If the guy didn't identify himself as a police officer and shined a bright light, he deserved to get shot, uniform or not. AT the very least, he needs to have his gun and badge taken away for good and thrown in jail. (Note to cops here: ALWAYS ID yourselves, and NEVER point your flashlight from center mass.)
This is a good opportunity to think of a gameplan when you hear intruders outside. Here are a couple points... feel free to add to it.
1. Be proactive. Fences, alarms, and video cameras is a good start. Keep hedges away from the actual house, and install motion sensing lights that turn themselves off after a minute around the perimeter.
2. Have a "Safe" room your family can gather in. Usually the master bedroom. Lock the door, bunker behind the bed or heavy desk, armed with a firearm and a phone (have a cell phone as a standby).
3. It's better to call 911 then to go outside with a gun. Nothing outside is worth dying for.
4. If you excercise your right to go out, don't try to creep up on a prowler. To a cop, YOU look like an armed prowler. You're better off turning on all outside lights and making a ruckus. Announce you are armed and you will call the police. Most prowlers will be scared off from that. NEVER threaten that you will shoot an unseen intruder.
If, in Robert's case, the police shines a blinding light on you without identifying himself... that's a tough one (and completely their fault). Do you give up your position and HOPE the bastard behind the light is a cop? I'm sure the question probably paralyzed the poor guy before the pig plugged him 4 times. I would suggest to NOT make any sudden moves, lower (point to the ground), but not drop your firearm, and firmly ask the person to identify themselves. Remember to always maintain communication. They are just as scared as you are. Just staring blankly in a direction with a gun in your hand scares the h3ll outta cops. This is important. Let them know you need to know that they really are cops before submitting to them. If they eventually declare themselves as cops, ask to see identification, or to turn up their personal radios so you can at least hear they are cops. They DON'T WANT to turn off the lights, as it will give up an advantage, and make them vulnerable. Once you hear the radio, it's a good bet they are cops. If they don't have personal radios, it's a crapshoot, and you'll need to gamble that if they wanted you dead, they would have already done it. DON'T play "quickdraw". You will lose.
ALWAYS announce what you will do next: "OK... I think you are cops. I'm going to slowly place my pistol on the ground, then put my hands on top of (NOT behind) my head, and take 2 steps away from the weapon. At that time, please turn your lights away from my face so I can confirm you really are the police. When I can see you really are cops, I will turn my back to you, and kneel so you can approach safely."
After they search and maybe cuff you, you can start yelling at them. This is not to second guess Robert. He had every right to protect his property. Every situation is different. The more different situations you are prepared for, the better your chances are for surviving. Stay safe, people.
Hang in there Robert.
