Photo courtesy of NextDoor.

An aggressive man who rang doorbells and refused to take no for an answer got us neighbors riled up and scared. There are dozens of reports of him knocking, looking in windows, banging, threatening to hit folks and more, according to NextDoor. Many called the police. He was “emboldened and caustic.” His name may be Benjamin, according to neighbors who answered the door, and he may have been selling magazines. But in the end, this is an example of how neighbors can come together to warn one another of potential danger and have compassion.

A neighbor on the 6500 block of Azalea in Preston Forest South reported: “He looks like the guy that came in our backyard last weekend while I was watering our plants. Dressed the same. He had rung our doorbell, then heard me in the backyard and tried to come in the back gate. I screamed for him to get off my property and we called the police. The officer caught up with him and his buddy… told them not to come back to our neighborhood.”

Another neighbor on Preston Royal wrote: “We were putting our kids in the car in the garage but the garage door was open. He came into our garage to try to talk to us. My husband thankfully was there and shut him down quickly and he went away.”

A Preston Citadel neighbor said: “I ask over this post, that everyone who is reading this, stop and ask to give Benjamin peace and a sense of love instead of isolation and separation. Also, thank you for everyone being concerned and calling the police so that they may handle the situation the way they are trained to. Benjamin may have access to a computer so encourage him to call Careers in Motion at Watermark Church next to Medical City. They encourage people looking for work, set up resumes, and help them find employment. It is a Christ centered ministry. You are not defined by what you have done or what has been done to you rather you are defined by who you are. And you lived by God.”