Vigilante Grandma - WA state

[Mike1951]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/biz ... 39486.html

March 21, 2008, 11:24PM
No escaping this granny for KFC robbery suspect

Nnewhouse News Service

Thieves, robbers: Stay away from Camas, Wash. It's Mary Chamberlain's town. The 67-year-old had picked up a friend at a hospital Wednesday and was driving by the local KFC when an employee came running out, chasing a man and yelling "He robbed us!"

Many people might have called 911 and left it at that. Not Chamberlain. The employee gave up the chase, but Chamberlain started driving after the man. "I thought I'd slow him down, anyway," she said.

The suspect kept shouting "I didn't do anything!" prompting two men to come out of the local Kingdom Hall and ask what was up. They called police. Chamberlain stayed in pursuit.

"I followed him on down the road. He ducked into the yards. I couldn't find him. I figured he was going yard-to-yard-to-yard jumping fences."

She eventually spotted him trying to climb a fence.

"I jumped out of the car," she said with a casual air, like the grandmother of 12 she is. She said she didn't stop to think whether the suspect was armed.

"I pulled him off the fence. He didn't swing at me. I just told him, 'Just give it up. You haven't got a chance.' I had my arm around his neck, and I was going to try and bring his arm up behind him. It looks easy on TV. Believe me — it's not."

The suspect was about the same height as Chamberlain, 5-foot-6, with an average build. The pair ended up locked together in a slow dance moving toward the gate of the fence.

"I wasn't going to let go," she said. Both could hear sirens by now. "I told him, 'Just give it up,' then the police showed up and hollered at him to get down."

Police arrested Joshua G. Crowley, 22, of Washougal, Wash. He is accused of robbing the KFC at knifepoint, said Camas Police spokesman Mitch Lackey.

Lackey doesn't recommend acts of vigilantism such as Chamberlain's.

Chamberlain is retired from a job at United Parcel Service and, as a regular customer of the restaurant that was robbed, says she just felt the need to defend it.

"You're messing with one of my favorite places," she said.

Her four kids think she's crazy, Chamberlain said. But she wants them to tell this robbery story to the grandkids.

"They'll know they'll always be safe with Grandma."

[dukalmighty]

She is lucky he wasn't crazy enough to use his knife to try to escape

[AEA]

True....but......

She is exactly what we need more of........people who are willing and able to help in a crisis situation. She is certainly not a Sheeple......
She said, "she didn't stop to think whether the suspect was armed"..........if she had...I guess she would have got her S&W out of the glovebox before leaving her vehicle!

[srothstein]

And since when is it vigilantism to chase a robber from a crime scene? I thought that was being a good citizen and assisting law enforcement. To me, vigilantism is hunting down a suspect after a crime has happened AND taking direct action to punish him (say lynching).

I hate the way newspapers report things and use words improperly to slant things.

[Lodge2004]

And since when is it vigilantism to chase a robber from a crime scene? I thought that was being a good citizen and assisting law enforcement. To me, vigilantism is hunting down a suspect after a crime has happened AND taking direct action to punish him (say lynching).

I hate the way newspapers report things and use words improperly to slant things.

Although a 67 yr old grandma chasing and wrestling with a 22 yr old bad guy armed with a knife is kinda pushing the envelope, I am a big fan of people NOT tolerating criminal behavior.

The term "vigilantism" has been abused in the movies and press for a long time. Even in the recent "The Brave One" with Jodie Foster, they managed to make legitimate self defense appear to be something bad that only leads to more evil.

"The only way crime is going to go down is if all of us simply stop accepting and tolerating it..." (quote from the book Mind Hunter by John Douglas).

[stevie_d_64]

Good for her!!!

Once again it is apparant that people (ordinary law abiding citizens) are getting tired of this kind of stuff and are stepping up, besides all of the begging and pleading to the contrary...

"Don't take the law ino your own hands...Comply with a criminals instructions and assume a fetal position, etc etc"

I have a new idea for a bumpersticker now...

"My gran-momma is tougher than your..." (you get the idea)

I bet if she had been given the chance, she would have hit him with her car...

[MrsFosforos]

Good for her!!!
I have a new idea for a bumpersticker now...

"My gran-momma is tougher than your..." (you get the idea)

Here's Fosforos' suggestion - instead of the "Protected by S&W":

[Fosforos]

That age old saying comes to mind : "Don't bring a knife to a grandma fight"

[frankie_the_yankee]

And since when is it vigilantism to chase a robber from a crime scene? I thought that was being a good citizen and assisting law enforcement. To me, vigilantism is hunting down a suspect after a crime has happened AND taking direct action to punish him (say lynching).

I hate the way newspapers report things and use words improperly to slant things.

Reporters literally write for a living. They, of all people should know what words mean and what constitutes their proper use.

It's a sad commentary on the poor quality of education when not only the reporter but the editor as well are so blatently and woefully ignorant of the English language.

[WildBill]

I hate the way newspapers report things and use words improperly to slant things.

Reporters literally write for a living. They, of all people should know what words mean and what constitutes their proper use.

It's a sad commentary on the poor quality of education when not only the reporter but the editor as well are so blatently and woefully ignorant of the English language.

I agree with both frankie and srothstein, but it is possible that the police spokesman Mitch Lackey used that word. He wasn't quoted, but what do you expect from a lousy print reporter.

How's this one?

[frankie_the_yankee]

I agree with both frankie and srothstein, but it is possible that the police spokesman Mitch Lackey used that word. He wasn't quoted, but what do you expect from a lousy print reporter.

Possible I guess. It's probably too much to expect the reporter to question the cop at that point and ask him why he was equating apprehending a fleeing felon with "vigilantism".