Retail theft is on the rise. Target, for example, recently announced that it will likely lose more than $600 million this year to opportunistic crooks.
“Along with other retailers, we’ve seen a significant increase in theft and organized retail crime across our business,” Target CEO Brian Cornell told investors on a Nov. 16 conference call, per Reuters.
As merchants across the country look to solve this growing problem, perhaps at least part of the solution lies in the little town of Theodore, Alabama.
See, in Theodore, gun ownership is common. As such, thieves who wish to rip off businesses have to contend with armed patrons, like those who foiled one such heist at a Tractor Supply on Black Friday.
Local News affiliate NBC 15 covered the incident:
Shots were fired Friday morning during a dramatic take down at a Tractor Supply in Theodore. Witnesses said two men were trying to steal merchandise and that’s when customers took action, determined to stop them. The shots did not come from the suspects. One customer pulled out his gun and shot out at least one of the tires on the suspect’s SUV.
Both suspects were eventually nabbed by police. They were identified as Troy Brown and Toby Priest. They now face felony theft charges in the third degree.
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Ryan Maxie, who witnessed the scene unfold, put out a warning to criminals.
“Don’t come to Theodore and rob a Tractor Supply without knowing the person is going to have a gun, everyone is walking around with guns in Theodore,” he said.
It doesn’t appear that the good samaritans who intervened will face any charges.
However, it’s worth mentioning that discharging a firearm in some states when one’s life is not imminently at risk could land one in hot water.
In this particular case, it appears the thieves escalated the situation to an extent where firing at the SUV’s tires was justified in the eyes of the law.
“They kind of beat on each other inside the car, the guy was trying to get him so he wouldn’t start the car,” Maxie explained.
“Unfortunately, he was able to get it started and floored it back so the guy had to step back so he didn’t get hit,” Maxie continued. “When he floored it back he came out this entrance place and went to that light right there and hit a U-turn and kind of did a couple donuts in the road.”
Stay tuned for updates.
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Good shooting guys. Don’t really need half the police we have now with an armed public protecting themselves and others. The police are always there after the fact but the average citizen is in the mix everyday.
Sounds like a great idea , should make a thief think TWICE before picking up any thing?
Sounds like a lot SAFER place if everyone is PACKING a Firearm out in open CARRY !!
Well, I go to TS all the time, and my first thought was what did they want to steal from the store? Oil, bird seed, dog good, a sediment bowl and filter for a 1952 Allis Chalmers ( I needed that)? But they do sell chains saws so maybe they were going for something like that.
Can I guess? The perps were very well tanned!
And probably still sore feet from the long walk to the border
Arm your wife…and all those you care about. Refuse to be a victim. FJB! F all democrats and rinos!