inviting personal disaster.
Regarding how worried you should be; on a scale of 1 to 10 (“1” being your baseline security posture and “10” being Max Cady showing up on your doorstep with a “Vengence is Mine” tattoo on his forearm) with only this “Duty to Warn” caution and no other indications that the guy actually has the means and information to come after you, I’d call it a firm 3 or a very soft 4. In other words, you know a threat has been made, you should make a reasonable effort to be extra aware of your surroundings, you may want to caution your workplace security and ensure that your home has solid entries and no blind spots, but I wouldn’t roll down and clean out the local Bullet Barn for every semi-automatic carbine in their inventory. I’ll repeat the recommendation to read de Becker’s The Gift of Fear, and if you do elect to purchase a firearm or another weapon, Rory Miller’s Meditations on Violence. (Don’t be put off by the focus on martial arts; the lessons are equally applicable to any response to violence regardless of method or tool.)
I would treat this as an opportunity to become generally more aware about protecting yourself and your family–which starts, and hopefully ends, with awareness and avoidance–rather than being obsessed about this particular threat. You don’t need to have a siege mentality or be terminally paranoid to take some reasonable steps to protect yourself and be more aware of your surroundings.
Good luck to you,
Stranger
Just saw this thread in my subscriptions and looked to see if you’ve posted lately, Dusty Rose, and you haven’t. Hope all is well and you’re just busy. Let us know you’re OK when you have a chance.