Business owner traps burglar

[KodiakBeer]

http://www.adn.com/2010/07/17/1370834/fairbanks-bar-owner-nabs-burglary.html

He didn't do the "tactical" thing, just grabbed his .357, caught the guy and turned him over to police.

Fairbanks bar owner nabs burglary suspect


By CHRIS FREIBERG
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

(07/17/10 13:58:54)

FAIRBANKS -- A Fairbanks bar owner helped nab a suspected burglar on a night last week in what he called a "textbook sting" right out of a TV show or movie.

On Wednesday morning, John Jackovich, who has owned the Big I bar for the past four years, discovered someone had pried the plywood covering off a hole on the south side of the bar. The hole, which leads to the basement, was the result of previous construction at the bar.

But rather than call police and report the break-in, Jackovich decided he was going to find out who was responsible. He carefully replaced the T-shirts the intruder had rummaged through so it would appear the burglary went unnoticed, and decided to set a trap.

He didn't want to concern his family about what he was planning, so he didn't tell them where he was going Wednesday night. He arrived at the Big I just after 11:30 p.m. with his .357 Smith & Wesson pistol, a gift from his late brother who died in a snowmachine accident.

"I'm not a big gun guy, and I probably haven't touched that gun in 10 years," he said Thursday afternoon in his office at the Big I. "But everything I own is invested in this bar."

He told the bartender what he was planning, then headed to the empty second floor of the bar.

Jackovich put his jacket on the back of a chair, set down his gun and a cup of coffee, and waited beside an open window to see if the burglar would strike two nights in a row.

He didn't have to wait long.

Within five minutes of sitting down, he could see a man in a blue hoodie crawling out of the hole on the side of the building.

He grabbed the .357, ran down the stairs and headed outside to confront the burglar.

"I said, 'Come on out, I got a gun,'" Jackovich recounted. "Then I heard a voice saying, 'Don't shoot.' "

Jackovich pointed the gun at the suspect with one hand, and with the other, called Fairbanks police on his cell phone.

"The dispatcher said, 'Are you in danger?' and I said, no ma'am, but somebody needs to get over here real quick," Jackovich said.

When police arrived, they arrested Bradley Darrel Crossland, 37, of Fairbanks. He is being held at Fairbanks Correctional Center on charges of second-degree felony burglary and third-degree theft, a misdemeanor.

"The whole scene could have been a 30-minute show," Jackovich said. "But even 'Criminal Minds' is an hour."

When police searched the basement, they found nine bottles of alcohol in a black duffel bag. The bottles apparently had been taken from storage rooms the intruder gained access to through crevices that only an arm could fit through.

Jackovich is thankful for FPD's quick response Wednesday night, but he said he is ultimately disappointed in Crossland, whom he had previously hired to do work around the bar.

"I'm heartbroken the guy bit the hand that fed him," he said.

 

[Oyeboten]

Well done!

Coulda used a 'Bear Trap' instead I s'pose...the hollering would have alerted him of success...and of time to call 911...

 

[ONLY]

Bear trap=Felony! He did good.

 

[Oyeboten]

How 'bout a 'Glue Trap' then?

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I am pretty sure any kind of trap is going to fall under the "booby trap" law. Unfortunately.

I don't believe, personally, that I would want to capture and hold a burglar or other intruder, but rather tell him to beat feet and give as good a description as possible to the police after he is gone.

 

[martialartsblackbelt]

its good that he didnt have to shoot him. i pray that i never have to shoot anyone. i felt bad enough shooting a dog that was attacking my Mini schnauzer.

 

[Guns and more]

i pray that i never have to shoot anyone. i felt bad enough shooting a dog that was attacking my Mini schnauzer.

I'd never want to shoot a dog either. They don't know any better.

 

[Zoogster]

It is good because it turned out well.

The same exact situation though can also lead to prison time. If the burglar had attempted to attack or rush towards the guy with a gun and he had fired then prosecutors would be claiming he took the law into his own hands.
It would be claimed he was punishing the criminal with deadly force.

That situation happens all the time. You can find tons of stories of auto break ins or thefts for example where someone arms themselves and goes out and confronts the thieves to stop them or stop the damage or theft being committed. But even if they only shoot if the criminal tries to attack they often find themselves charged. Accused of using lethal force to stop the theft, burglary, or property damage.
They will claim it was self defense, and others will say they chose to take a gun out there to punish the criminal.
The prosecutor will always claim the person went out there with a gun out of anger at what was being done. Even when they took it as a precaution, and had no intention of shooting anyone, just stopping the crime in progress.

Such people end up in prison quite often. Had this guy been forced to fire in self defense he likely would be going to prison as well.

 

[Carne Frio]

I doubt very much a property owner around here
would ever face a trial for defending himself and/or
his property. The criminal is very lucky that John is
such a nice guy.

 

[SSN Vet]

The same exact situation though can also lead to prison time

did this happen in Alaska? or Massachusettes?