Should these car owners have done what they did? Pulling gun on gun thief?

[internet troll]

This happened in Washington State. Their car was stolen so they went searching for the car and found it. They boxed the car into a parking lot and pulled a gun on the occupants of the car. They called the cops. The cops said they don't recommend doing this.

I asked a similar question in this thread and got some thoughtful responses. What do you think on this one? What if your car were stolen and you just happened upon it while you were out? Would you try to get it back or not. Would you use your firearm or not? What would you do. Should I include this in the armed citizens thread or is this an example of what not to do?


Victim pulls gun on suspected car thief

http://www.kvue.com/news/crime/victi...hief/446176568
Police say things could have ended very differently after a man followed his stolen SUV into a restaurant parking lot and held suspects at gunpoint until police arrived.

A Snohomish couple was out driving on Sunday afternoon to look for their Land Rover SUV, which had been stolen a few days before.

“They looked like the nicest couple in the world,” said James Paulsen, who arrived at the McDonald’s on 79th Street Southeast and Evergreen Way after police arrived. “They looked very calm, considering what had just happened.”

The couple spotted their SUV in Central Everett and then followed it into the restaurant parking lot and boxed in the SUV. As the wife called 911, her husband got out of the car and used a handgun to detain the three or four people inside the SUV, according to Everett Police.

“So it was a pretty aggressive move. I can totally understand the frustration people have when their property gets stolen, but that's not something we recommend: jumping out, having a handgun to recover your property,” Officer Aaron Snell said.

Police showed up soon after, but he says this case could have gone downhill quickly.

“There's potentially laws that were broken. Potentially brandishing a weapon inside city limits, it could escalate all the way up to assault. It depends on what's said, how the weapon was used, what was implied – it's really a gray area,” Snell said.

As for whether charges could be filed, that will depend on whether the suspected car thief makes a complaint in this case.

The husband – the victim, in this case – did not fire the gun even after the suspected car thief ran away to a nearby softball field at Cascade Hill School and removed his hat and shirt in an attempt to blend in with people playing softball, according to Everett Police.

Police arrested him and booked him into Snohomish County Jail. The suspect also had two outstanding warrants for theft and possession of stolen property.

“It had a good ending,” Snell said. “It could have been not so good though.”

Everett police are still determining the involvement of the other people found in the SUV.

[Iron Sights]

if they could follow the car to the restaurant they should have called the police and watched car. If it is moved follow at a safe distance and notify police of movement.

[bogey1]

I don't see anything wrong with what he did.

[thebearpack]

Anyone who has been the victim of theft and tried to get help from the authorities will sympathize with these folks. This isn't meant to be anti-cop at all but the police will flat out tell you in most cases that there's nothing they can do. They don't have the manpower to investigate every case and will tell you to file a claim with insurance or just accept the loss. Trust me, I know.

So it's not hard to understand how someone would resort to doing this kind of thing. The game is rigged in favor of the criminals.

[danhr]

So the guy pulls a gun on the car thief. The car thief runs away into a crowd. The guy chase after him.

Lesson: if you pull yo piece, you better use it. Firearms are not intimidation tools.

[Walleye Hunter]

It's hard for me to say what I would do but...my BP would be about 200/100 and adrenaline would be flowing like beer at a football game. I like hearing the story but...in the end I have to agree danhr, a gun is not an intimidation tool, don't pull it if you cannot or will not use it. I do believe that we should be able to shoot car thieves.

[Justin///M]

This happened in Washington State. Their car was stolen so they went searching for the car and found it. They boxed the car into a parking lot and pulled a gun on the occupants of the car. They called the cops. The cops said they don't recommend doing this.

I asked a similar question in this thread and got some thoughtful responses. What do you think on this one? What if your car were stolen and you just happened upon it while you were out? Would you try to get it back or not. Would you use your firearm or not? What would you do. Should I include this in the armed citizens thread or is this an example of what not to do?


Victim pulls gun on suspected car thief

http://www.kvue.com/news/crime/victi...hief/446176568
Police say things could have ended very differently after a man followed his stolen SUV into a restaurant parking lot and held suspects at gunpoint until police arrived.

A Snohomish couple was out driving on Sunday afternoon to look for their Land Rover SUV, which had been stolen a few days before.

“They looked like the nicest couple in the world,” said James Paulsen, who arrived at the McDonald’s on 79th Street Southeast and Evergreen Way after police arrived. “They looked very calm, considering what had just happened.”

The couple spotted their SUV in Central Everett and then followed it into the restaurant parking lot and boxed in the SUV. As the wife called 911, her husband got out of the car and used a handgun to detain the three or four people inside the SUV, according to Everett Police.

“So it was a pretty aggressive move. I can totally understand the frustration people have when their property gets stolen, but that's not something we recommend: jumping out, having a handgun to recover your property,” Officer Aaron Snell said.

Police showed up soon after, but he says this case could have gone downhill quickly.

“There's potentially laws that were broken. Potentially brandishing a weapon inside city limits, it could escalate all the way up to assault. It depends on what's said, how the weapon was used, what was implied – it's really a gray area,” Snell said.

As for whether charges could be filed, that will depend on whether the suspected car thief makes a complaint in this case.

The husband – the victim, in this case – did not fire the gun even after the suspected car thief ran away to a nearby softball field at Cascade Hill School and removed his hat and shirt in an attempt to blend in with people playing softball, according to Everett Police.

Police arrested him and booked him into Snohomish County Jail. The suspect also had two outstanding warrants for theft and possession of stolen property.

“It had a good ending,” Snell said. “It could have been not so good though.”

Everett police are still determining the involvement of the other people found in the SUV.

I haven't read the replies yet, but contrary to the other thread where I was on side of homeowner, I'm not on side of victim in this case. It stinks of vigilantism, IMO.

[Justin///M]

Anyone who has been the victim of theft and tried to get help from the authorities will sympathize with these folks. This isn't meant to be anti-cop at all but the police will flat out tell you in most cases that there's nothing they can do. They don't have the manpower to investigate every case and will tell you to file a claim with insurance or just accept the loss. Trust me, I know.

So it's not hard to understand how someone would resort to doing this kind of thing. The game is rigged in favor of the criminals.

I do understand why someone would do this, I just don't agree with them doing it.

That said, and combined with my previous post, I don't want to see charges on victim.

[Statkowski]

He was effecting the arrest of suspected felons.

[thebearpack]

I do understand why someone would do this, I just don't agree with them doing it.

That said, and combined with my previous post, I don't want to see charges on victim.

Yep, I wouldn't have done it either - especially with a family member in the car - because it could have gone south quickly. But I have zero sympathy for the thieves and since the victim successfully held them for police, it's crazy that he could be charged.