He got into a gun fight with nothing

[Mikebnice]

Young got into a fight them, trying to stop them. Mall security guard Jermine Copeland ran up to intervene -- in uniform, but not armed, and not wearing a protective vest

calling 911 is about all I would have done being unarmed
and why wear a vest without a gun to shoot back.

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=109729

A security guard was shot outside the Discount Mall on Hedland Drive in southwest Atlanta on Thursday afternoon.

Mall security cameras captured a fuzzy distant look at part of what happened.

A silver Toyota Camry pulled up to a UPS truck near the entrance. UPS driver Benjamin Young said three men then got out of the car and began grabbing boxes from out of the UPS truck.

Young got into a fight them, trying to stop them. Mall security guard Jermine Copeland ran up to intervene -- in uniform, but not armed, and not wearing a protective vest.

"He saw what was going on and he ran over to the truck and the car," said mall manager Casey Nunn. "They shot him four times."

In fact, once Copeland was in surgery at Grady Memorial Hospital in downtown Atlanta, doctors discovered he had been shot six times.

Police said Copeland was shot at least once in the chest. The tape showed the men jumping back into the car and pulling off.

"He was alert, he was conscious the whole time," said Nunn. "He actually stood up on his own power and sat on the gurney. That's one tough guy."

Copeland, 28, has worked for the company as a security guard for about nine months. The mall management has been trying to battle crime.

"This area, we've been doing everything we can," said Nunn. "This shows that there needs to be an increased police presence in the area."

The guard, "J.C.," as everyone at the mall knows him, was out of surgery late Thursday afternoon, and Nunn said J.C. was resting in his hospital room, his family by his side.

A $2,000 reward has been posted in the case. Anyone who knows anything about the case is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 404-577-8477.

 

[HungSquirrel]

Time to get a new job. No UPS truck is worth getting shot over, especially in a so-called Gun Free Zone...

 

[joab]

why wear a vest without a gun to shoot back.

To keep from getting six new holes when someone decides to shoot the unarmed security guard?

The guard saw a fight and tried to do his job with the tools provided to him for that task

If he witnessed a fight going on without any shots being fired or guns being brandished he had every reason to believe that he could successfully do the job he was hired to do

 

[mekender]

The mall management has been trying to battle crime.

with unarmed guards, it sounds like the mall is more concerned about fighting a bad image and liability problems... hopefully the guard will sue the company for not allowing him to carry

 

[joab]

He took the job of his own free will most probably with the expressed knowledge that he would not be armed.
If this wasn't revealed to him in the interview it certainly would have dawned on him at the time he was handed his equipment sans firearm
He could have quit at that point.

So what grounds would he have for a lawsuit?

All of the malls I have worked at, and they were many, employed unarmed guards
Some had of duty cops also, but the majority of the security squad is unarmed

 

[sniper5]

Obviously a right wing hoax

But, this must be a hoax!!! It was a GUN FREE zone. It was illegal to have a gun. So there could not possibly have been one there. Ask anyone who knows, like a school administrator, or someone from the Brady campaign, or Hillary, or Obama, or. . .

 

[KABA]

This is curious. They shot the unarmed security guard but didn't shoot the UPS driver they were fighting with. I'd be interested in hearing the UPS driver's take on this.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

Where is Gecko45's tactical response team when you really need them???
Just kidding. That's a sad situation and I'm glad he's ok. I don't understand the point of unarmed security other than trying to dissuade teeny boppers from stealing CDs from the music store.

 

[MakAttak]

I don't understand the point of unarmed security other than trying to dissuade teeny boppers from stealing CDs from the music store.

DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING!!!!!!


They're not there for security, they are there for shoplifting.

 

[Rustynuts]

I used to have one of those all show security jobs at a big mall, but at least we had vests (until the cheap bastard contract firm took over so I quit). The was in Illinois though, where NO ONE has concealed weapons, right?

 

[siglite]

"This area, we've been doing everything we can," said Nunn. "This shows that there needs to be an increased police presence in the area."

Why? Were there not enough on hand to take the report after it happened?

An armed security guard, and a UPS man with a CCW would've likely made that a very different situation.

 

[boatbod]

Shot six times and survived? Must have been itty bitty .22's

 

[Piedmont Plinker]

Respect goes out to the guard. You gotta be brave, maybe a little stupid or crazy, but brave to do that and survive.

 

[GRB]

Even had he not been employed as a security guard, maybe he still would have sought to help the UPS driver; I would hope someone would have done so - armed or unarmed. I tend to think I would have stepped up to the plate, that based on past personal experience. One of the problems with our society today is that we want to appear brave, we want to appear sensible, we want to appear macho, we want to have big mouths and bravado - but when it comes right down to someone else doing something - all of a sudden he is a jerk or his actions are questionable to some of us. That is a sad commentary, but not on the security guard, nor on the UPS driver.

If this story is really as told, then all I can do is laude the bravery of the security guard, and of the UPS driver. It is about time that people fight back, and that other people help them when in such dire straits. This is not stupidity, this is not bravado, this is not machismo, this is not talking about what we armed citizens want to think we would do when the SHTF, this was real life; and in this scenario a security guard did his job and beyond to help protect another human being from attack by 3 thugs. Maybe he figured it was better to risk something rather than to have to live with the guilt of having done nothing except maybe watch the UPS driver get killed; maybe he is just the kind of a man who lives by his principles and he decided to help an innocent in need, but whatever the case it is apparent as reported he was a good man doing a very brave thing.

This guy is in my thoughts and hopes for a swift recovery. Maybe his case will do something to get at least licensure for armed guards. That would be a start in such a gun free zone.

All the best,
Glenn B

 

[gunsmith]

tell the guard to shut his mouth

and get a workers comp attny!

I've worked security, armed and unarmed....
even armed I wouldn't have tried to stop this robbery.
I would have made myself visible from a safe distance
and called the police, if armed I would still stay a distance and un holster because they have overwhelming force and committing a violent felony
I bet the guy had zero training or mindset or even thought about how to stay alive in various situations.(SIC)

 

[ClickClickD'oh]

I have no respect for the outfits that knowingly stick unarmed guys in high crime posts.. but I understand them. Unarmed guards are cheaper to pay, and require less training expense than armed guys do. Companies can have a revolving door with unarmed guards, which is about right for the turn over rates at most security outfits. It's cheaper and easier for them. Not to mention, clients just don't like paying the extra expense for armed guards when they can get some unarmed sap at a cut rate.

Do yourself a favor if you work one of the unarmed outfits or posts.. get a vest and wear it. The BGs will shoot you just as quick, gun or no gun.

 

[Autolycus]

Originally posted by Sniper5: But, this must be a hoax!!! It was a GUN FREE zone. It was illegal to have a gun. So there could not possibly have been one there. Ask anyone who knows, like a school administrator, or someone from the Brady campaign, or Hillary, or Obama, or. . .

Guiliani, or McCain, or Romney, or Bush.

 

[larry_minn]

I also worked unarmed security. I worked at a private College as well as a State Univ. Then as I needed $$ a private company. Unarmed at a rollerskating rink, pizza,arcade type place, Hardies, Town newspaper,etc.
Most of the jobs after a few nights I could have "phoned in" They were out of control because the staff there didn't know how to handle people. (I.E> Hardies they had HS kids buying ONE drink and getting free refils all night for table. I got there early and took the manager on duty (female) into men's room. I then lifted ceiling pannels and took out the JD,wiskey,etc. Poured it all down drain (and left bottles on counter)
An half hr later I was reading paper after tossing a few out and never did a dang thing there again. All I had to do is drop my paper and clear my throat and they would quiet down and get moving to leaving. Of course two weeks later they canceled the contract. Did same thing at another Hardies, and the rollerskating place. Worked myself out of a job. The arcade place took one night.
If I had been working that mall (at that time in my life) I would have run in with both feet. Odds are they shot at him because his (uniform) kinda/sorta looked like a Police one. (most do) I actually did NOT like armed security. Because they required it be open carried. (they often got armed for unarmed price but didn't know it)
Hope this guy recovers and those that shot him spend decades in jail. (right)

 

[JKimball]

+1 What Glenn said.

Maybe it wasn't the best tactical decision to jump into the fight, but I have a lot of respect for Copeland taking the action he did.

 

[B yond]

Why didn't the guard have a level 3 trauma plate duct taped to his torso? I thought that was SOP for mall mounties.

 

[ilbob]

I never much liked mall security work. Their insurance companies typically didn't allow armed security.

I did work the Deerfield, IL mall now and then. Not much trouble there. Had a radio with direct connect to Deerfield PD dispatch. Never had to use it. This was before cell phones. Most of their radio calls after 10 pm were to alert the patrol guys not to ticket someone who was having a party so would have late guests (no on street overnight parking there) and license plate checks. They must have done a couple hundred a night. never heard anything but no wants or warrants.

 

[ilbob]

I wonder if UPS instructs their drivers not to resist?

 

[.cheese.]

I've been complaining about guards being unarmed for some time now. I've posted at least 2 threads on the subject since I joined THR almost a year ago.

Each time a bunch of people argue the point basically tyrying to tell me that unarmed guards aren't helpless..... and sure.... maybe not.

But I'll bet it would have helped Copeland if he had been armed. Why is it worth not arming him?

 

[Working Man]

Why is it worth not arming him?

Its all about money.

Armed Guard = Insurance, training, and higher pay.

18 year old with a Diploma/GED = Unarmed guard
21 year old with training = Armed Guard

Unarmed is cheaper.

 

[Ultrachimp]

Quote:
why wear a vest without a gun to shoot back.
To keep from getting six new holes when someone decides to shoot the unarmed security guard?

The guard saw a fight and tried to do his job with the tools provided to him for that task

If he witnessed a fight going on without any shots being fired or guns being brandished he had every reason to believe that he could successfully do the job he was hired to do

Quoted for truth.