26 year old Antione Cooper walked into a Waffle House in DeSoto, Texas with an AK47, robbing several patrons:
And then…:
A handgun-licensed customer, whose wife was on her way to meet him at the restaurant, followed Cooper to the parking lot, fearing for his wife’s safety, according to DeSoto police.
Police said the customer called to Cooper once they were outside. Cooper pointed the AK-47 in the customer’s direction, prompting the customer to shoot Cooper several times, according to police in the southern Dallas suburb.
The citizen was not arrested – as befits someone who’d seem to any rational person to be a hero.
Suicide by Waffle House…yeah, it’s a thing.
Heart-warming story but I feel compelled to add a cautionary note. Texas is a Stand Your Ground state. Minnesota is not.
In Minnesota, the shooter (and his wife) both would have a legal duty to run away, if they safely could. Following the Bad Guy out of the restaurant and calling him to turn around so you can shoot him in the chest instead of shooting him in the back might be considered “initiating the encounter” and a Minnesota judge could decide you’re not allowed to plead self-defense in that situation (you don’t have a right to plead self-defense, it’s optional with the judge).
Minnesota has a duty to retreat before using deadly force but that doesn’t mean someone who witnessed a crime can’t follow a suspect or even ask the suspect to stop. There was the Evanovich case in Minneapolis several years ago where a Good Samaritan chased down someone who had robbed and pistol whipped a woman. The robber pointed a gun at the Good Samaritan who then drew his weapon and subsequently shot and killed. Hennepin County did not prosecute
Texas is a Stand Your Ground state. Minnesota is not.
Which is why y’all will never have a Waffle House franchise.
> Which is why y’all will never have a Waffle House franchise.
Weird, since Waffle Houses are all posted no guns.
The “No guns” signs at Waffle House mean they don’t have any spares.
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/headlines/20160712-robber-with-ak-47-shot-by-waffle-house-customer-desoto-police-say.ece
I had the same thought Myke did. Swiftee, comment?
Swiftee, so what you’re saying is that most permit holders ignore the signs at Waffle House, or the owners of the franchises don’t post “very well”?
I’ve never noticed “no guns” signs at any of the Houses I’ve been to here in SC.
I’ll check tonight, but even if they are there, no one is paying much attention to them, that I can tell you. I’ve gotten pretty used to seeing “the bulge” in untucked shirts on Saturday mornings at The House (Coffee, 2 eggs; over dead. Taters scattered, smothered, chunked, diced and peppered ma’am).
And as I’ve observed before, stories of robberies gone terribly wrong at Waffle House are kind of a standing joke around here. Everyone knows it’s the last place you want to go to rob.
Alright, I just checked.
Waffle House is posted. I’m told that’s so because they are open all night, and get packed with intoxicated hooligans around 3:00 am. I’m told that if you don’t patronize them in the middle of the night while drunk, and don’t wave it around, no one is gonna make an issue of your firearm.
Love me some WH. Too bad the nearest one is in Missouri.