Purse snatch at Wal-Mart. What would you have done?

[tommyg]

A purse snatcher is a low life but not
a life/death situation Get as much of a
description as you can and call the cops and help
the victem until more help arrives
This is not a time to shoot

[Oldgringo]

A purse snatcher is a low life but not
a life/death situation Get as much of a
description as you can and call the cops and help
the victem until more help arrives
This is not a time to shoot

This thread is sooo old, most of the actors are probably dead or otherwise infirm. There is also the possibilty that the snatcher and the snatchee have made up and renewed their vows. You just never know...

[03Lightningrocks]

A purse snatcher is a low life but not
a life/death situation Get as much of a
description as you can and call the cops and help
the victem until more help arrives
This is not a time to shoot

This thread is sooo old, most of the actors are probably dead or otherwise infirm. There is also the possibilty that the snatcher and the snatchee have made up and renewed their vows. You just never know...

[Oldgringo]

A purse snatcher is a low life but not
a life/death situation Get as much of a
description as you can and call the cops and help
the victem until more help arrives
This is not a time to shoot

This thread is sooo old, most of the actors are probably dead or otherwise infirm. There is also the possibilty that the snatcher and the snatchee have made up and renewed their vows. You just never know...

I'll see your and raise you ?

[apostate]

A purse snatcher is a low life but not
a life/death situation Get as much of a
description as you can and call the cops and help
the victem until more help arrives
This is not a time to shoot

BURMA SHAVE

[OldCurlyWolf]

You would NOT have the legal right to pursue and use deadly force once the threat to the woman was gone. It would become a gray area REAL quick for you and the lines of justified pulling your gun would be fuzzy. So, you could end up having to defend yourself against an unjustified use of the gun and trying to scramble to prove what you did was legal.

I forget the various conditions spelled out in the CHL course regarding the use of ordinary force (i.e., not deadly force). I recall that holding someone at gunpoint is ordinary force, not deadly force.

However, if that lady had $20 in her purse, I don't think ordinary civilians have the right to use force to detain someone for a misdemeanor. Can anyone chime in with what the law says about conditions for use of force?

While a purse snatch is often only prosecuted as theft and the dollar amounts involved would almost never reach felony proportions, in actuality, if the purse snatched is taken from the person of the person who owns the purse, then you are dealing with robbery, which is always a felony.

Sounds real convoluted, doesn't it. Actually it is simple

Thief sneaks up, grabs purse from where it was set down, owner doesn't see it happen, snatcher takes off, owner notices and hollers. Charge is theft.


Thief sneaks up, grabs purse from where it was set down, owner does see it happen, snatcher takes off, owner hollers. Charge is robbery.


Thief sneaks up, grabs purse from owners immediate possession, snatcher takes off, owner hollers. Charge is robbery. Sometimes called robbery by force. If a weapon is seen or threatened, then it is Aggravated Robbery.

Unless someone gets hurt, purse snatching is almost never prosecuted as robbery, though in many cases it could be prosecuted that way.

As to use of force, I have never heard of anyone being prosecuted in Texas for tripping/tackling a purse snatcher and sitting on them until the PD/SD/HP arrive. Of course if the snatcher pulls a weapon all bets are off. Katy bar the door.

[speedsix]

...friend of mine and her husband were in a Target...fella was lustin' after her leather purse...she was lookin' at clothes...fella made a desperate grab, took off with the purse...got about 2 steps and landed on the floor with his arm up behind him like the handle on a li'l red wagon...where he stayed till the law arrived and "rescued" him...hubby was a Navy Seal in his other life...din't forget nuttin'...sometimes the good guys still win...

[knljr]

IMO this falls out of the scope of defense, and falls into the realm of apprehension, which is best left to LEO's.

Some points to consider.

1. Being sued for medical expenses should you use force to stop the dude.
2. Having criminal charges filed against you for excessive use of force.
3. Having to defend yourself in court for needing to use deadly force in a situation you voluntarily entered, and arguably escalated, despite having no legal duty or necessity to do so.

No thanks.

I'll be a good witness.

Amen. What would you have done if a guy runs up, snatches and runs off? There's nothing to do...maybe hang low to make sure the lady is OK and that the guy doesn't do it again which is unlikely. I don't see any way you can justify even showing a weapon in a situation like this - let alone using it.