Customer pulls gun, stops robbery - WELL DONE!

[camslam]

I did a quick search and didn't see this posted. If it is a double post, mods can delete.

http://www.wthr.com/global/story.asp?s=7565465

Indianapolis - It was a busy night Monday at Buck's IGA on the 3000 block of South Meridian Street. "Charlie," who didn't want his image or name used with this story, was in line to check out.

A man police later identified as Dwain Smith reportedly ran into the store wearing a ski mask and yelling.

Cashier Dianna Brooks repeated what she says she heard. "I heard the guy say 'give me all your money' and the next thing I heard was stacy saying 'somebody help me.'"

Charlie says he responded immediately. "When I heard it I automatically took mine (gun) out." And Charlie says he was ready to act. "If he had raised it (gun) up yes I would have shot him."

According to police reports, Smith jumped over the counter demanding the cash. Charlie pulled his gun and started for the commotion.

"He was turning against the other woman. He didn't actually see me coming up at first and then when he did, he turned around and I yelled at him to put down his weapon," Charile explained.

"(The) next thing I know is Charlie is jumping over the, uh, courtesy booth into the courtesy booth," said Brooks.

Charlie says was face to face with the suspect. "He just stare and looked at me for a minute. I cocked it back and then, all of a sudden, he laid it down on the counter and put all the money down."

The suspect gave up the money and his gun and took off his mask. The people who work at Buck's say the suspect has been casing the place for days.

When police arrived, Charlie had the suspect on the floor. "(I) just held him until the police got there. (I) put my foot in his back and the gun to his head."

Dwain Smith is now in the Marion County Jail facing several charges.

I figured I would say well done to this guy before the Monday morning quarterbacks jump in and say how it isn't worth risking a life over a theft in a convenience store, blah, blah, blah....

I for one give a big thumbs up to someone that is prepared for a threat, has the cajones to do something about the threat, takes the proper action, and stands up to the garbage that is in our society these days.

[ocharry]

+1,,,,,,,,,,,, me too

ocharry

[Bendutro]

Hear hear!

[Professor Gun]

Charlie done good

[frankie_the_yankee]

Good job all around.

[Cougfan2]

I'd love to see the Brady Bunch response to this.

[CZ 42]

Wonder if you could train enough to be able to confidently shoot a gun out of someones' hand... That would be a nice technique for a situation like this, eliminate some of the risk. The guy coulda been dosed up and shot Charlie anyway, and that would have been a tragedy.

[CountGlockula]

It seemed that Charlie was very calm and focused on stopping the robbery.

Great job Charlie "Brown"!

[Mr White]

Whew! Close call for Charlie! Do you know how easy it would have been for the BG to take Charlie's gun and use it against him? It happens all the time. Just ask Sarah Brady.

Charlie did good.

[TallPine]

When police arrived, Charlie had the suspect on the floor. "(I) just held him until the police got there. (I) put my foot in his back and the gun to his head."

This story is obviously not true because the police would have just shot Charlie assuming he was the bad guy

[Omaney]

Wonder if you could train enough to be able to confidently shoot a gun out of someones' hand... That would be a nice technique for a situation like this, eliminate some of the risk.

Dude...that's hilarious!!...Good one

[LiquidTension]

Good job, Charlie.

[KBintheSLC]

I'm glad it worked out. I don't know why "Charlie" got so close to the suspect though. Seems kind of dumb to "put a foot on his back, and gun to his head". I would never get up close to a suspect. Seems like he watched too many episodes of Cops. I think "Charlie" is lucky that the suspect did not attempt to wrestle the gun away from him.

We should remember that guns are effective at considerable ranges. Why put yourself at risk by getting up to arms-length when you can just as easily manage the situation from 10/20/30 feet away?

Wonder if you could train enough to be able to confidently shoot a gun out of someones' hand... That would be a nice technique for a situation like this, eliminate some of the risk.

The comment above would be a VERY bad idea.

[TallPine]

"I was just trying to shoot the gun out of his hand. It wasn't my fault that he was holding the gun right in front of his chest."

[camslam]

I'm glad it worked out. I don't know why "Charlie" got so close to the suspect though. Seems kind of dumb to "put a foot on his back, and gun to his head". I would never get up close to a suspect. Seems like he watched too many episodes of Cops. I think "Charlie" is lucky that the suspect did not attempt to wrestle the gun away from him.

We should remember that guns are effective at considerable ranges. Why put yourself at risk by getting up to arms-length when you can just as easily manage the situation from 10/20/30 feet away?

That was a key takeaway for me as well. No need to be that close to the perp. 10 to 15 feet would be just fine for me.

Still, I have to give credit to the guy, at least he had the guts to do something about it, instead of using that wonderful line, "I'll just keep to myself and be a great witness for the prosecution." Nobody knows if the perp would have harmed anyone, but I think we have all read enough headlines to know that it happens every day in our country and doing what the criminals want won't keep you from being shot.

[GeistC6]

I've lived in Indianapolis most of my life and it has become the Wild Wild West around here in the past few years.

Not more than a month ago, a woman was standing at a gas pump at a station right down the road from my house and across the street from my kids school and a 24 year old guy drives up gets out and put two in her back as she was swiping her credit card. She died on the scene.

I have had a permit to carry for quite a while but didn't carry consistently the past few years.

I never leave home without one these days.

[ZeSpectre]

I'm glad it worked out. I don't know why "Charlie" got so close to the suspect though. Seems kind of dumb to "put a foot on his back, and gun to his head". I would never get up close to a suspect. Seems like he watched too many episodes of Cops. I think "Charlie" is lucky that the suspect did not attempt to wrestle the gun away from him.

We should remember that guns are effective at considerable ranges. Why put yourself at risk by getting up to arms-length when you can just as easily manage the situation from 10/20/30 feet away?

I agree completely with this. Also REMEMBER, you must ALWAYS assume that there is more than one bad guy and take care to keep scanning the area for any remaining threats.

Definite props to the guy for stopping the robbery and I'm really glad that there was the best possible outcome (badguy stopped, everyone goes home) but if the badguy had a buddy things could have gotten very ugly at that point.

[SHOOT1SAM]

Just a guess, but he probably had a foot on the guy so that he didn't get away. The longer the perp lays there, the more time he has to think "I'll just get up, jump the counter & run out-this dude ain't gonna shoot me in the back!"

Sam

[JamisJockey]

I found this interesting

"He just stare and looked at me for a minute. I cocked it back and then, all of a sudden, he laid it down on the counter and put all the money down."

Seems the suspect watches too much TV? Didn't take "charlie" seriously until he "cocked his gun"?

[Sistema1927]

I cocked it back

What was "Charlie" carrying? Revolver?

[rxraptor02]

I just cought this on the news. "charlie" was a regular at the store and he was interviewed by the news team. he was shawdowed out in the vid but he told the story.

[budder]

I found this interesting
Quote:
"He just stare and looked at me for a minute. I cocked it back and then, all of a sudden, he laid it down on the counter and put all the money down."
Seems the suspect watches too much TV? Didn't take "charlie" seriously until he "cocked his gun"?

I noticed that also. Why did Charlie cock his gun? Was it an SA revolver? I'm guessing it was a DA/SA auto, which would lead to a painful hand injury if he had been forced to shoot the robber before returning his thumb to a proper grip. Or maybe he meant that he racked the slide, chambering a round? That would be interesting.

[romma]

Wonder if you could train enough to be able to confidently shoot a gun out of someones' hand

And for the next trick, he could his gun at the bad guys face and the BG could catch the bullet with his teeth...

The two of them could do exhibitions,, something like a Vaudville performance or something...

I don't now Vegas perhaps, now that the lion tamer guy got eaten there...

[rnr4me]

Wonder if you could train enough to be able to confidently shoot a gun out of someones' hand... That would be a nice technique for a situation like this, eliminate some of the risk.

SURE! I'll train w/ you. You hold the gun and I'll shoot it from your hand.

[Caimlas]

Job well done! I wonder what kind of gun "Charlie" had that he had to cock it? I hope it wasn't a 1911 or a SA revolver!

As for armchair quarterbacking, I'd probably have had one of the clerks get some rope or something and tie the guy's feet, or have the guy tie his own feet, or have him crawl into the undercarriage of a shopping cart - something to inhibit his mobility until the cops come. Or, at least, that would seemingly be a more prudent move than hold the gun on the guy at that range, with your foot on him too. That'd make me nervous as hell.

That whole "no response until the cock of the gun" thing is either out of a movie somewhere, or Charlie got -real- lucky the perp didn't notice the fact and make a move (provided it wasn't a DA/SA trigger).