The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
When two alleged teenage thieves tried to flee a Best Buy, their escape attempts - dodging cars and wielding a small samurai sword - played out like something from the game systems they were trying to steal.
Doug Kennedy and his son were heading toward the store on Independence Boulevard on Wednesday night when he saw two or three youths getting away with merchandise. A store employee was screaming after them.
"I just thought, no, you can't do this," Kennedy said Thursday.
The Virginia Beach resident tackled one. As he tried to pin him down, one of the teen's hands came free and a swordlike knife sliced across his jacket, Kennedy said.
The knife didn't pierce his clothes or skin, Kennedy said, but he rolled away and the boy jumped up. Carrying what appeared to be a small samurai sword, the teenager ran across the boulevard.
A car skidded trying to stop, almost clipping the boy, Kennedy said.
"I kind of played 'Frogger' getting across," Kennedy said. "I thought, there's no way he's gonna outrun me."
On the other side of the street, another citizen showed up to help, Kennedy said. That man tried to knock the knife out of the boy's hand and tackled him to the ground, Kennedy said.
Then they returned the teenager and his loot to the store, where police took him into custody. Police spokeswoman Grazia Moyers said a second suspect, also a teenage boy, was found near the store.
One of the teens was charged with armed robbery, conspiracy and two counts of attempt malicious assault. The second was charged with robbery.
The boys, ages 15 and 16, are being held at the Virginia Beach Juvenile Detention Center without bond, Moyers said.
Sarah Hutchins, 757-222-5131, sarah.hutchins@pilotonline.com
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Taking a stand
A citizen taking a stand...Bravo!
the Converse of the Sean Connery line
Do bring a gun to a knife fight.
Ahem
Apparently no guns were present of necessary. A good thing as no one as injured or killed.
And because our wonderful juvenil court system
loves to treat teenagers as 2 year olds, they will probably get time served or a slap on the wrist. No serious jail time. Probation and some trash picking up on the weekends.
2 year olds
the guy swinging the blade will do time.
I take it the guy who caught
I take it the guy who caught him was a runner since he had no doubt he could out run the perp.
Either way
Either way, foolish. Nothing like entering a knife fight without an knife when you chief responsibility--his own kid--is right there. He got his hero reward but more so got lucky.
Martin
After reading the article I do not think Mr. Kennedy realized the juvenile had a knife until it was too late. The only foolish part was playing frogger in traffic with the cars. I hope the parents of these children thank Mr. Kennedy for catching their armed theifing child. The weapon ups the game, those kida are lucky they were no shot. Hopefully in the end they learn from their crime, because the other opitions might be death or prison later in life.
Please tell me
Where do you live and shop Hannahmartin, cause I will be sure not to intervene if I see someone robbing or assualting you. I would have and have done the same thing in the past, GET INVOLVED, its' not the police depts responsibility to stop crime, they respond and take reports to crime. If the were in the crime prevention mode, there would be a police officer on every street corner. Hello, they are not, so its' up to the citizens to observe and call 911 and help.
You need to move to another country where people bury their heads in the sand and are happy to be victims. I WON'T.
If helping and having a
If helping and having a sense of community is being "Foolish" then all I have to say is please add me to that list.