Armed citizen takes out tires as shoplifters flee

Azle news ^ | 7 May, 2009 | Gail Gilmore

[marktwain]

This is a good lesson to criminals. Crime is a very risky activity. Threatening others with death or great bodily harm is even more risky. It is not worth risking your life to steal $50 dollars.

[ex91B10]

Pulling a Clint Eastwood on shoplifters isn’t a real smart move.

[knarf]

"The chief has mixed feelings about the help officers received from an armed citizen."

Then the chief is not a chief, but a plebe.

[bgill]

This time it worked. Next time, maybe not.

[Bulldawg Fan]

On the contrary. Maybe those four will think twice about robbery when they get out of jail and consider that private citizens in this country are often armed.

Meanwhile, the Chief should be happy he got the help and stop whinning.

[nevergore]

Per the article, he fired when they tried to run him down with the car.

[Future Snake Eater]

Shot out a tire...man, I thought that only worked in the movies. Good on him!

[csvset]

During the pursuit, police confirmed a number of items were discarded from the suspects’ vehicle, including a package of Pop Tarts Toaster Pastries and Q-tips.

From a different story about the incident.

Azle Pop Tart heist goes awry

Four "adults" and they don't have enough cash to buy Pop Tarts and Q-Tips?

[Popman]

Interesting: Since they tried to run him down with their vehicle, their crime turned into a felony. That makes him discharging his weapon legal

So I wonder, if he just fired at their tires if they didn't try to run him down, would he have committed a crime?

[exnavy]

The state of Michigan, where I live, just announced the layoff of 100 Michigan state police officers. I believe this will become a pattern nationwide.

Every American citizen had better realize where we as a nation are. No government, state or federal can protect anyone. It's time for Americans to take control of their own lives and do the right thing to stop all crime. That would include crimes by any government entity.

[rovenstinez]

But from your a post from MExico, it needs to come back around to citizens defending each other. In Mexico City, no one is armed, some police don’t even bear arms, and crime and resisting criminals...is hardly known.

[muir_redwoods]

I'm glad the good guys won. I am also glad neither me nor my loved ones were downrange from the shooter. Shooting out the tires on a fleeing felon's car is good movie stuff but a poor decision in real life.

Bullets sometimes do funny things once they've left the barrel.

[Texas resident]

Texas law states that if you are in fear of your life, you are justified in using deadly force. If this car was trying to run him down, he could have shot the driver. But everytime you discharge your weapon, you will come under law enforcement scrutiny, so you have to take that decision very seriously. Conceal carry is for that purpose.

[Hot Tabasco]

The state of Michigan, where I live, just announced the layoff of 100 Michigan state police officers

That just means we will be able to drive a little faster on the freeway........

[Radio Free American?]

Unfortunately many of these thugs don't care about their own and think it's worth taking a life for $50 dollars!

Happens all the time, then we find out the piece of trash has a criminal record that shows they should never have been released to start with and should have been put down instead.

[b359]

I’m happy about the outcome but from what I know as an armed citizen, by law, you can only use deadly force until the threat is stopped if your life is threatened. So shooting at the driver during the confrontation is justified in this case but shooting out the tires of a fleeing vehicle is outside that definition.

Again, I’m glad the perps were arrested but at the same time I fear the liberal government will use cases like this as justification to further restrict our rights.

Exnavy, Michigan is the canary in the coal mine for what’s happening in this country.

[LDO4CNO]

I wouldn’t have done it with my little .380 that’s for sure. Could have ricocheted off the rim and killed some bystander. I’d say the guy should get a B in headwork as the navy saying goes.

[KeyLargo]

This could have turned out badly for the shooter if someone in the vehicle would have been shot or killed.

This could have been a black eye in the news media for responsible CCW permit holders.

[KeyLargo]

“Bullets sometimes do funny things once they've left the barrel.”

Excellent point.

A parking lot full of shoppers and all it takes is a ricochet or a bullet fragment to hit one of those citizens and the shooter would find himself at the gray bar hotel.

[Old Retired Army Guy]

I thin crime is getting more risky by the day. I live in a neighborhood filled with retired military, active duty military, deputy sheriffs and police officers. Just by talking with a lot of my neighbors, I suspect there are approximately 3-4 guns per resident in the neighborhood. Not a good place to practice crime.