by his son's version. "That's what he claims," Madeo said. "He was pretty shaken up and he felt his personal safety was threatened. It was a very emotional moment for both parties."

Van Plew described it as "an awkward situation" and "painful" for his family.

The police report appears to corroborate the description of the incident that Van Plew offered through his attorney, Peter Gerstenzang. Van Plew was in his underwear and preparing to go to bed when he came downstairs to secure some papers he had left out. He saw a shadowy figure standing close to his house and others moving out front.

Van Plew has a security system at his home, including surveillance cameras. The homeowner and his attorney declined to comment on whether the incident was captured ona surveillance tape.

Berben said police reacted appropriately to the situation.

Van Plew said through his attorney that he reacted as he did because he was initially frightened that the quartet in his yard -- he did not know at first that they were teenagers -- may have been trying to harm his children or vandalize his home.

"It's a nightmare for him," Gerstenzang said of Van Plew. "Under the circumstances, I think his reaction was pretty moderate."

Such is the overheated world of the blogosphere, where dozens of agitated anonymous commentators have weighed in on the case, that Gerstenzang held a news conference Wednesday to appease the media. "This is a criminal charge and typically we don't do it in the media," he said. He did not offer additional details and