>>>So getting the police involved and seeing that the law deals with the situation is not a proper response? I thought this was part of why we have laws and police forces and call ourselves civilised. Granted that the law isn't always as helpful as one might like, I still think that in a civilised society, it should be the first call.
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>>You probably haven't been inside an appartment when somebody breaks in. I was on the second break in and there was no safe way of going to the phone and calling the police - they were in the same room and would have had the decision to either flee or silence me. In retrospect it might have been not entirely wise to attack 2 unknowns with an unknown arsenal of possible weapons, but at decision time I acted mostly driven by instinct and only partially thinking.
>>First: in retrospect I am not certain that other paths might have been better or even safer.
>>Second: the frame of mind I was in back then I probably would not have called the police even if I had larger time window to do so. This went right into the corner of territorial instincts.
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>I think you misunderstood me. When in danger, you do whatever needs doing to get out of danger, but once out of danger, I'm saying, for example if you've subdued the subject, you call the cops, you don't put a bullet in his brain. Or, if you do decide to kill him once it's no longer necessary, then expect to be charged with murder.

Yupp, partly misunderstood you. But who will tell which is the best way out of danger or the danger is over ? I could have tried for the phone, hoping for them not to attack. I could have gone out of the bedroom window (would probably have been best if I had been totally awake before checking on the door and getting the adrenaline rush). I could have tried screaming. Some people would probably try to talk. Going straight into atack at least kept the momentum on my side and kept them from getting me sandwiched between a hammer and two very large screwdrivers.

Even in this context, I am not sure how my legal situation would have been as I followed them out of my flat and we continued a bit still on the grounds of my house. As they were 2 I did only minor damage, but I am not sure at what stage it would have ended if there had been only one opponent of the calibre visiting me. There are grey areas, and when you are in the action you might make too certain your opponent stays down.

regards

thomas