Posted on 03/29/2005 7:55:14 AM PST by sure_fine
DARWIN WINNER – March 2005
The following mind-boggling attempt at a crime spree in Washington, USA, appeared to be the robber’s first (and last), due to his lack of a previous record of violence, and his terminally stupid choices:
1. His target was H&J Leather & Firearms, A gun shop specializing in handguns.
2. The shop was full of customers — firearms customers.
3. To enter the shop, the robber had to step around a marked police patrol car parked at the front door.
4. A uniformed officer was standing at the counter, having coffee before work. Upon seeing the officer, the would-be robber announced a hold-up, and fired a few wild shots from a .22 target pistol.
5. The officer and a clerk promptly returned fire, the police officer with a 9mm Glock 17, the clerk with a .50 Desert Eagle, assisted by several customers who also drew their guns, several of whom also fired, The robber was pronounced dead at the scene by Paramedics.
6. Crime scene investigators located 47 expended cartridge cases in the shop.
7. The subsequent autopsy revealed 23 gunshot wounds. Ballistics identified rounds from 7 different weapons. No one else was hurt in the exchange of fire.
8. Here we are at the beginning of March and we already may have the 2005 winner of the Darwin Award. This guy is going to be hard to beat.
bump for later discussion
It'd be interesting to find out how many rounds actually missed the perp. Not too many, I bet.
snopes continues:
Upon seeing the officer, the would-be robber announced a hold-up, and fired a few wild shots from a .22 target pistol. The officer and a clerk promptly returned fire, the police officer with a 9mm Glock 17, the clerk with a .50 Desert Eagle, assisted by several customers who also drew their guns, several of whom also fired.
Although the Darwinized account presents the encounter in the humorous light of a hapless robber waving a pop gun being felled in a hail of bullets by a mass of heavily-armed gun shop patrons, that wasn't precisely the way of it. Zaback's weapon was a .38-caliber semiautomatic pistol, not the .22 target pistol of the e-mailed account. The clerk, Morris, fired a 10mm semiautomatic pistol, not a .50 Desert Eagle, and the policeman, Lally, fired a 9mm semiautomatic pistol. As for the participation of others, according to Renton police Capt. Don Persson, although several other customers had guns and pulled them, they did not shoot — the only ones involved in the exchange of lead were Zaback, Lally, and Morris.
The robber was pronounced dead at the scene by Paramedics. Crime scene investigators located 47 expended cartridge cases in the shop. The subsequent autopsy revealed 23 gunshot wounds. Ballistics identified rounds from 7 different weapons.
It's unclear how many shots were fired, in part because some of the suspect's shots struck ammunition on a counter, causing the ammunition to explode. "There were slugs all over that place," Persson said. As for Zaback, he died with four wounds in him, one in the arm and three in the chest, not the 23 wounds claimed in the colorized account.
Yet one item of the Darwinized version one would otherwise suspect to have been the product of overwriting does indeed hold up: Renton police Capt. Don Persson said, "The surprising thing is that the man had to walk right past a marked police car to get in the front door."
Sheesh....Guess those signs that say "NO Loaded Firarms Beyond The Door.." aren't used roun there???
Here, hold my beer and watch this.
The victims must have MINIMUM success,,,,er,,,,,oops,,,,,slipsies.
I live in TX, even my wifes hair dress carries. It was Robert Heinlien said it best, "An armed society is a polite society."
The clerk was using a DE 50? Dang but that had to have made some big holes. Am guessing the bad guy was also on fire from all the muzzle blasts!
Semper Fi
Bubba lost his loose screw.
Nominated for a bump.
Proving the family jewels are made of paste...
7. The subsequent autopsy revealed 23 gunshot wounds. Ballistics identified rounds from 7 different weapons. No one else was hurt in the exchange of fire.
This statistic shows the need for gun control. Too many bullets off target.
Still a great story.
The original poster says Snopes verifies this story and does not offer a link.
Others say that this is an embellishment of the true story...and do not offer a link.
Annoyingly undocumented (no link, no validity, IMO) thread bump.
Thanks to DGray for the link!
My favorite is still the guy in Iran who was trying to kill a snake by squishing it with the buttstock of his shotgun. The snake wrapped his tail around the gun, pulled the trigger, and blew the guy's head off.
Actually, this is a 1990 Darwin Award nominee. You can even buy a commerative mug at darwinawards.com
Heh, maybe there was some reloading there...:)
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