I helped to chase a purse snatcher today

[toreskha]

I've never done anything like this before - totally new experience. I just helped to (attempt to) apprehend a purse snatcher. I was at Walmart a few minutes ago, opening my car door when a several people near the entrance yelled, "Stop him! He's got her purse!" The guy was running down one of the parking aisles, so I started running parallel to him. Another guy was after him to his rear. The thief stopped at a gold Ford Escort and I slowed down a little because I wasn't sure if there was about to be an armed carjacking. Apparently he had the presence of mind to lock his car before going in to commit a crime, and now he was fumbling with the lock. If I had gotten there before he got in the car, I could have easily taken him down. He managed to get in, but by then the other guy was getting closer, so I opened the car door and quickly stepped back. Then I moved way back and let the other guy take him - he seemed really pumped up to do it. That guy tried to pull him out but he stepped on the gas and ran over a shopping cart and sped away.

He didn't get caught immediately, but one of the employees said the surveillance cameras are pretty good and they can get the video off to use as evidence. Also, they did get the tag number. He looked like a really rough guy - that "just got out of prison" look. Not very smart, though.

Anyway, that was something different and it's fortunate that no one got hurt (run over, shot or otherwise). I never considered using my gun to resolve the situation, as it's a crowded area with lots of tinted car windows around and I'm not comfortable taking that kind of liability for someone else's property. However, I tried to be mindful the entire time of keeping out of his possible line of fire.

I'll call them back in a few days and see what became of it. Hope they catch him.

[Glock Fan]

Glad nobody got hurt. Too bad you weren't able to nail the dirtbag.


gf

[tattedupboy]

Too bad he got away. Nice try, though.

[DJ58]

it is to bad he got away but you did everything you could do to try and stop him from getting away. the main thing is no body got hurt, my wife had her purse stolin last year out of her car at church while unloading things pain in the butt cancelling the credit cards the so forth. i'm sure they will have it on camera, hopefully the plate will run the write number to get him.

be safe out there it's that time of year people like that need money you know to buy a gift for there freinds

[Red Hat]

Sounds like you did everything you could under the circumstances. Remember there are a lot of dead hero's and you don't want to become one of those.

[HK4U]

Glad you did not get hurt. Sometimes those things turn bad. A citizen here some years ago was in a mall when a couple of guys ran out of one of the stores with something. He saw them run and chased after them. When he caught up to them in the parking lot they got in their car at which time he reached in and grabed their keys. The driver told him to give him the keys back. When he refused the punk shot and killed him.

[festus]

You did the right thing by not drawing down on him...I'm glad you are safe.

[CCW357]

Great job, Im sure with the plate number they now have him in custody

[toreskha]

Originally Posted by CCW357

Great job, Im sure with the plate number they now have him in custody

I called Walmart a few hours ago and they said they didn't think he'd been caught yet but I should call Loss Prevention in the morning. Considering the circumstances, the car was probably stolen too.

I guess these types of things probably happen all the time but it's uncommon to see it in action. It was very surreal. The guy never looked at any of us; he was completely focused on what he was doing. We couldn't feasibly chase him after he drove off, so we just had to stand there watching him go.

One of my friends told me a while back that her sister (who I had met before) was going to leave a Walmart in Houston when she suddenly got blocked in by a truck. She got out of her car, a man approached her and tried to take her purse. She fought with him for at least a minute, but he finally got away with it - and several thousand dollars in cash, which was a bad idea to be carrying around anyway. No one else could really see what was going on to help. That's what really made me despise people who do that sort of thing (besides the obvious point that they're leeches).

In hindsight, it was fairly stupid to give chase on foot when I had a perfectly good car right next to me (and the 92 inside). I could have just followed him out of the parking lot with relatively little risk to myself. I'll chalk that up for next time.

[Glock Fan]

Originally Posted by toreskha

I called Walmart a few hours ago and they said they didn't think he'd been caught yet but I should call Loss Prevention in the morning. Considering the circumstances, the car was probably stolen too.

I guess these types of things probably happen all the time but it's uncommon to see it in action. It was very surreal. The guy never looked at any of us; he was completely focused on what he was doing. We couldn't feasibly chase him after he drove off, so we just had to stand there watching him go.

One of my friends told me a while back that her sister (who I had met before) was going to leave a Walmart in Houston when she suddenly got blocked in by a truck. She got out of her car, a man approached her and tried to take her purse. She fought with him for at least a minute, but he finally got away with it - and several thousand dollars in cash, which was a bad idea to be carrying around anyway. No one else could really see what was going on to help. That's what really made me despise people who do that sort of thing (besides the obvious point that they're leeches).

In hindsight, it was fairly stupid to give chase on foot when I had a perfectly good car right next to me (and the 92 inside). I could have just followed him out of the parking lot with relatively little risk to myself. I'll chalk that up for next time.

This is a perfect example of why "purse carry" isn't the best method of carry.


gf