Attempted Robbery next door

Z

Zeteo

Inactive
The business next to mine was a source of high excitement today. Suspect entered the business at about noon EST and demanded register money. Female business owner pulled out handgun (don't know make or caliber) and he ran out the door.

She must have depressed a panic button during the encounter, as several police descended on the area very quickly. She chased the suspect, and while outside in her parking lot, discharged her weapon in the air over busy business & traffic area.

Suspect was apprehended by police across the street in the K-Mart parking lot.

I think this highlights how critical it is for those of us who use firearms as self-defense weapons to be well trained in their use. She should NEVER have fired that weapon, in fact, she never should have left the building in pursuit. The police were on scene when the weapon was discharged. She is incredibly lucky that the bullet didn't hit an innocent bystander.

Police confiscated the weapon. Don't know what will happen with her about the discharge.

It's a mad, mad, world!
 
discharged her weapon in the air
Click to expand...

Gotta wonder at the purpose of that? Recklessness aside, the guy was already hightailing it, why fire at all?

If she had hit him she'd probably be going to jail for awhile, if the fired round had hit anyone else that would be a definite.

Links to any news outlets?
 
Yes, probably a bad move, but I bet that adrenaline was flowing. I suspect her intent was to scare the jerk so bad he would never consider coming back.
 
The police were on scene when the weapon was discharged.
Click to expand...

Not to mention the very real risk of becoming the latest police bullet sponge... And with their horrendous hit/miss ratio... many more bystanders could have been hit by "stray" bullets...

Brent
 
I have a couple of good buddies on the local PD. As soon as I hear from them with details, I'll pass them on. I agree, she was probably full on high octane adrenalin, and wasn't thinking. This place has been robbed a couple of times, and the must have bought a gun to prevent it happening again. My guess is lack of proper training was the cause.
 
Gotta wonder at the purpose of that? Recklessness aside, the guy was already hightailing it, why fire at all?
Click to expand...

Probably because she was really ticked off. Still it was very wrong of her to shoot and will likely be charged with something...and rightly so.
 
Yeah so she fired the gun in the air but she still prevented a crime with a gun. Good for her. Hope the cops are lenient on the firearm discharge charge.
 
"She chased the suspect, and while outside in her parking lot, discharged her weapon in the air over busy business & traffic area."

No probably a bad move.

A VERY VERY VERY BAD move.
 
She chased the suspect, and while outside in her parking lot, discharged her weapon in the air over busy business & traffic area.

Suspect was apprehended by police across the street in the K-Mart parking lot.
Click to expand...

Only gonna comment on these two comments.

Worlds Dumbest vigilante - She could have chased him to see where he went without discharging the weapon (that's the only thing I see wrong with what she did)

Worlds Dumbest Criminals - Kmart parking lot across the street! C'mon your almost as bad as the guy that stole a case of beer from a gas station and then sat on the patio of the house you were going to rob (across the street) and watched the police show up.

I love watching these shows on TruTV
 
OK, so I spoke to my police buddy, and have some more light to shed on the incident. Turns out - not a robbery attempt. The suspect was involved in a police chase. No plates on his car. After his arrest, PD discovered he had several felony warrants and most likely the reason he decided to run.

He ditched the car and ran behind several businesses with an officer in pursuit on foot.

Several other cars were already on their way to the area due to the pursuit. The suspect slipped between my building and the tanning salon. (Our buildings are not attached, both are freestanding businesses). Fortunately for me, my entrance is on the other side of the building, but the salons entrance faces my store, right where the suspect was running. He ran into the salon in order to hide from officer on foot chase, who did not see him enter the salon.

According to what she told police, he ran in, no shoes, muddy feet, and started running around looking for a place to hide. She pulled out her weapon (I forgot to ask him what make/caliber) chased him out of the store, and fired the shot in the air after him.

We'll see what happens from here. In my mind, this illustrates exactly why we need to be well trained if we decide to arm ourselves. Someone could have been killed. Her life was never in danger, yet the intensity of the situation got the better of her and she acted without thinking.

I don't believe she was aware of a foot chase by LEO when he came running in. She saw a man run into her shop, no shoes, muddy feet, and running around looking to get into a tanning room. She then pulled the weapon, chased him out and fired.

My point is that training is essential for those of us who wish to use firearms to protect ourselves. She not only endangered my daughter, who was waiting on customers approx 50 feet away from where she discharged her weapon, but also many people in a busy area at a busy time of day. That bullet has to go somewhere when it leaves the gun. A responsible gun owner needs to be trained well enough to take those things into consideration even when things get out of the ordinary. In fact, that's why we carry our weapons, isn't it? In order to deal with situations that are out of the ordinary?
__________________
 
Yeah so she fired the gun in the air but she still prevented a crime with a gun. Good for her. Hope the cops are lenient on the firearm discharge charge.
Click to expand...


After reading the full story, I must retract my earlier statement. She negligently handled her firearm. She never should have drawn it in the first place, much less fired it over a crowded area.
 
Depending on a lot of things, she may or may not have had (her own personal fears) reason to draw the weapon...that is not where the problem is:

The problem is, the guy left...that is enough to put the gun away. She should have not left her facility.

As for why she fired into the air? you will have to ask her, I will not speculate. I can think of a dozen reasons, and IMHO: none of them would stand muster in court.

Would "training" have prevented this? I really do not think so. Panic clouds all rational thoughts.
 
Would it make sense for fire arm owners to have to sit a test and have a licence?
I know the laws are a lot different over there, but in New Zealand you have to sit a tests and have a gun licence.
It makes sense, as it allows people to have to have some degree of training and doesn't let just any whako get a gun.

I know it doesn't solve all problems, but it can't be a bad start.

I might be wrong though, I think I've been wrong once before:D
 
to sit a test
Click to expand...

Sit a what? Oh, right, found my NZE dictionary:D

For ownership you don't need to take a test, to carry one you usually do as part of the education requirements for CCW courses.

Good idea in theory - but similar "limitations" were attempted in the US a while back - poll taxes and tests and the like. They simply made the tax unaffordable and the test impossible.

While training might be a good idea, as most will agree, having prerequisites in place that one must meet before exercising a right is a very slippery slope.

She had no logical reason to fire her weapon, however, as hermanr alluded logic leaves the building when one is panicked - thus the good idea to seek training.
 
Would "training" have prevented this? I really do not think so. Panic clouds all rational thoughts.
Click to expand...

Except that training prepares you and alleviates, or at least reduces the tendency for, panic.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top