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If you see something wrong, do you speak up?

Michigan Slice

Michigan Slice

This Guy Cant dance...
Joined
Aug 7, 2012
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Merrill, MI
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Today my wife and I were grocery shopping.
Not my favorite thing to do, but hey what can you do?

I witnessed a guy grab bags out of this woman's cart who was distracted. I witnessed this while I was bagging groceries on those self scan deals. I yelled hey! And what not, and the guy kept walking, so I told my wife to finish, and I took after him, out of the store, into the parking lot.
After calling him some choice names and such, I got punched. I did not retaliate other than grabbing the guy and pinning him to the ground until store loss prevention showed up. And soon the police.

The items were returned. Don't know what happened to the guy, I opted not to press assault charges, and other bystanders/witnesses backed my side of the story up, as well as one gentleman who also was in chase. I don't know what happened to the thief, piece of $%^+, but I hope he gets his!

Should I just got a license plate number?said nothing?, simply informed the woman? Notified the store?
With all the wackos in the world today, you never know, things could have turned badly for me, and innocent bystanders around me.
I'm happy with my in not throttling this guy, and only grabbing him and escorting him to the ground. And holding him there.
Everything ended ok I suppose, but not sure I'm totally at peace with my actions, and the possibly adverse effects on myself/bystanders.

So, how readily do you speak up/act when you see something?
 
I am thrilled that I have not run into anything like this. I guess living in northeast Wisconsin has it benefits.

I don't know what I would do. Tbh
 
Michigan Slice said:
Today my wife and I were grocery shopping.
Not my favorite thing to do, but hey what can you do?

I witnessed a guy grab bags out of this woman's cart who was distracted. I witnessed this while I was bagging groceries on those self scan deals. I yelled hey! And what not, and the guy kept walking, so I told my wife to finish, and I took after him, out of the store, into the parking lot.
After calling him some choice names and such, I got punched. I did not retaliate other than grabbing the guy and pinning him to the ground until store loss prevention showed up. And soon the police.

The items were returned. Don't know what happened to the guy, I opted not to press assault charges, and other bystanders/witnesses backed my side of the story up, as well as one gentleman who also was in chase. I don't know what happened to the thief, price of $%^+, but I hope he gets his!

Should I just got a license plate number?said nothing?, simply informed the woman? Notified the store?
With all the wackos in the world today, you never know, things could have turned badly for me, and innocent bystanders around me.
I'm happy with my in not throttling this guy, and only grabbing him and escorting him to the ground. And holding him there.
Everything ended ok I suppose, but not sure I'm totally at peace with my actions, and the possibly adverse effects on myself/bystanders.

So, how readily do you speak up/act when you see something?
Click to expand...

Speaking up is one thing, pursuing the person is another. I operate under the idea that everyone is armed so I act accordingly.
 
Good for you.

Definitely something that you don't think about. Either you do, or you don't.
 
I don't think sometimes, it's the best way I can say it.
I just wish things like this didn't happen. All the way around.
 
Been there done that! I watched a guy trying to shoplift get caught by store employees. As Beth & I walked in he kicked the store guy in the nuts & tried to run again. I grabbed him after he bounced off the door. Pulled his thumb in a direction that would have made Stretch Armstrong cry. Kept his arm pinned & thumb stretched behind him for 30 minutes waiting on the police.

Not sure I would do it again, but instinct kicked in.

I definitely would have called out on your guy, too!
 
Good for you! Honestly I think I would have spoken up and pointed out the issue to the appropriate people, but not sure I would have chased them down. Like a few others said, I pretty much assume that anyone who is taking that chance is probably armed and is a bag of groceries worth my health. Then again adrenaline might kick in and I could chase the guy.

In short - I would do something, just not really sure how far I would go.
 
Michigan Slice said:
I'm happy with my in not throttling this guy, and only grabbing him and escorting him to the ground. And holding him there.
Everything ended ok I suppose, but not sure I'm totally at peace with my actions, and the possibly adverse effects on myself/bystanders.

So, how readily do you speak up/act when you see something?
Click to expand...
I lol'd at this.
I would probably tell the victim, an employee at the store, then follow him while calling the cops, get his plate and a description. I don't feel comfortable confronting somebody in that situation...
 
I think you just reacted to the actions at hand, good on you for not throttling him. But i would have pressed charges as the theft charge will be a petty theft charge and not carry much weight.

Sometimes all we can do is react to things we see and never consider the consequences till after the fact. Don't let the what ifs in you head CJ and kick the ones in their out. You did the right thing IMO so sleep well knowing someone got what they deserved.
 
Instincts take over in these types of situations but you said it yourself that it could have ended badly. I read a news article last year about a guy who pushed a shopping cart out the store without paying for the items and when security tried to follow him the guy turned around and shot at the security guard.

Kuddos to both members on here that acted and got involved.


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Good on you for helping. Never know if the person is going to be armed or not, but it's hard not to want to help. I would have had a hard time not beating the piss out of them if they hit me. Good job restraining yourself, and him.
 
Well done for saying and doing something but I know if it was me I'd have handled the situation differently, especially if I lived in the US. Far too many unstable kinds that are armed!
 
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
― Edmund Burke
 
I think in today's world where too many situations go sideways because some idiot has a knife or a gun you have to think twice before confronting someone.
I think in a lot of cases though the decision to get involved is spur-of-the-moment and you think about the possibility of it going bad afterwards.
Very nice job though and I he deserved to have you beat the piss out of him after he threw the first punch.
 
CJ, I applaud you for your actions. To many times people just turn the other way and do not want to get involved. As it has already been said, don't second guess yourself, it all worked out. The punk my not get much out of it this time but it will be on his record and it will add up in time if he continues to do things like this. Keep that smile you have and know you did a good deed.
 
Kudos to you for steeping up, I hope I have the courage to do that if I saw it happen.
 
SaffaClint said:
Well done for saying and doing something but I know if it was me I'd have handled the situation differently, especially if I lived in the US. Far too many unstable kinds that are armed!
Click to expand...

Respectfully, the United States does not have a patent on unstable minds.
 
blugold said:
I am thrilled that I have not run into anything like this. I guess living in northeast Wisconsin has it benefits.

I don't know what I would do. Tbh
Click to expand...

Kind of where I'm at in rural Indiana........
 
That's pretty BA of you to step up like that. If I know the guy doesn't have a weapon, I might would have done the same, but I'm not getting stabbed/shot over groceries. Hurt a female or a child, yeah, but I'll let the groceries go. Still, kudos to you bud. Glad you helped.
 
Thanks everyone, but I actually have no idea what was in the bags. This store sells a bit of everything, from groceries, toys, electronics, household things etc.
I just seen him taking bags, and by time I got to his vehicle, the bags were already inside.
 
Good for you MS. You did what you had to do. I'd be in your camp, too. I would imagine my wife telling my not to do anything, but I'm not sure I could have stood there and watched. I guess knowing it was probably on tape from the store camera, and then getting the plates would be enough to bring the guy up on charges, but knowing he got away when I could have done something....not sure I would have been able to stand knowing that.
Glad your ok other than getting punched. You did good bro!
 
Michigan Slice said:
Thanks everyone, but I actually have no idea what was in the bags. This store sells a bit of everything, from groceries, toys, electronics, household things etc.
I just seen him taking bags, and by time I got to his vehicle, the bags were already inside.
Click to expand...

Being a Lions fan, I think you should have had the right to do something like this to the guy:

suh-2.gif
 
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