scenario: The Pawn Shop

[vertigo7]

You decide to go visit your local pawn shop to see if there are any new guns on the shelves. You walk in the front door and hear the owner yelling and cursing. He's apparently wrestling with somone behind the gun counter, but you can't see his opponent. The owner is standing, and has the other guy on the floor behind the counter but the BG is putting up one heck of a fight. You have your CCW and your cell phone. What do you do?

PS I walked in on this scenario this afternoon.

vertigo7

 

[fix]

I can't comment on your particular situation, but my FFL (local pawn shop) usually has 3-4 guys working, all armed. More than likely the part I couldn't see would be the other 3 guys stomping the life out of the guy. Heck, I might join them if I was in the right mood.

 

[gryphon]

I don't go to the pawn shops around here, so if I did I couldn't tell the owner from a BG. I high tail it out of there and get on the cell phone as I am not allowed CCW in my state.

 

[FPrice]

"You have your CCW and your cell phone. What do you do? "

I use my other, most important self-defense weapon. My brain. Always with me, almost always on.

I call 911, report an fight in progress at such-and-such a location, "possible robbery or assault", and yell, "The Cops are coming!". Then I try to observe.

 

[yorec]

First call 911 for help. Then, being a friend of my local pawn dealer and knowing where he keeps his defensive tools, I obtain his "tire buddy." This is a metal weighted and tipped peice of hickory about eighteen inches long, a really nasty club. I'll let my friend now I'm there, verbally and wait to see what kind of assistance he needs... On the off chance the BG survives (Wins? - Heh.) the encounter with the dealer and starts to get up, hold him (conscious or not) for the police.

 

[C.R.Sam]

If local, and my favorite pawn shop, I would identify myself by name ask him (by name) if he needed assistance while I am behind cover and keeping an eye on the front. Phone would come later if needed.

How did it go down for you Vertigo ?

Sam

 

[vertigo7]

I know the owner of this particular shop, and he's always treated me very well.

I heard the commotion and grabbed my cell phone, dialed 911, but waited to hit SEND to start the call til I was 100% sure what was going on. I moved closer to the counter trying to get a better look, and then I heard both of them laughing and calling each other names. The owner looked up and saw me with my phone in my hand poised to dial, and he said "It's cool!" They stopped and the other guy got up and dusted himself off, flashing a large revolver stuck in the back of his jeans. I've met him before too, a part-time helper at the shop. The owner assured me they were just rough-housing. The Ithaca pump shotgun he keeps handy for unfriendly guests was leaning untouched in its usual spot within easy reach beside him, so it looked like things really were as he'd described.

I'm really glad I didn't have to make that 911 call.

vertigo7

 

[C.R.Sam]

Condition white while runnin a pawn shop with the door unlocked and not watched.

Could have been real interesting time to rob the place.

Sam

 

[ATeaM]

I would have taken the Ithaca 37 and made sure everything was all clear outside, no getaway car ect. If the coast was clear, I would have gone to my car and made sure no robbers were hiding there. Then I'd drive home and sweep my house with my new shotgun just to be extra sure.

 

[krept]

A pawn shop out here in Tempe was hit recently, Memorial Day I think.

3 BGs, possibly a fourth versus a couple staff. I know a shotgun was involved and 1BG ended up dead on scene, another seriously wounded and the third minor wounds but all in custody. Far as I know the staff escaped with minor injuries, if that.

Doesn't sound like fun to me.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

From the replies given, I see there is no single consensus. Even if you know the owner, you should not necessarily assume that he is the victim and wack the other guy with the tire tool or whatever.

ATeaM had something of a bizarre response. The owner and another are fighting in the store, so he would grabbed the shotgun to go looking for a getaway car. Of course, then he would steel the gun.

C.R. Sam's advice about making the pawnbroker aware you are there and asking if he needed assistance is a good idea, but still could problematic.

vertigo7, I don't see why you didn't make a phone call. You identified the pawnbroker in a scuffle on the floor with a shotgun nearby and you decided to wait to call 911 until you had a better idea of what was going on? You have to know that the pawnbroker and some other guy on the floor behind the counter engaged in conflict is not normal business proceedings. At that point, you definitely should have called 911. At worst, the cops respond to a misidentified situation. At best, they arrive quickly to help bring the situation under control.

I really don't believe the pawnbroker's story that the two men were just rough-housing. There has to be something else going on beyond that. I think FPrice has the most prudent answer.