Recently a man robbed a bank in a city in Miami County and was captured that day. Another man robbed a restaurant in a village and was not captured in the process. What are the heroin addicts learning here? That banks, with their cameras and multiple local and federal law enforcement agencies working the case does not have a good chance of success. However low security mom and pop diners usually do not have cameras and are not federal offenses so the likelihood of detection has better odds for the criminal.
What the criminal is not taking into consideration is the more good guys in the establishment, the better the odds of one of those carrying a concealed weapon. I am sure most everyone saw on the news the good guy who got involved during the robbery of a restaurant and captured the criminal outside. The bad guy was held at gunpoint until the police arrived and took over. This is what I have been stressing since Ohio passed the Carrying Concealed Weapons law and it is now legal for the good guys to carry and protect themselves, their families and the general public. I say kudos for the good guy here.
This good guy citizen did the right thing in following the robber outside the restaurant before confronting him. Had the citizen confronted the robber inside the establishment, the chances of the situation going bad in a heartbeat are tremendous.
The robber could have had an accomplice inside who could have ambushed the good guy. It is well documented that in these types of scenarios the good guys and even police get tunnel vision and neglect to watch their back. An accomplice does not even have to have a firearm to ambush the citizen. A restaurant has innumerable items which can be used as weapons, steak knives, a chair upside of the head, anything can be used.
I have made many an arrest at gunpoint and applaud this good citizen for becoming involved and resulting in nobody being hurt. Especially the good guys.
In this incident, the bad guy was in the act of committing a felony robbery and the citizen was justified in the use of a deadly weapon to protect himself. We have discussed this before and had it been a misdemeanor theft offense, the good guy probably would not have been justified to draw a weapon to detain the criminal. I am not a lawyer and will not give legal advice. But I do have opinions and experience based on my extensive career in law enforcement.
But please do be aware that getting involved can turn bad for the good guy and any innocent citizens who may get injured or killed during this type of encounter. Then expect grand jury hearings, trials, civil lawsuits and so on.
On behalf of this one retired police officer, to the citizen who chose to get involved I say good job and thank you.
