Posted on 08/28/2008 7:10:09 PM PDT by marktwain
EAST STROUDSBURG - It's a night time shopper's nightmare. You buy groceries, go to your car, and someone tries to rob you at gunpoint.
Police say Joshua Eastman, 28, of East Stroudsburg was unloading groceries at his car shortly before 12:45 a.m. today when Reneau Jean Jacques, 17, of 77 Symphony Circle, East Stroudsburg, pointed a handgun at him and demanded that he hand over his money.
Wal-Mart shopper says, 'It's not safe in East Stroudsburg any more.' More than 10,000 Monroe residents permitted to carry concealed gun Pocono Thursday: Shootout at Wal-Mart;
Poconos Crime Tracker Eastman looked around for help or someone to yell to. The alleged robber continued to demand money. Eastman replied that he did not have any money - that he used a debit card to pay for his purchases.
Jacques became more threatening, pointing the gun and using a more menacing tone of voice.
Eastman then took out his wallet and pushed the door of his truck more open to put it between himself and the suspect. Jacques pointed his gun at Eastman's face.
Eastman dropped his wallet and started ducking down. Jacques fired a shot that went through the window of the door almost striking Eastman and causing flying glass from the car window to cut his face.
Eastman pulled out a handgun he was carrying and fell to the ground. He returned fire under the truck's door with his pistol while the teen continued to fire his weapon.
Eastman shot Jacques in the lower leg and foot. Then Eastman ran back toward the store as the teen fled towards Friendly's restaurant.
Jacques fled into a landscaped island of bushes and trees in the parking lot. Stroud Area Regional Police were on the scene almost immediately and found him hiding and trying to bury a handgun in the mulch. He originally claimed to be a victim before police determined he was likely the one who started the trouble.
"It appears to be an armed robbery that went badly for the suspect because he picked an armed customer," said Sgt. James Wielgus.
On Thursday afternoon, Jacques, using crutches and wearing a long hospital gown over hospital pants, sat with a numb look on his face during his preliminary arraignment in East Stroudsburg Magisterial District Judge Michael Muth’s courtroom. Jacques, a Shawnee Academy student with a prior juvenile record, spoke in a subdued tone when addressed by the judge.
Jacques is charged as an adult with attempted murder, robbery, aggravated assault, crimes committed with guns and illegal possession of a gun, all felonies, and reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor. He hung his head and sighed after the judge told him he could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge, attempted murder.
Jacques was taken to Pocono Medical Center for treatment. Police detained two other youths for questioning. They were in a car, trying to flee the scene, according to witnesses and police.
Self defense ping
"The Shawnee Academy was established as a psychiatric residential treatment facility and private academic school for children and adolescents with special needs."
Ping ...
... for another bitter Pensylvanian holding onto his relgion and guns!
Good shooting!!
Wonderful! Hopefully the victim wasn't hurt at all and will be compensated for the vehicle damage and his stress.
“Reneau Jean Jacques”
I wonder if he’s Haitian.
“Reneau Jean Jacques”
I wonder if he’s Haitian.
Singapore has an immediate mandatory death sentence for those who fire a gun during the commission of a crime.
Guns are banned, but anyone who commits a violent crime goes away for a long time or never gets the chance to offend again (or do anything else, for that matter).
I wonder if he’s Haitian.
Unfortunately the video doesn't go into any more detail on that matter than the article.
Sadly, the video amplifies on the status of the victim a bit more in that he is described as having been taken to the hospital with 'minor' injuries. Hopefully they are indeed minor, although lacerations to the face can oftentimes be regarded as 'minor' in terms of their lack of an immediate life threat but they can leave scars and require a very long recovery period, depending upon the area(s) involved. My prayers go out to the victim and his family for comfort from the terrifying ordeal that was inflicted upon them, and with the sincere hopes that the victim will be able to quickly recover from his injuries with no lasting physical deformities or troubles.
Sadly, a terrifying experience like this is oftentimes the stuff of lifelong nightmares and I do hope that he and his family will be able to find peace.
My guess would be African American.
-My prayers go out to the victim and his family for comfort from the terrifying ordeal that was inflicted upon them-
I agree this is horrible. Prayers to the victim and for conversion of the criminal.
That’s nice, all the man did was go grocery shopping, ends up having to shoot some butthead, his truck and belongings towed away as evidence, probably will miss a couple of days work because he hasn’t a vehicle to get back and forth with.
All this because some lazy SOB would rather behave like this rather than get gainful employment. Don’t give me the BS that their are no jobs, because that is a downright lie.
There are PLENTY of ways to put food on your table and a roof over your head, pointing a gun at someone shouldn’t be an option....
We will be hearing what a ‘good boy’ this clown was and how he was ‘starting to turn his life around’. Guess GW gave him the gun etc..........
The only ‘bad’ thing about this story is the clown was still standing for his picture, if more of them left the scene feet first in a body bag there would be less of these shenigans....
TRUE GUN CONTROL IS HITTING WHAT YOU AIM AT
“It appears to be an armed robbery that went badly for the suspect because he picked an armed customer,”
Needs repeating.
It’s such a shame because he was an honor student whom was turning his life around. Plus he always had a smile in his face and never had a bad word for anybody. If it wasn’t for ADD, ADHD, Asberger’s, a broken family, child abuse, low self esteem, Post Slavery Stress Disorder and George W. Bush, this kid could have been Obama!
Apparently, some members of Generation Y have the inclination to clean up the mess left to them by the WWII and Baby Boom generations.
As well as the loss of his groceries. Hopefully he and his family will be able to cope, and I do hope this his neighbors and any friends from his house of worship will be able to lend a hand.
All this because some lazy SOB would rather behave like this rather than get gainful employment.
As a multiple offender at 17, I'm guessing that this trash believed that regular, honest work is for suckers.
Don’t give me the BS that their are no jobs, because that is a downright lie.
I would be the last person to say such a thing :-)
There are PLENTY of ways to put food on your table and a roof over your head, pointing a gun at someone shouldn’t be an option....
He's 17, probably living at home with his welfare momma and does crime not because of need but because he thinks it's fun and it gives him 'street cred' with his gangbanger friends.
We will be hearing what a ‘good boy’ this clown was and how he was ‘starting to turn his life around’. Guess GW gave him the gun etc..........
His saintly nature will be on full display by the 'usual suspect' community activists.
The only ‘bad’ thing about this story is the clown was still standing for his picture, if more of them left the scene feet first in a body bag there would be less of these shenigans....
I am gravely concerned that the perp will get a minimal sentence and his 'homies' will be out TOMORROW looking for the victim and his family to 'finish the job' and to eliminate a witness.
TRUE GUN CONTROL IS HITTING WHAT YOU AIM AT
Agreed....fortunately the victim hit something at least....a dark parking lot with some trash shooting at you with intent to kill, and having to drop down onto the ground and fire is far from an optimal targeting environment. The victim should be commended for being able to hit anything at all under such stressful conditions.
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