"WE DON'T HAVE TAZERS!"
Posted on 08/04/2014 6:04:44 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo
The man was 6-foot-4, weighed more than 300 pounds and wanted James Gray's gun, prosecutors say -- and he didn't ask nicely.
It didn't take long for the St. Paul police sergeant to figure out "that things were going to break bad."
It took Gray, two fellow officers and one vigorous wrestling match in a gas station to bring the suspect under control, according to court documents filed Monday.
Anthony Michael Nickson, 49, of Hudson, Wis., was charged in Ramsey County District Court with five felonies -- three counts of terroristic threats and two of trying to disarm an officer. He was in custody as of Monday, with bail set at $100,000.
According to the criminal charges:
Gray was working off duty Saturday at the Super America at 296 E.
Seventh St. in St. Paul. He was in full uniform. Nickson entered the store, hands up. He asked Gray to take him to jail.
Gray thought he was joking.
Then a woman came in, threw something at Nickson and yelled "here's your (expletive)!"
Nickson again told Gray to take him to jail. Gray refused, instead suggesting Nickson call a friend or stay the night at a shelter.
The officer then noticed Nickson was no longer making eye contact but instead looking at his gunbelt, the charges said.
"You need to take me to jail," Nickson said, according to the charges. "I'm gonna take your (expletive) gun!"
Sizing up Nickson -- who had about 5 inches and 100 pounds on the officer -- Gray called over the radio for backup. Nickson lunged at him and tugged at the gun, tearing the strap that held it in place, according to the charges.
Two more officers arrived and found Gray disheveled and out of breath. Gray asked them to use a stun gun on Nickson, but neither was carrying one.
Nickson said he would take one of their guns, too. All three grappled with him in an effort to bring him down.
As Nickson grabbed one officer's gun, the officer hit the suspect in the face with a flashlight, fearing "if Nickson were to get control of his gun he would be killed," the charges said.
The officers eventually pinned Nickson down until more backup arrived. He was transported to Regions Hospital unconscious, but had only minor cuts and abrasions.
“Nickson lunged at him and tugged at the gun, tearing the strap that held it in place, according to the charges.”
And thatz why I like Serpa holsters...that and a brickbat to knee cap retards....
Well, he got his request. You gotta admire him for his initiative.
I’ve replaced all of my “pretty” holsters with Serpas.
Too bad saps are illegal. They would be the perfect tool in this situation.
A big black guy who LIVES in Hudson, Wisconsin? Wouldn’t be hard to identify him there.
Oh, you’ve been to Hudson!
;=)
I know right!
Probably three sets of cuffs, linked.
I understand he (the cop) was working a different job, he could have told the man he'd call for a squad car pick up.
Sheesh, someone who openly begs to be arrested probably really does need to be detained in a safe place for a while, while the cops evaluate the problem.
These police officers really went above and beyond to save this man’s life. In many places after he had said that he was going to take the cop’s gun, the next sound he would have heard would have been repeated banging noises.
Good thing the officer wasn’t a 5’4” female.
So is carrying a nice katana.
I put a strip of that scrubby sand paper stuff you see on the edge of a stair on the lock/release.
it informs my forefinger it is in the correct position to depress and draw, with the added feature that the finger is reminded to land on the frame as I acquire sight and then place muh Puller in the hole thingy.
Couple of local cops changed to it and love it.
Like me they practice with an air gun.
Safety first!
Good thing Mr. Nickson wasn’t a family pet.
I’ll just say that Sergeant Gray showed a lot more restraint than I would have.
I was a friend of cop (who died recently) and a friend of a guy whose father was a policeman. The stories they told me said otherwise.
Fat Albert has gone rogue.
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