Law & Order

Witnessed a crime Thursday evening and I didn't even know it until it was too late.

Jason and I went to the grocery about 10PM to finish food shopping for the family Thanksgiving dinner and pick up dog and cat food for his critters.  One checkout lane open, about seven or so customers with full carts, so they opened a new lane and we were the first through.

There was some kind of delay at the previous lane and Jason paid more attention than I did. A guy and his wife were trying to pay for a cart full of goodies with an out of state check (Virginia).  While the guy argued the validity of his (third-party, government) check, the wife walked the cart out of the store and loaded it all into their SUV.

Jason took off into the parking lot, alerting the night manager on the way, to get the license just as the guy stormed past me, having grabbed the (presumably fake) check away from the clerk, got into the SUV and promptly took off with a few hundred bucks worth of groceries and stuff.

While I applaud Jason's intent, if these folks had been so inclined, he could have been gravely injured.  And while I'm licensed for concealed carry of a firearm, the grocery prohibits it in their store, and I always honor that.  Even if they didn't, there was nothing I could have done.  The law is very clear.  I could not have drawn my handgun and held a robbery suspect at bay unless I felt I was in mortal danger and that was just not the case.  I'm not a cop.  Even if I had tried to stop him on the way out, I would have been in peril of a civil lawsuit for personal injury.  And these days I'm just not physically able to stop a much younger man intent on escaping the scene of a crime.

So this a-hole stormed right past me, his gold chains and huge gold cross flapping on his shirt inside a black leather jacket, and made his way to freedom.

Damn!  The grocery's out a couple hundred in merchandise and there was nothing...NOTHING!...anyone there could have done!  The police were called, of course, but by then the perps were on I-270 and getting away at high speed.

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