Incident at 7/11

There is this gas station I stop by on my way to work in Skyway just before my night shift. I work nights about 3 times a week these days. I was carrying at 4:30 IWB at the time.

So I park, scan the area, notice a couple of people filling gas and a nervous guy pacing the entrance.

So I am on alert as I walk in. I was wearing an overcoat since it was getting chilly. When I am just about to pour coffee, I notice someones hand trying to get into my coat pocket on the side where I had just placed my car keys. I turned around almost in a blink of an eye throwing the guy off balance. My elbow met the side of his head. He tripped and fell onto the side stopping his fall by taking a few packs of beef jerky with him. He then started apologizing and asked if I had a quarter. He got up and started coming towards me. It was the same nervous guy who I had seen outside.

My adrenaline was going through the roof at the time and he noticed it. My hand subconsciously was on my Glock although I didn't draw. I didn't even realize I was doing that. The store owner noticed it and began yelling at the guy on the floor to leave his store telling him I was a cop.The guy took off as soon as he heard that. He then asked me if I was a cop. I said I wasn't and told him the guy may have tried to steal my car keys.

I wasn't sure what to do at this time. Should I have called 911? Should I have tackled him and then called 911?

I stopped by a Sheriff's cruiser down the street and told him the incident. I have given up calling 911 because it takes me an hour to explain to them what happened.

I think you did ok. Some basic information for you, that may not hold true in all areas, but is pretty much all over. If you make a call and officers respond, it requires a log entry to clear the call. If you just stop and talk to some officers, they may or may not make a log entry of it or post it in their notebooks. If you contact officers without a call on something like this I would request that they make a log entry of it. Next to no work on their part. Also get the names and unit of the officers you contact, record and keep those.

You've got quite the luck down there on the east side lol...i think you handled yourself well though, i would have called it in right away and given a discription of the tweaker.

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Originally Posted by wolfshead

There is this gas station I stop by on my way to work in Skyway just before my night shift. I work nights about 3 times a week these days. I was carrying at 4:30 IWB at the time.

So I park, scan the area, notice a couple of people filling gas and a nervous guy pacing the entrance. Good SA. You should have been on High Orange at this point. JMO

So I am on alert as I walk in. I was wearing an overcoat since it was getting chilly. When I am just about to pour coffee, I notice someones hand trying to get into my coat pocket on the side where I had just placed my car keys. I turned around almost in a blink of an eye throwing the guy off balance. My elbow met the side of his head. At this point I would have drawn the Glock that my hand was on, stepped back about two or three steps, ordered him to remain on the floor at gun point, and yelling for the storekeeper to call 911 immediately. NEVER at any time would my eyes have been removed from said gentleman. This should have prevented him from rising and coming towards you. Give him the verbal option of remaining on the floor, leaving the premises, or having a piercing pain in his body if he attempted anything resembling an attack on you. If he chose to scoot backwards while on the floor and make his exit, then so be it. JMO He started coming towards me. It was the same nervous guy who I had seen outside.

My adrenaline was going through the roof at the time and he noticed it. My hand subconsciously was on my Glock although I didn't draw. I didn't even realize I was doing that. The store owner noticed it and began yelling at the guy on the floor to leave his store telling him I was a cop.The guy took off as soon as he heard that. He then asked me if I was a cop. I said I wasn't and told him the guy may have tried to steal my car keys.Out of curiosity, why would the storekeeper think you were a cop? Just wondering.

I wasn't sure what to do at this time. Should I have called 911? Should I have tackled him and then called 911?

I stopped by a Sheriff's cruiser down the street and told him the incident. I have given up calling 911 because it takes me an hour to explain to them what happened.

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I know things happen fast in this type scenario. I would have hoped I could react as I stated above. Sometimes you just have to play it out. Nothing says you did it wrong. YOU did it YOUR way!!! Bottom line is you are safe and hopefully the other gentleman had to change his pants...

You obviously handled the situation okay. Just 2 things that I can armchair QB with.......after having been alerted to the guy upon entering the store, would have been worth your while to check your 6 o'clock to confirm he was a safe distance away......and when you felt the threat and reacted, perhaps you should have been backing laterally along the vending counter away from the threat while turning to face it. JMO

"Out of curiosity, why would the storekeeper think you were a cop? Just wondering"

I think its because he saw me place my hand on my gun. He is from India and there mostly cops have guns. So he may have assumed I was a cop.

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Originally Posted by Trav

You've got quite the luck down there on the east side lol...i think you handled yourself well though, i would have called it in right away and given a discription of the tweaker.

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This incident happened in Skyway, near Renton. Not a very good neighborhood.

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Originally Posted by wolfshead

There is this gas station I stop by on my way to work in Skyway just before my night shift. I work nights about 3 times a week these days. I was carrying at 4:30 IWB at the time.

So I park, scan the area, notice a couple of people filling gas and a nervous guy pacing the entrance.

So I am on alert as I walk in. I was wearing an overcoat since it was getting chilly. When I am just about to pour coffee, I notice someones hand trying to get into my coat pocket on the side where I had just placed my car keys. I turned around almost in a blink of an eye throwing the guy off balance. My elbow met the side of his head. He tripped and fell onto the side stopping his fall by taking a few packs of beef jerky with him. He then started apologizing and asked if I had a quarter. He got up and started coming towards me. It was the same nervous guy who I had seen outside.

My adrenaline was going through the roof at the time and he noticed it. My hand subconsciously was on my Glock although I didn't draw. I didn't even realize I was doing that. The store owner noticed it and began yelling at the guy on the floor to leave his store telling him I was a cop.The guy took off as soon as he heard that. He then asked me if I was a cop. I said I wasn't and told him the guy may have tried to steal my car keys.

I wasn't sure what to do at this time. Should I have called 911? Should I have tackled him and then called 911?

I stopped by a Sheriff's cruiser down the street and told him the incident. I have given up calling 911 because it takes me an hour to explain to them what happened.

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You did just fine. I like the part where you subconsciously reacted thereby striking your aggressor, a very hard thing to do under duress.

I think you handled yourself just fine. You could have detained him, but why go hands on with someone if you don't have to. Things can get deadly if you do.

I think the elbow to the face was appropriate! Hand on the gun was also appropriate, if only to keep it secured against a possible gun grab. Yes, I realize you were ready to draw, but it also served the purpose of keeping it secured.

He had his hand in your pocket so you have nothing to worry about by knocking him on his ass. Personally, I probably would have called the police from the store, but that is a judgment call and what you did worked out great anyway.

As jwarren pointed out, once you spotted him and assessed him to be a shady character loitering outside the door, you could have paid more attention to your back once you entered the store and kept an eye on him. Instead of him trying to pick your pocket, he could have come in and held up the clerk and you would have been operating from behind the curve. Once your radar goes off, don't be so quick to stand down.

How do I judge that the situation was handled appropriately?

The first question is always, "Any good guys hurt?"
If the answer to that is negative, no good guys hurt, then we can start looking at other things. I'd say you did fine. You kept your gun, weren't injured, and put a little "hurt" on the badguy. All in all, I'd call that a great day.

I absofreakinglutely hate going hands on. That's probably because I've done it too much, and have the scars to prove it. I'm more about retaining my weapons and creating distance. Just a thought, but you might want to look into CQB and Weapon Retention tactics. They can't hurt, and may come in handy. Take care, stay safe, and congrats on going home alive.

Biker

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I think the elbow to the face was appropriate! Hand on the gun was also appropriate, if only to keep it secured against a possible gun grab. Yes, I realize you were ready to draw, but it also served the purpose of keeping it secured.

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Full agreement with this. Sounds like this was handled fine. I wonder if wolfshead has any martial arts training?

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Originally Posted by First Sgt

I know things happen fast in this type scenario. I would have hoped I could react as I stated above. Sometimes you just have to play it out. Nothing says you did it wrong. YOU did it YOUR way!!! Bottom line is you are safe and hopefully the other gentleman had to change his pants...

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I concur with 1st Sgt....Good job...

Question: How did you lose SA on someone so close?

I've never thought about using beef jerky to break my fall. :rolleyes:

This guy is seriously needing some cash, car keys or something. He's pacing outside, targets you, sneaks in to pickpocket you. He falls into the health food, gets up, asks for a quarter and come's toward you. :blink: I'd say he didn't hit the floor hard enough the first time.

It's great that you spotted someone suspicous outside but personally I'd kept my eyes on them a bit more.

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Originally Posted by SIGguy229

I concur with 1st Sgt....Good job...

Question: How did you lose SA on someone so close?

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+1

Glad it worked out ok.

You were aware enough to notice him initially but were lacking in the 'follow through' by allowing him to get right up next to you without noticing until his hand was at your pocket. Glad it wasn't a shank in your side instead.

Notifying police or not would likely be a non-issue if you had thwarted his approach.

Those stores are full of video cameras, so who knows, yoy may see yourself on one of those "Worlds Dumbest Crooks" shows one day.