Metal Thieves

[Jogeephus]

While at work today I drove up on some thieves who were stealing metal. I backed my truck up to the gate and blocked the entrance to the property and called 911. Five minutes later the thieves try to leave and I tell them the law is on the way. Both get out of their vehicle and approach me from different sides of my truck and I warn the to stay back and they back up to their truck. Ten minutes pass and an officer calls my cell to inform me he will be a while but he is on his way. During the call one of the guys tries to flank me and I warn him again he best get back to his truck. He tries his ignorant street nonsense excuse to me about he didn't know this was wrong. Anyhow, everything was going fine until he used his phone - I think this is the one that you and I paid for. This was a major mistake on my part since none of his friends worked and were sitting idle around the house so the next thing I have is a SUV full of his blue gum brothers at the property too. As they pull up I back up and let them in as well then I block the gate again. Stupid of them. Anyhow, now I have five approaching my truck and no law in sight. The loud mouth agitator who must spend all his time watching Judge Judy gets the closest to me and I warn him twice to stop and get back. He goes on with his jibberish and I tell him just to calm down that the law would be there shortly and we'd sort the whole thing out. He didn't like this too much and got to saying something about his rights. Anyhow, once again like a pack of animals they approached my space again and once again I verbally warned them back never once cussing them nor disrespecting them nor letting them see the surprise I had for them if they pushed things too far. Anyhow, after a tense 50 minute standoff the law finally came and things were sorted out and names were taken and these fine upstanding citizens were sent home to their porches to wait on the mailman only after they were made to unload their ill gotten gain and pay cash for what they had already stolen. If there is one thing I learned from this it is to not allow any cell phone use if I find myself in this position again. Seems like after what happened in England I would have learned something.

I tell you, its so nice living in the deep south and having to put up with this type stuff but I gotta say, I don't know who paid for them but them boys sure had some nice vehicles. And such shiny rims. :roll:

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Jogeephus, I'm assuming you had a weapon of some type but you still took a heck of a risk in the situation you faced. I'm glad it worked out for you.

 

[Anonymous]

There was a home made steel drag up around the way that anyone of us neighbors could use anytime. It disappeared last week.
I'd bet I can tell you where your missing panels went too. Might be time to install some cameras, or at least a sign about being videotaped

 

[Jogeephus]

Yes, I was armed but they never knew this for sure. These metal thieves are getting brave. They stole the tin off my wife's cousin's barn a few months ago. I didn't see it as too risky until he made the call and his enterage arrived. I will never allow anyone to do this again. I wasn't thinking or maybe I gave too much credit to our law enforcement's response time.

 

[VanC]

Yes, I was armed but they never knew this for sure. These metal thieves are getting brave. They stole the tin off my wife's cousin's barn a few months ago. I didn't see it as too risky until he made the call and his enterage arrived. I will never allow anyone to do this again. I wasn't thinking or maybe I gave too much credit to our law enforcement's response time.

Glad things turned out well for you, Jo. Sounds like you handled things in a calm responsible manner. How sure were you that they weren't armed? Things could have got ugly real fast if they were. And speaking of law enforcement, what's up with that? Fifty minutes is an awfully long time to respond to that type of situation.

 

[highgrit]

50 minutes is unacceptable, your life and their lives were on the line. They are darn lucky their still alive you did well in a bad situation. Now the way I read this the brothers didn't go to jail?? I guess stealing is their job, at least they don't have to pay taxes.

 

[JSCATTLE]

i would have called 911 again and told them I just removed 2 from the welfare list I bet the cop would have been there in 2 min ...your a better man than me ...

 

[3waycross]

Yes, I was armed but they never knew this for sure. These metal thieves are getting brave. They stole the tin off my wife's cousin's barn a few months ago. I didn't see it as too risky until he made the call and his enterage arrived. I will never allow anyone to do this again. I wasn't thinking or maybe I gave too much credit to our law enforcement's response time.

The only mistake you made was when the oficer called you back you should have told him not to hurry as you had already shot one and the others were about to get it also if they moved another muscle. The reaponse time would have been cut down by a lot.

 

[highgrit]

Well, as much as one would like to you can't go around killing thieves that are unarmed. You haven't seen trouble till you shoot someone even in self-defense. GET REAL

 

[Jogeephus]

Van I didn't know if any of them were armed or not. I really wasn't concerned when it was 2 to 1 but when it became 5:1 I got a bit nervous which made it a lot more dangerous for their sakes especially with the Al Sharpton imitator running his mouth about the rights of trespassing thieves.

Highgrit, I agree that 50 minutes is way to long. What if it was a child in a home needing help. This is yet another reason I'm glad we can own firearms. And no, I don't want to kill or hurt anyone but I'll be dammed if I'll let these people run over me.

 

[JSCATTLE]

I wasn't saying to shoot them .. only that I bet the response time would have been better .. however I don't know how many time s I would be willing to tell them to get away from me ..I plan on being around to watch my kids grow up ...I don't understand y they weren't arrested.... trespass and stealing and threatening ..

 

[Jogeephus]

We could have pressed charges but it wouldn't have accomplished anything since we have a revolving door jail policy. The flanker would have probably gone back to prison for a few months - I'm pretty sure he was on parole by the way he was acting. By handling it the way we did, I got money for what they stole and sold - had they gone to jail we would have gotten nothing, would have had to taken time off from work to sit through a court hearing only to have them released in a few short weeks or days. Also, by treating them respectfully we allowed two of the loud mouth's to save face and think they got the best of us so now they won't burn us out. If they burn us out like the nut case did a few years ago then they will serve at the most 18 months in jail - probably less. As I see it, we got some of our money back and they won't be bothering us anymore.

 

[jedstivers]

Think of all the money you could have saved the fed. At the way it escalated I very likely would have been putting them on the ground. Especially if I had plenty on ammo.

 

[MO_cows]

Jogee you sound like one cool customer. It took a lot of self control and "command" to manage the situation like you did. Glad it worked out.

 

[Ryder]

Mty compliments to you for the way you handled it Jogeephus. You had common sense and most of all maturity. It is the immature that run off at the mouth and want to walk around showing off their gun.
Bluster is cheap beforehand, but it fades fast in real situations.

 

[tsmaxx47]

Well, as much as one would like to you can't go around killing thieves that are unarmed. You haven't seen trouble till you shoot someone even in self-defense. GET REAL

well said highgrit; as a former law enforcement officer, i would have reported the incident in progress and let them (the law) worry about it. you never know what you're walking into today, and i guarantee you don't want to be a part of it!!























































worry about it

 

[redcowsrule33]

This summer we caught 2 fine upstanding individuals loading up their truck with any metal that wasn't bolted down. They had broken into a garage, had a bunch of material in the vehicle. The vehicle was unregistered w/expired plates. One had no license the other was suspended and on parole. Called the sheriff for burglary in progress. 4 showed up in 15 minutes. What did they do??

Zero.

Said all they could do was trespass. Couldn't prove that either of them drove the vehicle (apparently they pushed it there) or that they intended to steal any of the property they had put in the vehicle as they hadn't left with it. Didn't see them in the locked building so no break in. We couldn't even tow the truck away as they said the bungholes could sue us for any damages, had to wait for them to call someone else to chauffer them off in the truck, which then could not be stopped once they hit the highway for operating an unregistered vehicle as that was entrapment. So the cops stood there as they unloaded the truck and watched them drive off w/ a ticket for trespass.

Who are we protecting?

P.S. the stuff they were just admiring disappeared the next week.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Heck of a world we've created for ourselves huh?

 

[ALACOWMAN]

50 minutes is unacceptable, your life and their lives were on the line. They are darn lucky their still alive you did well in a bad situation. Now the way I read this the brothers didn't go to jail?? I guess stealing is their job, at least they don't have to pay taxes.

yep,, but we aint

 

[1wlimo]

Mty compliments to you for the way you handled it Jogeephus. You had common sense and most of all maturity. It is the immature that run off at the mouth and want to walk around showing off their gun.
Bluster is cheap beforehand, but it fades fast in real situations.

:clap: :clap:

Yep well done