Posted on Thu, Dec 15, 2011 : 5:41 p.m.
Man punched and robbed as he parks in his driveway
By Paula Gardner
A man returning to his Ypsilanti Township home Wednesday night was parking in his driveway when a thief surprised him - first punching him in the face and then taking his wife's purse from the car.
Police said the 50-year-old homeowner pulled into his driveway in the 1000 block of Zephyr at about 9 p.m.
He had just parked the car when a man rushed up to the vehicle, opened its door and punched him in the face, according to the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department.
The suspect grabbed the purse then ran away.
The victim wasn't injured, according to police.
Comments
Jimbo
Fri, Dec 16, 2011 : 12:59 p.m.
All this guy had to do is pull out his licensed firearm and put this thug in his place.
swcornell
Mon, Dec 19, 2011 : 3:58 p.m.
Exactly! Put him in his place MEANS put him in his place. The perpetrator put himself in harms way when he assaulted someone.
Ypsi_Wings_Fan
Sun, Dec 18, 2011 : 4:06 a.m.
Could you shoot somebody legally in a situation such as this? what are the laws about when you can shoot someone? Can you shoot a person in the back after they have attacked you and are leaving or only when you feel activly in danger? Just wondering.
Craig Lounsbury
Fri, Dec 16, 2011 : 3:09 p.m.
I'm not antigun but its a bit of a simplistic answer. ... "a man rushed up to the vehicle, opened its door and punched him in the face... grabbed the purse then ran away." is how the incident was described. So by the time one has their gun ready to fire your looking at the thief's back as he flees. At that point what do you mean by "put this thug in his place"? Shoot him in the back? Because that plan of action could present a set of problems bigger and more expensive than losing some cash and credit cards.
RJA
Fri, Dec 16, 2011 : 2:31 a.m.
I think this thug was lucky the wife wasn't in the car, he wouldn't get far with my purse. Pepper spray on my key chains. (both sets)
justcurious
Fri, Dec 16, 2011 : 1:21 a.m.
As I've said before, people are becoming more desperate, whether it is to pay their bills, feed their kids, due to drug dependency, or just plain orneriness. This is happening more and more and becomes less surprising all the time. Some of us are far removed from this type of situation, but that doesn't mean it can be taken lightly. It's not going to get better, it's going to get worse. All someone can do is stay alert, and protect themselves but learning what that entails.
GirlNextDoor
Fri, Dec 16, 2011 : 1:10 p.m.
@jc: I'm in agreement with what you say, but what do you mean by some of us are far removed from this type of situation? I'm not being snarky, either. Don't you think any of us, despite where we live could be potential victims? There are a lot of desperate people out there, and I don't think anyone should feel a sense of complacency these days. We all need to be aware of our surroundings, and not feel like we are insulated against this type of deviant behavior by today's miscreants.
nickcarraweigh
Thu, Dec 15, 2011 : 11:37 p.m.
This guy is lucky. When my wife's purse is in the car, so is my wife.
Tru2Blu76
Thu, Dec 15, 2011 : 11:22 p.m.
My sincere sympathy for the victims here. Being over 60, I've learned "too well" how little regard is given to the age of "prospective victims." Predators like the one described here are the lowest (and among the most dangerous) form of humanity. I just learned something from a Scientific American review of the book, People Will Talk, by John Whitfield. I think an excerpt will bear on what type of individuals are attacking & robbing people: "Mental-health professionals have usually treated psychopathic behavior as a disorder—a large proportion of the prison population, after all, has been diagnosed with some version of the trait. But viewed from an evolutionary angle, psychopathy looks more like a feature than a bug. Most people are cooperative, trusting and generous. This pays off in the long term. It also creates an opening for those who would rather prey on society than join it." It's the relative rarity of this psychopathy which protects those who have it. The victim in this case had every reason to believe he & his wife were safe in their own driveway: because, so few people violate such "property lines." The only defense is constant awareness of those around us - and even awareness of potential hiding places.