Sadly, child custody is a game. He played right into their game. What he did might be legal but he played the game all wrong. Knowing that optics is part of the game, it needs to be a consideration when devising a response. Even in LE, optics is part of the equation. Phone cameras and now body cams, are making it more obvious. Playing to the camera is a thing now. The general public need to understand that as well. It takes a TON of witness testimony to overcome a single video, if it ever does.Sure, that's where I started. And were it me, I'd have handle it differently, 911, pepper spray and concealed just in case... then got the GF/ex-wife in the house until the cops arrived.
Then, Chad comes thru the front door (at one point I thought it sounded like he threatened to enter the house to check for himself, though I could be wrong on that one), then same end result.
KNOWN PERSON might be the reason he retrieved the firearm... Chad definitely exhibited the ability to go to full on rage mode. Was this his MO?
Also, it's been assumed he was at the appointed place and time to retrieve his child. There are indications that might not have been the case... for example, why did Chad already have the sherriff in route to the grandma's house? Was that where he was supposed to pick up the kid at grandma's and arrived at BF's house un-announced?
BF also said "you all aren't even supposed to be here!" Was that in regards to the pick-up was supposed to be elsewhere? Was there a PO/RS?
Much has been made of the mom on the phone while Chad ramped into a rage mode... is it possible she was trying to find out where the child was? Just maybe?
GF's ex arrives at my house and will not leave my property, outweighs my by 100 lbs and 6 inches, arm wrestling him on my literal front steps is nowhere in the equation. Good to be prepared for all scenarios, but THAT would not happen if it were me, my house, my property.