Author Topic: 911 Call Reveals Woman's Struggle With Purse Thief (Read 578 times)

FWiedner · « **on:** February 21, 2005, 03:40:15 AM »

911 Call Reveals Woman's Struggle With Purse Thief

Woman Held Suspect At Gunpoint Until Police Arrived

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma City police released a 911 recording Thursday that reveals a dramatic struggle following an attempted purse-snatching in south Oklahoma City.

Barbara Gesell, 83, had just pulled into her garage when a man ran inside her garage and grabbed her purse, which has hanging across her shoulder. A suspect, Robert Campbell, was arrested shortly afterward on suspicion of attempted robbery.

Police said the story might have ended differently if Gesell's daughter, Theresa Gesell, had not taken action.

According to police, Theresa Gesell ran behind Campbell and tried to catch him when he ran from the scene. While she was chasing the suspect, she called 911.

"A man has attacked us in our house, and we are fighting him in the yard," Theresa Gesell said to the 911 dispatcher.

As the struggle moved down the street, a neighbor -- whom Theresa Gesell identified as "Hershall" -- stopped to help. Theresa then grabbed her .45-caliber pistol and continued running after Campbell -- despite the dispatcher's plea for her to drop the handgun.

"I am going to go get my .45 ... you all are too slow," she said.

As the call continues, the dispatcher asks Theresa to get rid of the weapon. However, after the suspect tried to escape along a creek bed, Theresa and Hershall used the pistol to make sure he didn't leave.

"You can go put that gun up now," the dispatcher said.

"No sir," Theresa replied. "We have the gun pointed at him ... he must have been a city fellow because he didn't know anything about the woods."

Seconds later, police arrived and arrested Campbell. With Hershall's help, the Gesells retrieved Barbara's purse.

Campbell is currently housed in the Oklahoma County Jail. He is expected to be charged with assault and attempted robbery.

http://www.channeloklahoma.com/news/4208817/detail.html

Sheila · « **Reply #1 on:** February 21, 2005, 05:39:06 AM »

Who is that dispatcher to tell her to put her gun down. She had to hold the guy some how so until the police came. And she is right, 911 is to slow.

Nightrain52 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 21, 2005, 06:17:08 AM »

The lady should be commended for what she did but sadly in some areas she would have been arrested. Some lawyers would have said if the perp was fleeing the situation was diffused and the lady had no right to pursue him and if she shot him she would really have been in a lot of trouble especially if the perp had no weapon. Sad but thats just the way things are these days. :eek: :shock:

FWiedner · « **Reply #3 on:** February 21, 2005, 06:33:40 AM »

Had she not pursued the thief herself, it is likely that he would have made a successful escape.

Since he had a piece of her personal property on him, and there was no reasonable expectation that the authorities would have recovered the article of property, she had every right to pursue and if necessary use deadly force to defend herself in this situation.

The punk had already roughed up an 83 year-old woman.

The only thing that probably kept this fellow from feeling the breeze flow through his brisket is that it was daylight hours.

Of course, the thing that makes this article most interesting is that the first attempted action in response by the police dispatcher was to create an unarmed victim...

Nightrain52 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 21, 2005, 01:30:24 PM »

911 dispatchers work under a great deal of pressure on the job and have saved many lives but in this case I think she was wrong asking the lady to give up her gun. Probably something she was taught in some training class.

Mikey · « **Reply #5 on:** February 23, 2005, 02:02:00 AM »

I'm not so sure where they get these dispatchers from. What that one told Campbell was not out of the ordinary but was based, most likely, on her personal perspectives or what she had been told by some idiot. Some of those we have in this neck of the woods will question a dying man to death before they decide to send help.

I think there should be some clearly defining criteria for dispatchers and the questions they ask of those who call into 911. Some people just don't get it and some never will. Just my 2 cents worth. Mikey.

Ambushhunter · « **Reply #6 on:** February 24, 2005, 04:19:24 AM »

In the sadass state (NJ) I live in, they WOULD have arrested the lady. No doubt about it. Then the perp would have been offered a free lawyer in order to sue the lady for scaring the crap out of him.