Got Punched In The Face By Homeless Guy

As I posted on Facebook in the wee hours this morning:

So, now it's war. Returning home this evening, I found the homeless guy who's been defecating under my bedroom window over the last week camped in my driveway. I got aggressive, and so did he. He punched me in the face and shouted threats; I took photos for my blog. Interestingly, Sac Police did not really respond: overburdened with calls. So it'll be interesting to see what happens next.

When I arrived home after the "Hairspray" cast party (about 12:35 a.m.) I saw the homeless guy camped out exactly where he had camped out last week: in the driveway near the alley, but despite there being no fencing right there, it is technically and legally my property. It is likely that this fellow is the same one who has been defecating under my bedroom window lately. Even Joe The Plumber (who is homeless himself) had noticed this fellow perching himself in the corners of the parking lot where he could observe the comings and goings of my neighbors and I. I'm convinced this passive-aggressive approach of his is no accident. It's a kind of casual imperialism, moving in where he thinks there is going to be little or no resistance.

So, I got out of my car and ordered him to leave. He was sleepy and reluctant. I explained he was on my property. He slowly assembled his belongings. I started taking flash photos of him, and he began getting angry. He hurled obscenities: I hurled them right back. My anger began getting the best of me. He threatened all-out war, and promised to break every window on every building in the immediate vicinity of my house.

He began rolling his shopping cart down the alley, as I followed a short distance behind, taking a few more flash photos. As we approached 21st Street, he turned in a rage, and lunged towards me. He seized my eyeglasses and threw them on the pavement, and punched me on my left cheekbone (which drew blood, but barely-hurt in the excitement). I retreated from his reach.

We then had a standoff for about ten or fifteen minutes, interspersed with lots of yelling and obscenities. I was able to retrieve my glasses, and regain eyesight. He menaced me - even threw a lit cigarette at me at one point - but I didn't want contact any longer. At one point, he moved to the NE corner of 2nd Ave. & 21st St. (his weird dog sat down in the middle of 21st St., despite the danger of traffic) as I went about calling 911, but the guy eventually changed his mind, and started heading north with his shopping cart on the sidewalk beside 21st St., before disappearing altogether.

The cops never showed up. It was about an hour before closing time for Sacramento bars on a 'Second Saturday' night. The cops asked if I needed medical help, but unless there was a lot more blood on the pavement, they had other, more pressing, priorities. They suggested I should file a police report this week.

I'm adding a bit better lighting, but have no interest in adding a home security system, or purchasing a gun. What this fellow needed was some guidance about where his limits are, and I was able to provide that.