Never Give Up and Never Go Willingly

[Jeff White]

Draws from ankle holster, spins around and shoots BG sitting in seat behind him. Good show.....

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...72F4E7B95C0C26C8862570B1000D9E91?OpenDocument

An off-duty officer foils robbery
By Heather Ratcliffe
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
11/06/2005

Maybe it was John Graves' alligator shoes, gold rings or the rims on his Cadillac DeVille that caught the robber's eye.

But it was what the robber couldn't see that nearly got him killed - a .38 caliber pistol strapped to Graves' ankle and a St. Louis County police badge in his wallet.

The two met in the parking lot of a Popeye's restaurant in St. Louis Friday evening. The robber got nothing from Graves, except maybe a bullet to his body. Police were still looking for the robber, who escaped after the shooting.

Graves, 48, stopped at the restaurant near Grand Avenue and Natural Bridge Road about 9 p.m. after visiting a wake to buy food for the grieving family. He was carrying a bucket of chicken back to his car when two teenagers emerged from a nearby alley.

One approached Graves, pulled a .38 caliber revolver from his clothes and ordered Graves into his vehicle. Graves sat behind the wheel. The gunman sat behind him in the back seat.

The off-duty policeman pulled his pistol from his ankle holster and spun around in his seat. He fired two rounds.

The suspect leaped from the open door as Graves fired several more shots. The officer heard the robber drop his gun before he took off through an alley.

St. Louis police recovered the robber's fully loaded handgun. They also lifted fingerprints from the officer's car where the gunman had opened a door.

The shooting left two holes in Graves' backseat just where the robber had been sitting. Authorities said the gunman might be wounded. Police were still searching for the two men, who escaped.

[email protected] 314-863-2821

 

[WT]

Outstanding!




(Edited.)

 

[Nitram68]

"Bling bling" Graves now promoted to "Bang bang" Graves. Wonder if his ears are still ringing....

 

[sm]

One never knows the when or where of next encounter-CRSam.

Seems having training invloving vehicles comes in handy too...

 

[dustind]

Nice shooting! I wonder if they found any blood or evidence that the BG was hit.

 

[justashooter]

"indeed a very grave man"

looks like the bad guy lost his nerve. if he was a pro said cop would be a gonner. first sight of a muzzle and he could have put 3 thru the back of the seat into the cop. could have been a very different story.

cop had several choices. in my opinion, he acted a bit too quickly. the bad guy seems to have wanted him to drive somewhere, and prolly would have taken him out of the car before offing said cop, if that was even part of the plan. cop would have been more even up facing the guy eyes on.

but it was his call...

 

[Rickstir]

Two shots from two feet? The perp should have been DRT.

 

[antarti]

That is one gutsy call to make... the pucker-factor must have been enormous.

 

[El Tejon]

And people laugh at me for practicing shooting on my back.

There's one cool, dude. He can be on my team anytime.

 

[Waitone]

.38 was closer at hand while sitting than while walking.

 

[ACP]

Once again the humble .38 snub proves its worth in a world of mighty, whiz-bang alternatives. Good story.

 

[NMshooter]

Snubbie in an ankle holster is not my first choice, but certainly worked well enough.

Do any of you have any thoughts on whether it is better to wait for an opening or attempt something immediately?

 

[Hardtarget]

He must have done it right...he's alive! I don't think you can plan ahead just when the "right time" is going to show. I think you go with your gut and MOVE. I've never been there so this is just speculation on my part. Looking at it from this side, he did good. It's over and he is walking around.
Mark.

 

[GRB]

Kudos for the .38 carryig officer.

Do any of you have any thoughts on whether it is better to wait for an opening or attempt something immediately?

Yes I do. I think you should make your move when you see fit. Remember though that he who hesitates is lost. I don't mean necessarily as in waiting for the right time, although waiting too long can get you quite dead; I mean instead once you make a move do not do it hesitantly - make it greased lightning or as close as you can come to that. Bear in mind that each second you wait to make a move, gives the bad guy more time to think of what he is doing, more time to become more scared than he already is, and more time to decide to off you. Of course it can all go the other way and he may decide to start crying and see a priest to confess leaving you unharmed in the process. The thing is you never know what will happen, you have to make your moves based upon the situation as it presents itself with the worst possible outcome for you in your mind's eye. Then act to make it come out better for yourself. Note I did not say react, I said act. I harp on this often. Don't react to everything the bad guy does. If he says hands up, ok put em up about nipple high, if he then says give me your wallet, ok make as if you are about to take out your wallet and if he is close enbough grab his gun as you pull your own and shoot him. I am not suggesting these exact actions would be what to do in each and every scenario but you ultimately taking the active part and making the bad guy react to you is what should be done in almost every such situation.

 

[twency]

but it was his call...

Yup, and I would submit that this is a situation where the ends exonerate the means. We can speculate about whether this was the best way to handle this is an abstract, statistical sense, but he came out of it alive, and none the worse for wear except for needing some upholstery work on the DeVille. He didn't break any laws, and he didn't end up dead or injured. Good call on his part.

___________________
-twency

 

[williegee]

I love stories with a happy ending!

 

[JMusic]

I had a simular issue with an ankle holster a few years back. The fact is when someone confronts you with a firearm and yours is in an ankle holster you are at a severe disavantage. What the officer did was access his firearm at the first oppertunity and thanked God for the chance. IN my opinion if you cannot carry a larger pistol within easy reach then carry a smaller one in easy reach. I gave my ankle holster away the same night and have NEVER considered one since. It would be interesting if the officer has the same opinion now.