The Officer Drew his Gun: Plenty of Blood & Guts to this “Vacant” REO Listing

August 5th, 2008 Bank-Owned Properties, Foreclosures Terry

       I yelled over the phone to my daughter, Sarah, to call for police backup.  The situation was bad and getting worse!  She and one of my other 20-something staff had to go to a vacant listing I have (a 4-plex), and meet the utilities man to have the water turned on.  The girls showed up on schedule, met the utility man, and entered the property like usual, only this time they heard an odd pounding sound.

     Sarah called me wondering about the sound.  As it grew louder (as I was on the phone with her), the sound became more distinct.  It was coming from a closet crawl space in which an otherwise mentally ill homeless man lived, and was trying to get out. As it turned out, he was locked inside the crawl space.

     At my command the girls ran out of the house, followed by the utility man.  Sarah had already called the police for backup, and within minutes (and that’s hard to believe, but we call it God’s divine protection) the backup arrived and entered the property.

     I was on the phone crying and hysterical.  I called my husband to see if he was in the area.  Usually he would not be, but today Dr. John was nearby.  He headed over to the 4-plex to assist Sarah, having no idea just how bad things were; but hey, dads are dads.

     The officer had ordered the man to lay down on the floor, hands and feet spread wide.  The man refused.  The officer drew his gun.  The man refused.  The officer called for more backup, and the man sprung to his feet and wielded a large butcher knife at the officer, cutting him.  They struggled and the man was cut as well.  Both officer and man were bleeding.  Reinforcements showed up.  The man was subdued and arrested, and is now in county jail.

     For the first time since her birth, I wondered if I might lose my daughter.  I returned to the scene later and saw all the blood — it was everywhere around the room in which the altercation occured.  The possibility of my daughter’s death at the hand of this man was all too real. 

     All of a sudden it hit me, not then, but this morning a day later: Real estate can be a dangerous profession for realtors of all ages and both genders.  Times are tough for people, and this wasn’t  the first (nor will it be the last) time I found signs of nighttime homeless camps in my REOs, but this was a in your face, middle of the morning encounter, and it was for keeps for the homeless man.

      I can’t quite express this, but I felt obligated to share this very pointed version of this post with my fellow Realtors and REO brokers, and the buying public.  This incident could have ended my daughter’s life; it did not, and I hope by posting this it will save another Realtor’s son or daughter.  May God bless you and protect you!

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