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Old April 4, 2006, 12:16 PM   #1
threegun
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WHAT CAN BE DONE??????Coworker needs help bad!

Here's the story then the problem. My coworker shot and wounded a then 17 year old robbery suspect some 14 years ago. This kid and some friends robbed the Chinese restaurant that was next to the pawnshop we work at. My coworker was outside (smoking) when he confronted the bad guy and ultimately was forced to shoot him. The kid swung his gun toward my coworker. The police captured this guy at the hospital and one of the others at the scene and ended this gangs robbery spree. Fast forward 14 years and the convicted robber shows up at the shop were he was shot.....to pawn something. My coworker is off today and when we called to tell him, his wife became frantic, worried that this guy would be out for revenge. Is there anything that can be done to protect against this possibility? I fear that little can be done besides being prepared and aware. We all openly carry in the shop and have posted pictures of this guy at both locations for all employees to look out for him. Is there anything else that can be done? He didn't say or do anything to suggest he had bad intentions however one never knows what someone is thinking.
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Old April 4, 2006, 12:30 PM   #2
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Contact the police and let them know, ask for advise

I'd think that BG would rememeber where he got shot before. I can't imagine that he's been shot so many times that he can't remember where he received each.

Why did he wait 14 years to come back? Are you the only pawn shop in town and he's in need of pawning but is afraid to go into your shop until now?

If he's only there to check out the place and look for the shooter, why would he want to pawn anything and draw attention to himself? he could have observed from outside the shop or go in during a busy time and looked.

Anyway, I personally don't think you need to worry too much about it. But just to be safe, I'd contact the police and get their advise. Perhaps this BG hasn't had any more issues in the past 14 years.
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Old April 4, 2006, 12:34 PM   #3
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Perhaps an order of protection could be obtained and notifying him he is not welcome at the store will ban him from there for tresspass reasons.

The odds are he probably doesn't even know your coworker is still at the same pawnshop. How many people remain in the same retail job for 14 years? It is more likely that he lives nearby (hence his other crimes in the area) and needed to pawn something.

Getting an order of protection would be good from a paperwork stand point but in the end it will be up to your coworker to watch his own butt...
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Old April 4, 2006, 12:37 PM   #4
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If your friend was really worried, i'd say to just go to the police dept. and tell them how the ex-robber showed up at the store and explain the situation. He could also get a restraining order for probably less than $50. The most likely scenario is that the police will say there's not much they can do besides the restraining order and will tell your friend to just be on gaurd. That's all you legally can really do. Unless the guy is crazy( in which case, there is no protection), I doubt he would want to confront someone who already put him in the hospital once.
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Old April 4, 2006, 12:42 PM   #5
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For now, I suggest doing nothing that would draw his attention to your co-worker. After 14 years, it's even possible that this guy doesn't even remember your friend's face, but I wouldn't bet my life on it. As you said, situational awareness is the key at this point.

My question is, what's this guy been doing for the last 14 yrs? Was it all prison time, or did he get out and get his act together? If you have any friends in LE, see if they can do a little discrete digging on the guy's history, & see if he has any recent criminal involvements.

Some may suggest a restraining order, but that only works if the BG is willing to obey it, and will only stir the pot more in the long run. I'd go for the restraining order only if the BG does something to suggest he's looking for a confrontation.

A situation like this is both frustrating and frightening. Your friend is waiting on a hammer that may or may not drop, and there's little he can do about it. For now, cover his six, as best you can. Other than that, there's not much more you or he can do.
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Old April 4, 2006, 12:50 PM   #6
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Was the guy looking for your co-worker friend, or was he just pawning something??? If you live in a small town and your the only pawn shop in town he might not have a choice to go somewhere else. 14 years later he may have moved on with his life, he would be in his 30's now. He might of just got out of jail, but usually Armed robbery first offense he might have got 3 to 5 years max, waiting 10 years later to take revenge, and assuming your co-worker still works there 14 years later seem odd. Still safe thing is to contact the police and get a restraining order. If the guy has moved on and has no bad intent, obeying the order is not that big of a deal, but if he is looking for revenge, you can get him thrown back in jail, if he continues stalking your friend.
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Old April 4, 2006, 01:42 PM   #7
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Okay guys I just got an update. Thanks for all the responses and so quickly. This guy talked in detail to another employee about the incident and how it changed his life for the better. He spent 9 years in prison and was released years ago. He now has a wife and kids. He even showed his leg wound. My coworker originally thought that he had shot the ground between himself and the badguy and the ricochette hit the badguy however the entrance hole is higher than the exit hole meaning that he didn't hit the ground first but did pull the round early as he thought. After talking to the employee who actually helped this guy, I no longer fear he is trying to harm my coworker. We are still going to remain cautions just in case. Again thanks for such quick response.

This whole thing could have been avoided except for one idiot employee who thought it funny not to disclose the rest of the story so to speak to scare the coworker involved. Wait until the coworkers wife gets ahold of him. Very uncool and could possibly cost him his job when the owner finds out.
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Old April 4, 2006, 01:58 PM   #8
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I can imagine being shot would change your perspective on life. That or spending a decade in the pen.
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Old April 4, 2006, 02:04 PM   #9
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Glad it worked out.

You know, in reality, the guy probably came in because the area around the pawn shop was his home turf, so the event very well could have been simply one of convenience.

We had some of the nicest customers at out pawn shops in Dallas. A customer could disappear for a couple of years or more, come back in one day to get reacquainted, shake hands, etc. and you find out he was gun because he stabbed somebody, beat somebody, or doing some other crime and is now out on parole. For us, that behavior outside the store was not a problem. The person was simply a customer and so long as all our transactions were by the book, that was fine.

Felons can be some of the nicest people, even some of the violent ones, if they like you.
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Old April 4, 2006, 02:30 PM   #10
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He said that he was being used by his "friends" and had it not been for getting shot, arrested, and jailed he would probably be dead or in prison for life. He was asked if he intended to shoot our coworker that night and he said he didn't know "he was just scared" and just wanted to get away.

I was reminded about the other thug that was captured that night. He heard the shot and turned to look. One of the restaurant employees grabbed a 2x4 and gave him cauliflower ear. They then held him for police.
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Old April 4, 2006, 02:45 PM   #11
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Double Naught Spy, While I like many of our pawning customers some of whom happen to be felons, I trust none of them. I have developed trust with several buying customers including going to shooting matches with a few. What crazy things have happened in your shop? I have captured the robber of another pawn shop. We also aided in the capture of a man who planned in detail to kidnap Gay Culverhouse, daughter of the former Tampa Bay Bucs owner Hugh Culverhouse. We aided in the capture of a murder suspect. With more time I could probably think of more cool stuff that has happened. Kinda off topic sorry.
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Old April 4, 2006, 05:55 PM   #12
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First of all, this is hardly the place to be asking for advise of this type. Call your lawyer, cop station, or local States Atty.
Second, I am not sure you 'have a dog in this fight'
Third, its pretty far fetched that the former perp even knows who is who, or what is what.
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Old April 4, 2006, 06:12 PM   #13
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You know I am not all that detail oriented and have been known to have lapses in judgement but I known damn well that if I had been shot by a business owner I would damn sure never return to those premises.
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Old April 4, 2006, 06:37 PM   #14
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I was watching a program on the Discovery channel about San Quentin. There was an inmate that was being interviewed. He was serving a life sentence for shooting a man during a botched robbery. He had no intention of shooting anyone that night but fear mixed with a gun often leads to tragic results. I'm glad that the bad guy has supposedly wisened up from his experience, but jail has a way of hardening criminals. I'd advise that employee to stay on high alert and have the other employees of the pawn shop watch out for that guy... just in case!
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Old April 4, 2006, 08:06 PM   #15
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Reminds me of that old Andy Griffith episode...
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Old April 5, 2006, 12:03 AM   #16
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*

"Reminds me of that old Andy Griffith episode..."

The one where a crook who Andy was instrumental in putting away, gets out of prison and returns to Mayberry with a shotgun--that turns out to be a gift of appreciation for Andy?

I was thinking of that too.
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Old April 5, 2006, 12:07 AM   #17
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Get some plastic surgery
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Old April 5, 2006, 05:33 AM   #18
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I wouldn't go anywhere near the place I was shot either. If I did I certainly wouldn't admit to being the shot robber. After 14 years my coworker would have never known and the rest of us impossible to know. This kid admitted it and proved it with the bullet wound. Being septics that pawnbrokers are we checked his name with HCSO (hills county sheriffs office) online arrest inquiry and it was him. He had been re arrested once for battery domestic violence since leaving prison.

As for the comment about this forum not being the place, we didn't feel the police could do anything since no threat was made. We did call a Tampa Police officer who buys guns from us regularly and he said nothing could be done except being extra careful just in case. I took it upon myself to solicit opinions here. It can't hurt right. Anyway its over, the guy seems to be reformed and interested in his family not revenge. Thanks for all the suggestions and yes we will remain alert as usual.
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Old April 5, 2006, 08:42 AM   #19
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Quote:
Why did he wait 14 years to come back?
Uhm, just got out of jail....
Quote:
Is there anything that can be done to protect against this possibility?
Restraining order. Violating it will likely be a parole violation and result in years of jail-time. Doesn't matter if he threatened anyone or not to get the order--make something up about what he said if you have to, and don't worry about whether that was his true intention. If all he really wanted to do was pawn something at the same shop he tried to rob and got shot at, the guy's a blooming idiot and he deserves more bad things to happen to him--as someone else on here has in their sig, "stupidity should hurt." Or you could always just shoot him in the head. That seems to stop most people from coming back

Uh, scratch that. I just read a another post in this thread that said the perps completely reformed and 'all better' now.
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Old April 7, 2006, 06:38 PM   #20
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My first question is, did the guy knew that your friend was a worker at the pawnshop?
For all you know he might think that he was there as a customer.
I would just look out and keep my gun on me.
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Old April 7, 2006, 08:26 PM   #21
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Make sure his parole officer is aware of the story... he has the power!

Tell the police as well... they will investigate after you're dead and they will have your report to go on...

I didn't mean to make light of your death... but that's about all the help you can hope for from the police... their hands are tied by the liberals.
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Old April 8, 2006, 11:17 AM   #22
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Pointer

Good advice,

Make sure you contact the parole officer.
The guy might want to say I am sorry and no hard feeling's.

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Old April 18, 2006, 02:55 PM   #23
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I can imagine being shot would change your perspective on life. That or spending a decade in the pen.

Maybe he found Allah...


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Old April 19, 2006, 07:31 AM   #24
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This whole thing could have been avoided except for one idiot employee who thought it funny not to disclose the rest of the story so to speak to scare the coworker involved. Wait until the coworkers wife gets ahold of him. Very uncool and could possibly cost him his job when the owner finds out.
This coworker joker should be put in a locked closet with your other (the one that shot the guy) coworker's wife for 20 minutes.
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