CHL shoots tire: BG caught, Pop Tarts saved

[gemini]

Quote:The chief has mixed feelings about the help officers received from an armed citizen.

“Our concern in a situation like that is the number of people in the immediate vicinity of an individual who don’t have a way to know who or what he is,” Myers said.

“A uniformed officer is easily identifiable. But the public doesn’t know who (a citizen with a handgun) is, or how to help.”

My take on the article...
is that all future undercover officers and off duty officers should wear their department uniforms, with open carry, so they are easily identifiable so the public will know who they are?

and where is the? : "we'd like to thank Mr.Citizen for helping to apprehend some of the criminal element in our community since our officers can't be everywhere protecting eveyone all the time."

I would like to think someone would come to my wifes or daughters aid if being attacked, robbed etc. This IS Texas and there are still honorable men who reside here. Men who would come to someones defense or aid without having to mull over for 30 minutes whether they might get sued or not.

And before everyone gets all worked up....no I do not think having a CHL makes you LEO. I am glad everything turned out alright, and I am glad that someone had the nerve to intervene. Maybe the guy had time to sidestep the oncoming car, store employees were yelling "stop thief", Mr. CHL didn't know whether it was an armed robbery or not, so in his best, immediate, under the moment pressure decision was to shoot the tires rather than shoot the car occupants.

[JJVP]

I knew I had read about this before somewhere. Anyway, here it is. This version claims he was aiming for the tires but you never know. He may have been aiming for the cab but hit the tire, but unless they were driving by at approximately 5mph then I think it would be quite difficult to hit a tire with a handgun. Some people get lucky though!

Armed citizen takes out tires as shoplifters flee
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Gail Gilmore

Michael Reiser

A citizen with a “concealed-carry” handgun license shot out a tire on a car full of fleeing shoplifters, then followed them in his own vehicle Wednesday morning, helping Azle police apprehend four people who were subsequently charged with robbery.

Police officers from at least three agencies caught up with everyone in a neighborhood behind Allsup’s convenience store off Highway 199 west of Azle.

Four accused shoplifters had been spotted by employees of Albertsons grocery store and were attempting a getaway with less than $50 worth of miscellaneous items when they were spotted by a citizen in the parking lot. The citizen was carrying a properly licensed concealed weapon, Azle police chief Steve Myers said Wednesday afternoon.

The fleeing driver seemed to be headed straight for the citizen, who fired at the vehicle, striking a front tire.

Another citizen called 911 and reported “an undercover officer shooting at someone who tried to run him down,” Myers said.

That “undercover officer”, it was later discovered, was the armed citizen, Myers said. Both the caller and the “shooter” remained unidentified by police in the interest of their safety.

However, the man with the handgun got in a pickup and followed the suspect vehicle, which could no longer be driven by the time it arrived in the neighborhood, Myers said.

“I guess they thought they could turn off the highway and get lost out in the county,” he said.

However, that area is made up of just a few interconnected streets, with no other way out besides the highway, he said.

Arrested were Michael Reiser, 38, of San Angelo; Kyle Scott, 21 of Fort Worth; Jennifer Jeffrey, 35, of San Angelo; and Tami Mickey, 32, of Fort Worth.

Three of the four were apprehended at the vehicle by Azle police in the 400 block of Oakwood Street. Reiser, the driver, was caught by Azle officer Chris Negrete and a DPS trooper about 30 minutes later in the 1600 block of Willowwood Drive.

Both are off of Pearson Lane, north of the highway.

The four reportedly discarded the shoplifted items as they drove from the scene.

They will be charged with robbery, a felony, instead of shoplifting, a misdemeanor, because the car was used as a deadly weapon in their escape, Myers said.

Albertson’s is in Tarrant County, so charges will be filed with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office even though the suspects were caught in Parker County. Azle police, Parker County Sheriff’s deputies and at least two Department of Public Safety troopers helped in the chase, Myers said.

The chief has mixed feelings about the help officers received from an armed citizen.

“Our concern in a situation like that is the number of people in the immediate vicinity of an individual who don’t have a way to know who or what he is,” Myers said.

“A uniformed officer is easily identifiable. But the public doesn’t know who (a citizen with a handgun) is, or how to help.”

On the other hand, this particular citizen did choose the most restrained use of his weapon, firing only at the tires of the vehicle and ultimately helping catch a car full of suspects.

"The fleeing driver seemed to be headed straight for the citizen, who fired at the vehicle, striking a front tire."

"Another citizen called 911 and reported “an undercover officer shooting at someone who tried to run him down,” Myers said."

Looks like they tried to run him over according to the witness. However, this article said he shot the FRONT tire while the article on the original post said he shot a REAR tire. The front tire scenario looks more credible to me based on the witness account.

[Keith B]

Looks like they tried to run him over according to the witness. However, this article said he shot the FRONT tire while the article on the original post said he shot a REAR tire. The front tire scenario looks more credible to me based on the witness account.

Maybe they were going in reverse, trying to back over him and the REAR tire would then be the FRONT tire?