[jsalcedo]

http://www.local6.com/news/2830379/detail.html

Man Forced To Mow Lawn At Gunpoint Gets 20-Year Prison Sentence

POSTED: 7:12 PM EST February 7, 2004

OXFORD, Ala. -- A convicted burglar sentenced in Calhoun County to 20 years in prison this week as a repeat offender had an unusual run-in with his victim.

The victim, Richard Bussey, says he drove up to his father's rural residence last summer and found a man loading furniture and other items into a pickup truck.

Bussey held a gun on the would-be thief and ordered him to return the furniture. Bussey didn't have a telephone, so he made 45-year-old Roy Andrew Gendron mow the lawn with a push mower until he could think of a plan to alert authorities.

Bussey ultimately took Gendron's driver's license and turned it in to police.

Assistant District Attorney Brian McVeigh says Gendron had been arrested 19 times and was on parole when Bussey caught him.

At sentencing Tuesday, Circuit Judge Samuel Monk says the case stands out for its comical twist, calling it "one of the better ones."

And McVeigh says if he ever gets in that situation, "I'll try to get some yard work out of the guy."

[Ukraine Train]

man that's hilarious.

[griz]

That's good.:D I wonder if the thief will sue for lost wages?

[El Tejon]

This describes the lawncare of my childhood.:uhoh:

Wonder what my father was doing in Alabama?:confused:

[TonyB]

Man,I got alot of work around the house coming up........I think I have a plan:D
My unlce was a Juctice of the peace in upstate NY a while back(Lake Placid area) and he always made these hilarious rulings...making guys mow,shovel and do errands as punishment...some say he was soft on crime,but he got a lot of work out of these guys(mostly drunks).......:cool:

[Willard]

I was expecting one of those tough homeowner association stories.

[Moparmike]

I wonder if he was careful not to miss a spot...:eek: :uhoh:

[Black Dragon]

How deep is the grass if you have to have someone mow it at gun point?:p

[wingman]

Liberal judges take would be, slavery, cruel and unusual punishment.:(

[twoblink]

Gendron had been arrested 19 times and was on parole

Why I believe our criminal justice system is more criminal than just..

19 times?? and he's out??

:cuss:

He should have mowed EVERYBODY's lawn in the entire neighborhood.

Great story though..

[snafuie1]

thats kewl

[Black92LX]

And McVeigh says if he ever gets in that situation, "I'll try to get some yard work out of the guy."

Sounds like a decent DA

[Standing Wolf]

Assistant District Attorney Brian McVeigh says Gendron had been arrested 19 times and was on parole when Bussey caught him.

I think I'm beginning to detect a pattern. If I were as smart as Agent Schmuckatelli...

[Bill Hook]

Probably the first honest work the guy's ever done.

[Peetmoss]

That is just classic:D

[Smoke]

This describes the lawncare of my childhood

I can relate.


That has to be the number one reason to always carry a weapon....so someone else can't make you mow their lawn!

Smoke

[HogRider]

Great Story! :)

[standingbear]

I hope he made him rake and bag up the clippings too...A lil "nugget" hunting in the yard would have been good experience for him too...dont wanna stink up the mower.

[4v50 Gary]

I would have had him mow my lawn (I don't have one but I've got nice concrete out front), my neighbor's lawn and everybody else's lawn. Then I would have him clear gutters (street, not house) and other public works projects. After a couple years of involuntary servitude, he gets a one way ticket out of the state. :)

[TechBrute]

This is why you carry a gun, even when you're "just going over to your parents' house."

[BluesBear]

He could have just followed him in his car and made him mow the grass all the way to the Sheriff's Office.:evil:

[HankL]

I thought that jsalcedo had been by my house and seen Katie getting me to mow the lawn.
:D