A Navy SEAL Reveals Home Invasion Survival Tips

Retired Navy SEAL Clint Emerson shares advice on how to prevent and survive a home invasion.

MUSIC
Thus My Heart Beats_fullmix
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STILLS
'Surveillance camera in use' sticker on a building window
Simon McGill/Getty Images
Beware of dog
Photo by Rachel Bellinsky/Getty Images
Beware of the dog sign on fence
Richard Newstead/Getty Images

VIDEO
Medium shot tilt down burglar using crowbar to pry open window of house on windy night
Universal Studios/Getty Images
wide shot porch + house lights turning off in suburban house with fence at dusk
Yellow Dog Productions Inc./Getty Images
Digital Bedtime story
filadendron/Getty Images
Car entering the garage. Winter landscape
slavemotion/Getty Images
Security Camera Home Burglary in Progress
RichLegg/Getty Images
Man adjusting digital thermostat
Caiafilm/Getty Images
CCTV Technician
staticnak1983/Getty Images
Silhouette of a man walking down a dark stairway.
Robin Beckham/Getty Images
Thirty-Something White Women Talk to Each Other
Hoptocopter/Getty Images
Burglar Opening Door
izustun/Getty Images
Intruder with flashlight on stairs.
Robin Beckham/Getty Images
Wardrobe
kimberrywood/Getty Images
Beware of dog, doberman
smart_design/Getty Images
Insomnia sleep problems
slavemotion/Getty Images
Thief
Remus Kotsell/Getty Images
Couple with pushchair talking to neighbor
Image Source Ltd/Getty Images
A criminal looks in a window prior to entering a house.
Discovery Access/Getty Images
Tattooed man pulls up garage door manually in motorcycle repair shop.
The Lighthouse Film Co, Inc./Getty Images
Close up of woman scrolling and messaging on smart phone
Hilo/Getty Images
WIDE ANGLE OF GARAGE SHOWS NEAT SHELVES WITH CANS, BOTTLES AND BOXES OF AUTO PARTS, FLUIDS AS WELL AS GARAGE DOOR WITH WINDOWS. COULD BE AUTO BODY SHOP.
Sony Pictures Entertainment/Getty Images
CLOSE ANGLE OF DEADBOLT LOCK ON FRONT DOOR OF HOUSE OR APARTMENT. HOME. DOOR KICKED IN. DEADBOLT FLIES OFF DOOR AND DOOR SWINGS OPEN. COULD BE ROBBERY OR POLICE ACTION.
Sony Pictures Entertainment/Getty Images
The middle door closes on a large house with a three car garage.
Sony Pictures Entertainment/Getty Images
People turn to the front and sideways in a police lineup.
Sony Pictures Entertainment/Getty Images
CU Door being locked.
ABC Entertainment Marketing/Getty Images
MS PAN Shot of older Cape Cod style house with cars in driveway / Unspecified
Warner Bros. Studios/Getty Images
CU Security camera on wall / Unspecified
Warner Bros. Studios/Getty Images

[maxthompson]

“The ones who want your stuff come during the day, the ones who come at night, want you.” Ngl that shook me to my core.

[kingofworld]

How to survive a home invasion
1. Hire Kevin McCallister

[chriscusack]

Quick summary
1 - Make it look like someone is home
2 - Make your life seem unpredicatable (fake dog signs, children toys, etc)
3 & 4 - Pretend to or actually have a security system
5 - Strategically place the cameras (be mindful of sun directly shining)
6 - Establish trustful relationships with neighbors (they can give heads-ups)
7 & 8 - LOCK the garage door and secure the locking cable (they can typically unlock with a hanger)
9 - Get a solid door
10 & 11 - Replace door screws with long screws (prevents getting kicked down)
12 - Install a protective window film
13 - Defensive plan (rally point locations, routes, and communication)
14 - Have flashlight, weapon (sprays count), car alarm, and charged cell on your nightstand
15 - Fight for your life, have no mercy
16 - Keep distance from the attacker

[cathalodiubhain]

Someone tried to break into my house once when I was out. I arrived home to a crime scene. Backdoor wide open, blood in the kitchen and backyard all the way to the neighbors fence. Whoever it was had luck on their side because they didn't know who was chilling in my house. And that was my buddy Ceallach my Rottweiler. He has passed on now I still miss him..

[IrishTechnicalThinker]

Painted my home in full camo. Can't even see it.

[stupidspud]

“Ones that want your stuff come in the day”

“Ones that want YOU come at night”

My god that gives me chills

[suelyons]

He fails to mention the people who do work in your house and then come back and steal. It's very common.

[beccag]

In my experience, if you know your older/retired neighbors, you probably already have better security than most people. Case in point: my family went camping and gave a friend a key to take care of our pets and our neighbor called the cops on him

[lightskinballer]

Rob the robber’s house while he’s at your house. What is he gonna do? Call the police?

I took all these steps but still got robbed by the IRS.

[KittySkeed]

Tip: My mom is a retired herpetologist (the study of snakes and reptiles) and she did deadly snake removal from people's homes for many years. Her vehicle had to have a sign on the back, warning people that there are potentially life threatening animals in her vehicle. The sign on the back and sides said: "Danger: Poisonous snakes on board" and to stay within a certain distance from the vehicle. I've never seen so many people avoid a vehicle as much as hers. They would sometimes run from it if they caught a glance of the sign. I highly suggest putting a sign like this on your vehicle or somewhere on your home to keep people away. I promise, the thought of snakes and death is the perfect mix of fear.

[lisad]

Just recently in Canada, we had a case where a husband came home and pulled up into his driveway and entered his garage using the automatic opener.
As he pulled in some more, a masked man snuck from the alleyway (right next to the garage where the husband parked) and stood against the wall till the garage door closed.
The husband NEVER looked behind or even GLANCED at his mirrors to make sure it was safe to come out and you could see that the husband exited the car and closed the garage door (hitting the button on the wall) and the masked man right there on the other side just getting ready.
He was so oblivious and that caused him AND his wife to pay the price because they were both murdered.
You can see this in the neighbor's surveiance footage that captured everything above except the actual murder.

PAY ATTENTION WHEN YOU ARE IN YOUR TRANSITIONAL SPACES AKA DRIVEWAYS, GARAGES. KEEP GLANCE AT ALL YOUR MIRRORS! You are not safe till you are inside of the house, secured and locked up!!

[randomstuff]

Me: puts a skate board on the front wall of my house to fool trespasser
Trespasser: steals skate board instead

[adityakulkarni]

If a thief comes to my house, I will start looking for money with him.

[bonjovirocks]

This video saved my life recently during a home invasion. Fight back no matter what because your life depends on it & an exit strategy to create distance. That’s what I remember myself saying inside my head over & over. Thank you for sharing this.

[marymeranda]

Robber: “I want all your money!!”
Me: “Me too bro, me too...”

[georgeiscooking.]

Got a sign. "There ain't nothing in here worth dying for."

[goosesatan]

Ways to keep out intruders:
-put ornaments under your windows
-put ice on your outdoor stairs
-Tar on your basement stairs
-Open nails on your basement stairs
-Heat your door handle up really hot
-drop paint cans from your stairs
-pretend you’re having a party
-scatter toy cars on your floor
-play a scene from “angels with dirty faces” and turn it all the way up
-prepare an escape zip line from your attic window

[willardlee]

Hornet spray is a great idea. I've heard this everywhere. Shoots a stream across the room, and if you hit them in the face, they will be instantly disabled, and will have to go to the hospital for treatment. Brutal stuff. I recommend you keep a can at your bedside.

[agonza]

I had a drunken lady enter my home at night trying to hide from the police, luckily my husband was home and was able to wrestle her out the door and hand her over to the authorities. My kids are still terrified about someone coming in our house. It makes you feel so violated and vulnerable, I don't know how I would have gotten her out if my husband hadn't been there...