Somebody call a doctor!

[fast eddie]

You'll never know where or when you may need your gun.
See the video in the link.

This from KIRO TV, Seattle:

http://www.kirotv.com/news/16956119/detail.html

Man Foiled During Attempted Robbery At Tacoma Restaurant

POSTED: 11:05 am PDT July 22, 2008
UPDATED: 6:20 pm PDT July 23, 2008

TACOMA, Wash. -- A man who entered an upscale Tacoma restaurant and attempted to rob a group of people dining in a private seating area was foiled when a member of the group pulled a handgun on him, police told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News.

Police said 36-year-old John Meys entered the Pacific Grill at about 8 p.m. on Monday, ordered a drink and put it on the tab of a group of doctors and representatives from pharmaceutical companies who were having a business meeting in a private room.

The man then entered the room and announced that he was robbing the group, who told police that at first they thought it was a joke until the man grabbed a diner's collar and tie, threatened him and demanded his money, police said.

"We all thought, this can't be real. Somebody out there is playing a joke on us, you know," said Dr. Charles Weatherby, who was present during the robbery.

After the victim handed Meys his wallet, restaurant surveillance video showed Meys, who was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, walk back into the main restaurant, briefly sit, and then walk back into the private room where he allegedly demanded more money.

Witnesses said when Meys re-entered the room, one of the doctors in the group, who asked to not be identified, pulled a handgun and ordered the robber to leave the restaurant.

"Before we knew it, (the doctor) pulls his gun out and told the guy, 'Get away, get out of this restaurant now.' The guy looked back and (the doctor) said, 'If you look back again, I'm going to shoot you,'" said Weatherby.

Surveillance video showed the armed doctor leading Meys through the restaurant at gunpoint.

Restaurant staff, who said they were suspicious about Meys' behavior, called authorities earlier and once Meys was outside, he was arrested by officers.

"Once he sat down and asked for some Mad Dog, that was a pretty good sign that something wasn't quite right with him," said Chip Venzone, general manager of the Pacific Grill.

Meys was arraigned Tuesday on seven counts of first-degree robbery and pleaded not guilty. During the hearing, Meys tore up paperwork handed to him by his attorney and said they had no meaning or basis in reality to him.

Meys is being taken to Western State Hospital for a mental competency hearing before his trial.

Police said Meys has a long history of domestic violence.
Copyright 2008 by KIROTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

[FCFC]

Good on the doc with the gun. I bet he's glad he didn't shoot Meys, though. Didn't need to. Good work.

What I can't figure out is why 7 guys would let an unarmed guy rob one of the men's wallets in the first pass by Meys. Surprise, I guess. But it also shows restraint on the part of the armed doc.

What some people will do for MD 20/20.

 

[Code3GT]

another deadbeat building an insanity case *sigh*

 

[camslam]

Nice to hear that a DOCTOR was armed and ready to use his weapon.

Most of the stuff I read about doctors represents them as a fairly anti-group overall.

Isn't fun reading these stories and hearing about another crime that happened where you least thought it might. Guess the anti-crowd will have to be making more excuses after this event as to why you shouldn't be allowed to carry a gun.

 

[myrockfight]

I was thinking the same thing. Why would a grown man give up his wallet to another person who is unarmed?

Especially with multiple others to back him up? Then again - if you have plenty of money and insurance on your car, you probably aren't worried with how much is in your wallet. It is all relative.

I am very glad one of them was armed though. This could have escalated pretty quickly if the guy would have picked up a sharp object or a blunt object big enough to hurt someone..

 

[Funderb]

They thought it was a joke, lol, that is to be expected.
Doctors are pretty jaded people.

 

[bogie]

Notice it was the self-employed guy who was armed - if it'd been one of the reps, he'd likely be looking for a job right now.

 

[WoofersInc]

Most of the stuff I read about doctors represents them as a fairly anti-group overal

That is not always the case. I am in the medical field. I used to work in an ER back in California. We had probably 25 staff members in the ER and out of those, there was at least 15 of them that where into guns. Out of the doctors that worked there, 3/4 of them owned guns and shot on a regular basis. 3 of them actually had concealed carry permits. (amazing for California). Most of the medical people that I have come into contact with are not anti-gun but it is the groups that represent medical people such as the AMA and so forth.

 

[bogie]

Yup. A LOT of doctors are into guns. Be nice if they'd twist on the AMA a little...

another deadbeat building an insanity case *sigh*

You know, I wonder how many of the hard-core homeless manage to get themselves committed... 3 hots, a cot, and the occasional mind altering substance...

 

[Drgong]

Best of both worlds, used the gun to defend himself without having to fire it. of course, if you pull out the gun you have to be prepaired to use it.

 

[Wa shooter]

When I first saw this on the news, I thought there was no way deadly force would be justified in this case. There was no mention of the perp being armed and he was clearly out numbered by restaurant patrons. Looking at the law, I may be wrong:

RCW 9A.16.050
Homicide — By other person — When justifiable.

Homicide is also justifiable when committed either:

(1) In the lawful defense of the slayer, or his or her husband, wife, parent, child, brother, or sister, or of any other person in his presence or company, when there is reasonable ground to apprehend a design on the part of the person slain to commit a felony or to do some great personal injury to the slayer or to any such person, and there is imminent danger of such design being accomplished; or

(2) In the actual resistance of an attempt to commit a felony upon the slayer, in his presence, or upon or in a dwelling, or other place of abode, in which he is.

 

[testar77]

Regardless of the interpretation of what you just posted, It would have been a tough row to hoe to convince anyone in Seattle that killing him was necassary, being unarmed and outnumbered.

That's probably why deadly force wasn't used

 

[3KillerBs]

What I can't figure out is why 7 guys would let an unarmed guy rob one of the men's wallets in the first pass by Meys.

+1

If they're in the habit of giving money to anyone who asks I need to send them my PayPal info so they can give me some too.

 

[Henry Bowman]

Restaurant staff, who said they were suspicious about Meys' behavior, called authorities earlier and once Meys was outside, he was arrested by officers.

When seconds matter...

Regardless of the interpretation of what you just posted, It would have been a tough row to hoe to convince anyone in Seattle that killing him was necassary, being unarmed and outnumbered.

Both of you must know that Tacoma is a significantly different "climate" from Seattle.

 

[testar77]

Both of you must know that Tacoma is a significantly different "climate" from Seattle.

Don't forget about the different "aroma"

In some ways yes, in other ways not so much just a lower income bracket.

 

[btg3]

What I can't figure out is why 7 guys would let an unarmed guy rob one of the men's wallets in the first pass by Meys.

Doctors aren't your typical macho ego maniacs looking for a fight. They are smart enough to know that any injury sustained could be very expensive if it interrupts their practice. Same is true for most anyone who would need medical treatment after a scuffle, or if there was a need to hire a lawyer. Generally, the easiest, least painful, least expensive, and smartest path is to let them have the wallet.

I was once told that a good thing to keep in your pocket is a $20 bill wrapped around a match book with a rubber band. If you can keep distance between you and a BG, throw the $20 to him and tell him to leave. If he keeps coming, you've made your case that he was after more than just money, so you needed to defend yourself. Can't think of a better way to spend $20.

 

[3KillerBs]

I was once told that a good thing to keep in your pocket is a $20 bill wrapped around a match book with a rubber band. If you can keep distance between you and a BG, throw the $20 to him and tell him to leave. If he keeps coming, you've made your case that he was after more than just money, so you needed to defend yourself. Can't think of a better way to spend $20.

What's that old saying about once you pay the Danegeld you never get rid of the Dane?

I've got a lot better uses for my money than paying protection to crooks.

IMO, this sort of wimpiness in the face of even the most minimal threat is a thoroughly shameful part of modern, western culture. I can't imagine anyone with the slightest self-respect, anyone capable of feeling shame, giving up his/her hard earned money just because a person behaved roughly and demanded it.

Its a wonder any of those doctors, other than the one with the gun, can look at themselves in the mirror while shaving.

Yes, its a very old-fashioned attitude, but that alternative is letting the thugs rule.