NOT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD On September 30, 2020, a group of thieves using a stolen pickup truck attempted to steal an ATM on North Tarrant in North Richland Hills, Texas. As they attempted to pull it off its stand, an alarm sounded and police responded. Four suspects leaving the stolen truck at the crime scene fled in another vehicle. The police were pursuing this band of thieves and they crashed. Once they crashed all four suspects jumped from the vehicle and ran directly into a local neighborhood. At 4:15 a.m. my wife and I woke up to bright lights shining into our windows. We could see emergency vehicle lights shining as well (red and blues). I was unaware as to the crime that had occurred about three blocks from our home. Behind our home is a several-acre subdivision where new homes are being built. I could see police standing across the field on the roadway, the Fort Worth Police Helicopter flying above shining the spot light into all the back yards in my neighborhood. I called 911 to see if I could get some information as to what the police were searching for, I was just informed by the dispatcher I needed to stay inside my home. This particular agency uses a multi-agency dispatch group. I hung up and called the non-emergency line for the city, and a person who answered told me about the attempted theft and that there are four suspects on the ground running from the police. My backyard lights were off, so I quickly went into my backyard and looked to see if whoever the police were looking for was in my backyard. I didn’t see anyone, I have a wrought-iron gate in my back fence. I opened the gate up and began to yell across the field to the police officer I could see. I was informing them that one of the newly constructed homes is always unlocked, and all I was armed with was a very bright flashlight. Due to the noise of the helicopter flying above I was having to yell loudly at the police officer, I first shined the flashlight on myself. I figured the officers would see me, and old grey haired man in his pajamas wasn’t one of the suspects.
By: Douglas Crowell
As I was giving some instructions to the uniformed officer immediately to my left, I heard a loud noise hitting my six-foot privacy fence. As I turned my attention to the fence by shining my light at the top, one of the suspects was climbing over the fence into my backyard. The suspect was prepared to jump a 6-foot privacy fence. However, that fence is built on top of a 40 inch retaining wall. He was ill-prepared for that extra 40 inch fall. Now is a good time to note that I have not been in patrol in seven years, but I have been a police officer for the Bedford Police Department for over 33 years. I went into muscle-memory mode and begin to give basic instructions for him to get on the ground, place hands behind his head, and interlock his feet. It didn’t matter that I didn’t have a weapon—my muscle-memory immediately placed me into SWAT Hands. I was with all my heart pointing my finger at the suspect while giving him instructions. I am thankful that the young man did as I asked, deciding not to resist. The officers across the field began to run towards me and entered into my backyard through my open gate. As the officer approached she was yelling, “blue, blue, blue.” I believe due to my authoritative voice and SWAT hands posture, the officer believed I too had a gun. I told her I had cover, and she went and handcuffed him. A second officer arrived, and once the suspect was in custody the officer looked at me and said, “You know you were pointing your finger at him.” I said yes, but he didn’t know. Over the next couple of hours, with police searching the area with the help of other neighbors, all four suspects were apprehended. The side note: The pickup truck used to steal the ATM to begin with was stolen from the city I work for.
Spring 2021 • The PFIA Protector
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