Drizzt
Member
Conked, cuffed and collared
Saturday, April 24, 2004
When 68-year-old Eugene Summers learned two fugitives were on the loose in Paradise Valley on Thursday afternoon, he did what any tried-and-true Wyomingite would do -- he got out his gun and took a look around.
The first clue was that the side door to his shop off Indian Paintbrush was locked. He never locks the door.
After he opened the bay door and saw the tarp laying in the corner, he was pretty sure he'd find what he was looking for. He never keeps the tarp there.
His stepson, Bobby Allison, had left work at Rocky Mountain Brake when he heard the news that two fugitives had ditched their stolen car and were hiding in Paradise Valley. Allison's kids were due home from school around that time, and he wanted to make sure they were safe, said Summers' wife, Carole.
Allison, armed with a shovel, and Summers, his .22 Ruger at the ready, made their way toward the tarp.
"I walked over and stepped on it," Summers said. "They moved a little."
Then they moved a lot.
One of the two fugitives grabbed a crowbar off the wall and swung it at Summers, who swiftly bashed him upside the head with his pistol, Summers said. The second fugitive jumped up and was just as quickly whacked on the noggin by Allison with his shovel, Summers said.
"They minded a lot better after that," Summers said Friday in an interview at his shop. "We just got everything quieted down."
Within moments the police had the fugitives on the ground and handcuffed.
The two were identified as 18-year-old Christopher Sylvester and 19-year-old Joel Schott, both of Lincoln, Mich. Both are charged with a felony count of buying and receiving stolen property, and a misdemeanor count of criminal entry. Sylvester is also charged with one count of eluding police, according to Natrona County Circuit Court documents.
Before their arrest, Casper police had called off a chase of the two in a vehicle believed to be stolen in Michigan, according to documents filed in Natrona County Circuit Court.
They apparently ditched the vehicle in Paradise Valley and looked for a place to hide, ultimately finding the Summers' ranch.
Sylvester reportedly told police he had come to Casper to see his mother, who also lives in Paradise Valley, according to the court documents.
Sylvester and Schott were examined at the Wyoming Medical Center's emergency room before being transported to the Natrona County Detention Center. Their injuries were not disclosed, although Summers said there wasn't much blood and none was visible on the shop floor Friday.
"I would imagine they had a little headache," Summers said.
His wife puts it this way: "They brought an ambulance out to take care of the little dings on their little heads."
When the suspects were hauled away from his ranch, Summers was asked by police if he wanted to pursue criminal charges. He agreed, but not because he personally felt victimized.
"I don't get scared," he said. "By then, I was done with them -- they had them."
Summers said he's glad he didn't have to use the gun to shoot anyone.
"I don't like shooting people," he said. "I did mention to (one of the suspects) he was damned lucky. But to kill somebody wouldn't be fun."
http://www.casperstartribune.net/ar...s/casper/118283598a7b635887256e800000f31e.txt
Saturday, April 24, 2004
When 68-year-old Eugene Summers learned two fugitives were on the loose in Paradise Valley on Thursday afternoon, he did what any tried-and-true Wyomingite would do -- he got out his gun and took a look around.
The first clue was that the side door to his shop off Indian Paintbrush was locked. He never locks the door.
After he opened the bay door and saw the tarp laying in the corner, he was pretty sure he'd find what he was looking for. He never keeps the tarp there.
His stepson, Bobby Allison, had left work at Rocky Mountain Brake when he heard the news that two fugitives had ditched their stolen car and were hiding in Paradise Valley. Allison's kids were due home from school around that time, and he wanted to make sure they were safe, said Summers' wife, Carole.
Allison, armed with a shovel, and Summers, his .22 Ruger at the ready, made their way toward the tarp.
"I walked over and stepped on it," Summers said. "They moved a little."
Then they moved a lot.
One of the two fugitives grabbed a crowbar off the wall and swung it at Summers, who swiftly bashed him upside the head with his pistol, Summers said. The second fugitive jumped up and was just as quickly whacked on the noggin by Allison with his shovel, Summers said.
"They minded a lot better after that," Summers said Friday in an interview at his shop. "We just got everything quieted down."
Within moments the police had the fugitives on the ground and handcuffed.
The two were identified as 18-year-old Christopher Sylvester and 19-year-old Joel Schott, both of Lincoln, Mich. Both are charged with a felony count of buying and receiving stolen property, and a misdemeanor count of criminal entry. Sylvester is also charged with one count of eluding police, according to Natrona County Circuit Court documents.
Before their arrest, Casper police had called off a chase of the two in a vehicle believed to be stolen in Michigan, according to documents filed in Natrona County Circuit Court.
They apparently ditched the vehicle in Paradise Valley and looked for a place to hide, ultimately finding the Summers' ranch.
Sylvester reportedly told police he had come to Casper to see his mother, who also lives in Paradise Valley, according to the court documents.
Sylvester and Schott were examined at the Wyoming Medical Center's emergency room before being transported to the Natrona County Detention Center. Their injuries were not disclosed, although Summers said there wasn't much blood and none was visible on the shop floor Friday.
"I would imagine they had a little headache," Summers said.
His wife puts it this way: "They brought an ambulance out to take care of the little dings on their little heads."
When the suspects were hauled away from his ranch, Summers was asked by police if he wanted to pursue criminal charges. He agreed, but not because he personally felt victimized.
"I don't get scared," he said. "By then, I was done with them -- they had them."
Summers said he's glad he didn't have to use the gun to shoot anyone.
"I don't like shooting people," he said. "I did mention to (one of the suspects) he was damned lucky. But to kill somebody wouldn't be fun."
http://www.casperstartribune.net/ar...s/casper/118283598a7b635887256e800000f31e.txt
