"Senior Citizen Holds Burglar at Gunpoint"
Except for the bad advice offered by the police, this is yet another example of people protecting themselves from criminals:
PASADENA, Md. (WJZ) ― A senior citizen in Pasadena caught a burglar in his home and held him at gunpoint until police arrived. Tom Walker told Suzanne Collins he just didn't want the young man to get away with it.
Erick Bjorntwedt, 22, headed to the courthouse on four counts of burglary and destruction of property. Police say he went on a crime spree in Pasadena until he was stopped by a 74-year-old homeowner dressed in long johns.
"He came in, I put the pistol up toward his head. I said, `Get down on the floor.' I said, `No, get down with your face on the floor,'" Tom Walker said.
Walker said he left out the expletives he used when confronting the burglar in his home at 4 a.m.
It started with a planter base used to smash a side window. Security bars prevented entry. Then the rear sliding door was smashed. Walker ran into the burglar in the garage, going through his wife's car.
"I'm no hero. I'm just trying to protect my house and my wife. At our age, we don't want to be bothered with people stealing stuff like that," he said.
The suspect ran into the house where Pat Walker faced him in the kitchen. She also stood up against the suspect. He tried to get out of her kitchen door, so she put her foot up to prevent him from getting out until her husband came back with the gun.
Police say it worked out this time, but confronting a burglar isn't the best idea because they could be armed. . . . .
Labels: DefensiveGunUse
posted by John Lott at 7:47 AM
3 Comments:
The police always spout nonsense like that. If every citizen "took matters into their own hands", there'd be no need for the police - they're just trying to ensure they have jobs!
"The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder"
"The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it."
"Police seek and preserve public favor not by catering to public opinion, but by constantly demonstrating absolute impartial service to the law."
"the police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent upon every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence"
All Quotes from Robert Peel's Principles of Policing
Apart from the old couples actions, the principles are not much in evidence in that report
The police just don't get it. They should say "breaking into a law-abiding citizen's home isn't the best idea because the homeowner could be armed.... And should be!"
By the way, where was Mrs. Walker's gun?
I hope she receives an economic stimulus rebate check and uses it to buy a nice new pistol for herself!
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