Recently in the news is the story of a Wisconsin man who broke down his upstairs neighbor’s door and threatened him with a sword. 39-year-old James Van Iveren is charged with criminal trespassing while using a dangerous weapon, criminal damage to property while using a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct while using a dangerous weapon. If convicted he could face almost 3 years in jail.

What makes this story important is the reason Van Iveren broke into the apartment of Bret Stieghorst. Van Iveren heard a woman screaming for help, and thought that a woman was being raped in the apartment above his. Upon hearing the cries for help, Van Iveren grabbed the only weapon he owned, a family heirloom sword, and rushed to the aid of what he thought was a woman in trouble, kicking in Stieghorst’s door.

Turns out that the voice Van Iveren heard was coming from a pornographic DVD that Stieghorst was watching. There was no rape in progress.

What if Van Iveren is convicted or receives a jail sentence? One thing is certain, it will make anyone who hears or witnesses a crime in progress think twice before coming to the aid of the victim.

In a litigious country, we have to have things like the Good Samaritan Law to prevent lawsuits for injury or wrongful death against those who come to the aid of the ill or injured. Of course, the first thing anyone should do in a situation like this is call the police, but Van Iveren doesn’t have a telephone. Was his reaction over-the-top? Maybe, or maybe not if you consider what he thought was happening and his intentions.

We can’t have a country full of vigilantes roaming the streets with swords wielding their own brand of justice but we should consider the impact of prosecuting someone like Van Iveren, who did no physical harm to anyone and acted completely out of a sense of duty to a fellow human being.

I won’t be surprised when Stieghorst files a lawsuit against Van Iveren for mental anguish, etc. But, let’s face it - whether you’re watching porn or The Price is Right, if other tenants can hear the screams and squeals, your TV is just too loud. And that’s not being a good neighbor.