Evacuate into gunman's view or stay protected in home?

What would you do?

I am handicapped and unable to walk or get out of bed quickly without back pain. Some days I don't get up until 4 or 5 p.m., listening to public radio or watching TV.

One day last week my wife ran into our bedroom screaming that we had to evacuate immediately as there was an old man across the street (Pearl Avenue) with a gun shooting at the sheriff's deputy who was at his door.

With help I got up without my usual bed exercises and was assisted to my usual big easy chair in our living room, which overlooks our large patio and pool. A 1-year-old and an 8-year-old were in front of me. My wife said SWAT team snipers were in our front bedroom using the window that faces the street. She said the fathers of the two boys had gone grocery shopping, leaving us as sitters.

I argued that I could not and would not expose ourselves by exiting our front door to our SUV, which for me is hard to get into. My wife said machine guns were being set up in our driveway area.

I asked for my newspaper and crossword puzzle. I was not about to "evacuate" to safety. I phoned two relatives who are attorneys; they said stay put and stay indoors. My nephew in Loveland, Colo., who was a SWAT team leader, emailed me that "We were as safe with those sheriff snipers in our home as a baby in its mother's arms!

After a long hour we were thanked by our sniper SWAT who said the neighbor had been taken into custody. We thanked them for their brave service. I saw a TV video later -- looked like dozens of men in uniform!

Glenn Arnold

Manatee County

This story was originally published October 21, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Evacuate into gunman's view or stay protected in home? ."