Posted on 03/23/2007 5:16:41 AM PDT by Puppage
(Manchester-WTNH) _ A chaotic scene at a Manchester auto parts shop Thursday night. Police say a man tried to thwart a theft by pulling out his gun, but he's now facing charges.
It happened around 7:00 at the Pep Boys on Spencer Street in the K-Mart mall.
Police say it started when someone went into the store to steal a generator.
"Guys have been stealing generators from us off the shelves," Pep boys worker Dave Sciaudone said. "We knew who they were, what their license plate was because they've been hitting all our stores. And my boss saw him grab a generator tonight, walk out the door and throw it into the truck. And he pulled his gun to stop him."
While the manager did have a permit for the gun, he was arrested.
"There's a line you can not cross when you're running through the parking lot chasing after a suspect brandishing a gun," Sgt. Christopher Cross said.
There was no evidence any shots were fired. The gunfire sounds people say they heard was likely backfire from the getaway truck.
"The truck was backfiring like crazy, so if there were shots I didn't hear anything like that. I heard backfiring a lot," Tracey Wilkerson of East Hartford said.
The manager, whose name was not available, may be charged with breech of peace and reckless endangerment.
"Right now my boss is in jail, but he didn't do anything," Sciaudone said.
Police are looking for an older model maroon Chevy truck that they believe was used by the thieves.
You make that police work sound easy.
If not, I'm wondering.... maybe, from now on, the members of every gun group -- NRA, GOA, 2AF, state groups, local groups, etc. -- should BOMBARD the politicians/police/etc. of ANY town where this kind of nonsense happens.
Maybe when they realize they're going to get half a million letters delivered to their office EVERY time this happens, plus all kinds of unwanted national publicity, they might think twice about pulling this kind of crap.
I doubt the law will support his actions.
Deadly force is not justified in the eyes of the law in most states to prevent property crime. As per the article, the manager wasn't trapped or confronted, he persued the thieves, while displaying a weapon.
If one decides to arm themselves for their defence, it is their responsibility to know the laws covering the use of deadly force.
If you feel deadly force is justified to defend your stuff, work to change local laws (good job, Texas) or take your chances in court.
I would hate to be in front of a jury of my peers in this state trying to defend myself. Seems like the criminals get the benefit of the doubt.
Personally, I don't think the guy should have been arrested.
I doubt they have a stand up toilet anywhere in the state.
This 60- something year old man is being charged by the donut chompers cause they are too lazy, stupid, incompetent or corrupt to do their jobs.
writing tickets, looking tough, getting to do a no-knock drug bust on granny, maybe even getting to pretend their special-operators by wearing the black balaclavas and carrying full auto H-K's ..is what these LEO's are doing.
How 'bout just packing it in and moving out. The rich will have security guards while the hoi-poloi get to be subservient to the criminals and the supposed legal authority.
the chances of me living north of the Red River=0
my wife is begging to do some shopping and see some shows in New York, I told her to go with her friends cause unless it's on business there ain't sh#t up north that I've got to see that we don't have in Texas, or I can't live without.
...sounds nice but urban legend.... the cops or better yet forensics will be able to tell what happened with scene reconstruction.... and if they find something that isn't on the up and up, then you will be screwed, cause then it looks like your hiding something....
just kill the bastards and tell them that you were afraid they were going to kill you or were coming back to kill you, etc...
He pulled it out?
Shut the hell up and down your job Barney... You've got the wrong guy in jail.
And the police still can't find them. But their victim has already been arrested and charged.
This oughta cut down on court costs dramatically. Might make the coroners job a bit tougher though...
Scared the heck out of the women in the area. Some of the men, too.
So very sad but true. This is one reason I lfet the Northeast and became a "Southerner"
So killing someone who steals from you is a matter of honor then?
"The truck was backfiring like crazy, so if there were shots I didn't hear anything like that. I heard backfiring a lot," Tracey Wilkerson of East Hartford said.
That's pretty concise.
Has this "duty to retreat" been added within the past ten years? My recollection was that it was not a requirement when I got my permit.
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