If anyone had touched my boys growing up, I would have had no trouble doing great bodily harm.
When they were young, my husband had a business associate who went off his rocker. His wife called me one day and told us that he had left a message to her on their telephone containing the message he was going to come and shoot myself and my boys...(this is after we let him go as an employee) The police were called in and sure enough he had 6 fully loaded weapons, they arrested him and she bailed him out within hours.
The police came to us and we were told the following, get your boys out of town, which we promptly did, flying them to Chicago to stay with their grandparents until I could leave. I was also told to buy a shotgun and have it sawed off. I was also told to sleep with that shotgun and if this idiot made one step through the front door I was allowed to shoot (to kill). I was also told by the officer not to repeat this advice to anyone.
What I did do: Went and adopted the biggest dog I could find, bought a hickory baseball bat and studded it with screws. It was an awful time for us. The following week, I left for Chicago, and my husband was in charge of the dog. He brought him with him in his car one day. They were out on some open field and the dog spotted a squirrel. The dog took off with my husband still firmly attached to the leash. The dog literally dragged my husband for yards over the wet grass..he was sliding on his back hanging on for dear life. He eventually had to let go. The dog disappeared into the brush never to be found. Much like the man who threatened our family, he disappeared without a trace. No one has seen or heard from him since. It's kind of scary to think he is still out there some where.
r.