Posted on 05/09/2009 5:36:40 AM PDT by marktwain
A citizen with a “concealed-carry” handgun license shot out a tire on a car full of fleeing shoplifters, then followed them in his own vehicle Wednesday morning, helping Azle police apprehend four people who were subsequently charged with robbery.
Police officers from at least three agencies caught up with everyone in a neighborhood behind Allsup’s convenience store off Highway 199 west of Azle.
Four accused shoplifters had been spotted by employees of Albertsons grocery store and were attempting a getaway with less than $50 worth of miscellaneous items when they were spotted by a citizen in the parking lot. The citizen was carrying a properly licensed concealed weapon, Azle police chief Steve Myers said Wednesday afternoon.
The fleeing driver seemed to be headed straight for the citizen, who fired at the vehicle, striking a front tire.
Another citizen called 911 and reported “an undercover officer shooting at someone who tried to run him down,” Myers said.
That “undercover officer”, it was later discovered, was the armed citizen, Myers said. Both the caller and the “shooter” remained unidentified by police in the interest of their safety.
However, the man with the handgun got in a pickup and followed the suspect vehicle, which could no longer be driven by the time it arrived in the neighborhood, Myers said.
“I guess they thought they could turn off the highway and get lost out in the county,” he said.
However, that area is made up of just a few interconnected streets, with no other way out besides the highway, he said.
Arrested were Michael Reiser, 38, of San Angelo; Kyle Scott, 21 of Fort Worth; Jennifer Jeffrey, 35, of San Angelo; and Tami Mickey, 32, of Fort Worth.
Three of the four were apprehended at the vehicle by Azle police in the 400 block of Oakwood Street. Reiser, the driver, was caught by Azle officer Chris Negrete and a DPS trooper about 30 minutes later in the 1600 block of Willowwood Drive.
Both are off of Pearson Lane, north of the highway.
The four reportedly discarded the shoplifted items as they drove from the scene.
They will be charged with robbery, a felony, instead of shoplifting, a misdemeanor, because the car was used as a deadly weapon in their escape, Myers said.
Albertson’s is in Tarrant County, so charges will be filed with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office even though the suspects were caught in Parker County. Azle police, Parker County Sheriff’s deputies and at least two Department of Public Safety troopers helped in the chase, Myers said.
The chief has mixed feelings about the help officers received from an armed citizen.
“Our concern in a situation like that is the number of people in the immediate vicinity of an individual who don’t have a way to know who or what he is,” Myers said.
“A uniformed officer is easily identifiable. But the public doesn’t know who (a citizen with a handgun) is, or how to help.”
On the other hand, this particular citizen did choose the most restrained use of his weapon, firing only at the tires of the vehicle and ultimately helping catch a car full of suspects.
I was waiting for someone to post something like that. Thank you.
I especially like the last part.
What a bunch of wusses some Freepers are.
The shooter didn't say that. An bystander said that.
Oh yeah, the 911 caller call that said the shooter was an undercover officer. Yep, same guy. Ya think the shooter disagreed with him later?
Back to my point:
Why would anyone think the guy opening up in a supermarket parking lot was an undercover cop?
It's because many times when people call 911, they are just parroting what they heard occurred, and are just passing on bad information.
And undercover officers are dressed how? Probably just like the CC holder.
If the CC holder was mistaken for a police officer it was probably because he handled himself and the situation as a professional.
That's my point, the caller was providing bad info. Typical of 911 callers.
And undercover officers are dressed how?
The one's I've come across look like bikers, gangsters, and guys in 500 dollar suits.
Here's a tip ya, if it was law enforcement officer, he wouldn't have shot the freaking tire, but would have emptied his weapon into the drivers head that was allegedly attempting to run the shooter over.
Well, I fully agree with the part about blowing their brains out. I wish he had done that.
So weighing up all the available information, the shooter was not acting or handling himself as a professional.
Are you referring to the fact he didn’t kill the driver? Since we have the benefit of being Monday evening quarterbacks, I agreee with you.
We all would be a little safer tonight.
Earlier I was simply suggesting that the witness observed a man who did all the things he did do in a professional manner.
I understand...
But per the story:
#1. The 911 call assumed or "heard" the shooter was a LEO. Incorrect.
#2 If the 911 caller thought the shooter was acting in a professionally manner, as you suggested, he would again, be incorrect.
What I am saying is a LEO would never shoot a tire of a vehicle where the driver was attempting to kill him. The LEO would empty his weapon on the driver, as he should.
The fact remains, the 911 caller was providing bad information to dispatch, and he probably heard after the incident that the shooter was a LEO, and the suspect tried to run over the shooter. No doubt he was probably 911 caller #4 in the parking lot that day, and was just trying to "help out".
It only allows you to protect your life or the lives of others from imminent danger.
I hope the guy can prove that he fired because he feared for his life. If he were playing Clint Eastwood, he's in more trouble than the shoplifters.
“A CC permit does not give you the right to be a cop or to shoot shoplifters.....”
Come on down to Texas sometime. If they’re fleeing with the goods they’re in a world of hurt!
If someone was legitimately trying to suddenly run you down, chance are, if you don't have super fast reflexes, and weapon very available, you're going to get run over.
In addition, if someone was legitimately trying to run someone over that was packing, and they were able to dispatch their weapon in a split second or so, why in heck would they shoot the freaking tire???
These are questions that will be asked of the shooter.
I made a near fatal mistake 40 or more years ago when I was young and invincible.
I was with my girlfriend shopping at a department store. While I'm standing like a good dogie holding all her bags while she was in the fitting room, I heard a commotion behind me. I turned to see a typical 60s long-haired drug addled hippie maggot with a couple full length leather coats over his shoulder heading for the door with a little old lady store clerk standing in his way telling him to stop.
The rotten SOB just back-handed her across the face and bolted out the door.
I snapped (totally) dropped my girlfriends bags and took off after him with the little old lady saying "No, No, let him go." It was winter, and the lot was icy in spots and as I just as I was ready to tackle him I lost my balance but got after him again. I was cursing a storm at him and he was telling me to butt out. I wanted to kick his ass so bad, not for stealing, but for hitting that old lady.
Finally I heard behind me "Halt! Halt!" and I though great, I have the cops here to help me. The next thing I heard was a "whiz" past my ear and then a crack of gun fire. (The bullet really does get there before the sound.)
It was a damn rent-a-cop firing at me! not at the slime ball shoplifter. I froze and put my hands above my head and by the time Barney Fife got to me, I could see the scum bag and the leather coats heading into the public housing project down the hill from the shopping center.
Barny marched me back to the store figuring he had made a big bust only to see my girl friend crying and the sales lady give me a big grandmotherly hug telling me to never to do that again. .
I haven't. A couple of leather coats ain't worth it.
I'm all for tattoing shoplifters foreheads with a scarlet letter, but it's not a good idea to shoot at them.
I have been in Texas many times where you just got CC what? 10 or 12 years ago? That was W's big push. )
Where I live, (Pennsylvania) we have always had CC and the only qualification to get one is that you don't have a felony record and you have $20 for the photo-ID. No training, examinations or psych tests required. It is by the PA constitution a 'shall issue' state. The government must show cause to deny.
I have no doubt there are far more CC citizens in PA in total numbers let along percentage of population than the Great State of Texas.
And if you took the garbage pit of the city of Philadelphia out of the state and give it to New Jersey where it belongs, it just might have the lowest crime rate in the nation. People tend to 'respect' strangers here because you never know for sure.
I wasn’t talking about CCW. I was talking about the use of deadly force.
Deadly force over some stolen Pop-Tarts or a 6-pack of beer is not justified. Not even the hardest ass Texas ranger supported that sort of stuff.
It is only justified in the defence of life or limb.
I really do hate thieves, be they Bernie Maddof or stupid dopers who will steal anything that ain't nailed down.
Both destroy our trust in our fellow humans and make society harsher as a result.
That is why the 10 Commandments says 'thou shall not steal".
I really do hate thieves. They don't steal from the store. They steal from all of us.
That comment is based on experience. There used to be about ten members of FR who knew about firearms and that number is now less than three. No one from California is among that group and it gets worse. You people don’t even know how to ask the right questions.
You should first learn to read more carefully.
I wasn't commenting on the firearm, but the reported incident. To prove my point, see #58 and #59.
That comment is based on experience.
But had nothing to do with my comment.
There used to be about ten members of FR who knew about firearms and that number is now less than three.
This isn't even the issue here, or part of the story.
You people don’t even know how to ask the right questions.
Anyone capable of critical thought can read back, and see who is not capable of following the story, or making legitimate, pertinent comments.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.