Armed robber meets beauty school students - and loses...

[Preacherman]

From AZCentral (http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/0615SalonCaper15-ON.html):

Beauty school students turn tables on armed robber

Associated Press
Jun. 15, 2005 08:30 AM

SHREVEPORT, La. - It wasn't very pretty for an armed robber who tried to rip off a group of beauty school students.

The man entered Blalock's Beauty College on Tuesday, brandishing a gun, and told the women there to lie down on the floor, according to manager Dianne Mitchell.

After collecting the money, the robber ran toward the front door and Mitchell tripped him. As he fell, the would-be robber dropped his gun and Abram Bishop, the lone male employee in the college, jumped on his back, pinning him down.

Seizing the opportunity, Mitchell rallied her students, who descended on the suspect after arming themselves with curling irons, chairs and a wooden table leg.

Jared Gipson, 24, of Shreveport, was charged with armed robbery, police said. He will be booked into the city jail once he is released from the hospital.

The gun, police learned later, was not loaded. But that didn't matter to the students.

"He got what he deserved," student Renae Collier, 26, said.


_______________________________

arming themselves with curling irons, chairs and a wooden table leg.

He will be booked into the city jail once he is released from the hospital.

Sounds like they gave him a real beauty treatment...

 

[El Tejon]

Gee, wonder if they will make fun of him at the county, er, parish jug?

 

[Preacherman]

Here's a much more detailed report, from the Shreveport Times (http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050615/NEWS03/506150321):

Armed robber gets extreme makeover

Group defends beauty school by attacking, holding suspect for police

June 15, 2005

By Francis McCabe

It was a beauty school knock-out.

An armed robber brandishing a revolver and some tough talk entered Blalock's Beauty College demanding money Tuesday afternoon.

He left crying, bleeding and under arrest, after Dianne Mitchell, her students and employees attacked the suspect, beating him into submission.

Mitchell tripped the robber as he tried to leave and cried aloud "get that sucker" as the group of about 20, nearly all women, some wielding curling irons, bludgeoned him until police arrived.

"You can tell the world don't mess with the women here," said the 53-year-old who manages the Shreveport beauty school in the 5400 block of Mansfield Road.

Jared Gipson, 24, of Shreveport was charged with armed robbery, Shreveport police said. He will be booked into the City Jail once he is released from the hospital.

"He received several lacerations to the head and was taken to LSU Hospital in Shreveport," spokeswoman Kacee Hargrave said. "Nobody else was seriously injured besides the suspect."

About 3 p.m., the workers and students sat around the beauty salon, recounting their tale, like warriors after a great battle.

A little before noon the students and workers were cleaning up when the robber walked up quietly behind Mitchell and said, "This is a holdup," she recalled.

"I thought it was someone just playing, but then I saw that big old gun. He said 'get down big momma.'"

The robber, a tall, thin man wearing a handkerchief over his face and a skull cap, barked out orders to the other people in the school to get down on the floor, Mitchell said.

As the group complied, some of the women began to cry. The robber didn't react kindly, telling one of the women she would "be the first to go," Mitchell said.

After collecting any money the people had on them, the robber pushed one of the employees, Abram Bishop, into the back of the room.

"I thought 'Oh my God, he's going to shoot him,'" Mitchell said.

But instead the robber ran toward the front door to escape.

That's when Mitchell raised her leg.

It was enough to trip the robber, who dropped the gun and tumbled into a wall.

Bishop jumped on the man's back, driving him into the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Mitchell rallied her students.

"We moved some furniture after that," she yelped with joy as she retold the tale.

Arming themselves with curling irons, chairs, a wooden table leg and clenched fists, the women attacked.

Blood and urine splattered from the victim; stains adorned the white paints worn by many of the beauty school students.

Crying in pain, the robber tried to crawl away from the students, Mitchell said.

"I grabbed his legs and wouldn't let him go. I pulled him back. He wasn't going to get up out of here and tell everyone he robbed us. When he came in here, he knocked down a beehive and sent the bees flying all over."

Sharon Blalock, owner of the school, said she couldn't be prouder of her students and employees. "They just whooped the hell out of him."

Sgt. Kevin Crow, head of the Shreveport police armed robbery unit, said he was happy no one was hurt but was quick to point out that not all of these situations end well.

"Legally you can always defend yourself if you feel threatened," Crow said. "But is this the best idea? No.

"Any time you are going against a guy with a gun, you have to ask yourself if your life is worth risking over some material item you have in your store or on your person. When it works out it's great ... but when it doesn't, usually the results are pretty tragic," Crow said.

The gun, police learned later, was not loaded. But there was no remorse from the students.

"He got what he deserved," Renae Collier, 26, said. Collier's engagement ring was broken at some point during the melee.

"I'm just relieved he didn't get away," student Gladys Woods, 24, said. "He probably would have come back if we didn't stop him."

Police are continuing their investigation into the incident, suggesting it might lead to more charges against Gipson. "He will be looked at as a suspect in other robberies in the area," Detective J.E. Cromer said.

The Family Dollar in the 2600 block of Hollywood Avenue and a Chevron gas station at the corner of Hollywood and Hearne Avenue are two other businesses in the area that have been robbed recently.

Early Tuesday, before the robbery, Mitchell had gathered her students and told them they needed to watch out for one another.

"It's like we were saying in class, we have to stay together as a team," Mitchell said. "You can tell any prospective students, Blalock's Beauty College has got your back."

 

[KriegHund]

LOL

Im glad it all worked out.

Wonder if that gun was legal...

 

[dev_null]

All I can say is,

RIGHT ON!

 

[thebucket]

Way to go! We need more people like them.

 

[Henry Bowman]

He said 'get down big momma.'

In some parts, that would be an invitation to dance.

Blood and urine splattered from the victim

Gotta love it!

"Any time you are going against a guy with a gun, you have to ask yourself if your life is worth risking over some material item you have in your store or on your person.

And now robbers have to ask themself if their life is work risking over some material item that is in someone else's store or on someone else's person!

"He probably would have come back if we didn't stop him."

Hear that Sgt. Kevin Crow, head of the Shreveport police armed robbery unit, who says fighting back is a bad idea? But this one won't come back here.

 

[Preacherman]

As El T said, his reception by fellow inmates in jail is going to be spectacularly funny...

As a prison chaplain, I've often seen this. When a crook makes a particularly dumb mistake, and gets caught for it, his fellow inmates never, ever let him forget it. In this case, with the newspaper article so prominent on the front page, it'll be all over the prison before he even gets there - and of course, the jailers are going to be in hysterics when they book him in!

I love it...

 

[bytor94]

Do you think maybe they had an old straight razor there and offered him a close shave?

Maybe that is where the urine came from...

 

[straightShot]

Yep, it ended in a great way. Way to go!

 

[dasmi]

"Legally you can always defend yourself if you feel threatened," Crow said. "But is this the best idea? No.

*sigh*
Just do what the bad man says children...

 

[BryanP]

I can just picture his reception in the ER.

"Is that a curling iron in your pocket or ... ohmigod that's not a pocket is it? Oooh, that's gotta hurt. Can we get a cavity search over here?"

 

[Gunsnrovers]

"They just whooped the hell out of him."

The mental picture is just awesome.

 

[Standing Wolf]

He will be booked into the city jail once he is released from the hospital.

I imagine he'll be nicknamed "Pretty" something or other.

 

[dasmi]

The gun, police learned later, was not loaded. But there was no remorse from the students.

Nor should there be.

 

[38SnubFan]

"Legally you can always defend yourself if you feel threatened," Crow said. "But is this the best idea? No.

OK, I can't believe I'm going to say this, especialy since I work for a police officer: Sergeant, please feel free at any time to kiss my ROSY RED RECTUM!

I work unarmed security for a place that sees more than its fair share of fights. Ironically, I'm a Sergeant myself. I've taught my officers that should someone start to fight you, or even remotely THINK of attempting to cause you death or serious bodily injury:

1) Key the radio and yell your location + "SIGNAL 13!" or "10-33! (Officer Needs Assistance)

2) Use whatever you have to keep the BG at bay: Use your hands/fists, feet, Stinger, radio...whatever you've got to win the battle! The rule is: YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LOSE. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DIE. I've even told officers during handcuff training that by wrapping your hand around the chain/hinge with the "swivel point" of the cuffs facing in front of you, you have an excellent "brass knuckle" that can do some serious damage when struck to the face or ribs of your assailant.

3) Do not stop until backup officers arrive and detain the subject, you yourself have detained the subject, the subject is unconscious, or the subject is deceased.

We recently had an incident where a BG officers attempted to detain threatened lethal force by raising his shirt up and exposing what appeared to be a Beretta 92. Both officers at the scene immediately jumped him, taking him to the ground, with one repeatedly striking him to comply while another officer got him handcuffed.

That suspect arrived at the ER unconscious. He just made the stupidest move of his life. Even more stupid when it was revealed his "Beretta 92" was a replica pellet gun.

The only injury sustained by an officer was a sprained ankle.

The same things I expect of my officers to defend themselves and go home to their families at the end of their shift, I EXPECT OF ANY HUMAN BEING TO DO WHEN THREATENED.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm right. Maybe I'm going to be flamed for saying all this. BUT: It's surviving the moment RIGHT THEN AND THERE, and I'm not going to allow my life or death to be at the mercy of some dirtbag.

-38SnubFan

 

[Double Maduro]

"Legally you can always defend yourself if you feel threatened," Crow said. "But is this the best idea? No. "

Yeah, but here is the bloody rub.

He was no longer threatening them. Once he turned to go, he was no longer attacking them and they were no longer in danger. When they tripped and attacked him, he was in fact the victim of assault with a deadly weapon or weapons.

I am afraid that this BG will end up owning a beauty school.

I am proud of these people for standing up to this miscreant.

Is this the best idea, the correct answer is "sometimes".



DM

 

[dev_null]

DM, I understand you're referring to the legal standpoint. As far as I'm concerned, however, this is a case of "instant karma," or if you (generic 'you') prefer, negative reinforcement therapy.

BTW, I take the fact that they're saying that as soon as he gets out of the hospital he's going to jail as a sign that perhaps the authorities down there agree. Mind you, if this had happened in SoCal, it might be a different story.

 

[Preacherman]

DM, this is Louisiana... if the BG tries anything so stupid as to sue the school or the students, the jury will retire just long enough for a coffee and a good laugh, then acquit them. If he tries to make out to the DA, the Grand Jury, or the trial court that he's actually the victim, the tears (of laughter) will probably break the local drought! People have common sense in this state, and there's no danger of him getting away with PC nonsense in these parts.

"Rearranging the furniture"... Still laughing...

 

[JMPeters]

I for one agree with 38 Snub Fan. I commend them all for defending themselves from this burglar. From a legal standpoint is there a statute like the one for homes that fi someone comes into your home and would do you harm then you more or less had free reign to do what ya need to to git-r-done. And if there is a court in the world that would let this jerk win. We need a new judicial system.

 

[OF]

I am afraid that this BG will end up owning a beauty school.

Actually, I'll bet money there isn't a DA in the country that would charge those women. And I can just see the civil suit now, that would be hysterical.

On top of that, as I understand it, if you have reason to believe that a fleeing scumbag is leaving with the probable purpose of doing more harm to someone else, you can whack him something serious. Whether that applies here or not (or if I'm even right about that) I don't know.

- Gabe

 

[TheOtherOne]

I always get a great feeling inside when I hear the tables were turned on the bad guy!

"Legally you can always defend yourself if you feel threatened," Crow said. "But is this the best idea? No."

I've come to the opinion that many police officers say this (maybe subconsciously) because they know that if victims always fought back, they would be at risk of not having a job. Maybe.

 

[JohnKSa]

Be pretty hard to seat a jury in that part of the country that would give him anything other than more abuse.

 

[duck_god827]

We need more poeple like that every where.

 

[Old Fuff]

Now...now...

They didn't assault this victim (aka "Bad Guy"), they only ... ah ... took him into custody ... ah ... for his own protection ...