Man Thwarts Armed Robbery

Lovell would probably be dead if he lived in Wisconsin.

According to Plantation police, two armed men barged into the Subway at 1949 Pine Island Road shortly after 11 p.m. Wednesday, demanding money from the employee behind the counter. When they tried to force John Lovell into the bathroom, he pulled out a gun and shot both men, police said.

Donicio Arrindell, 22, was shot in the head and later died at the hospital. Fredrick Gadson, 21, was shot in the chest and ran from the Subway, but police found him in hiding in some bushes on the property of a nearby BankAtlantic.

Lovell, 71, was the lone customer at the time. Police said he had a concealed weapons permit.

Hat tip Space for Commerce.

1. What I find infuriating from that article (click on link at top of item):

   The grandmother of one of the armed robbers who was shot by the customer states that “a retired Marine shouldn’t have shot her grandson while they attempted to rob a Subway sandwich shop”.  This is the hero customer who shot the armed robbers who were trying to force him into the bathroom (to kill?  who knows?).

   Yeah, grandma, it’s the customer’s fault for the outcome.  Not your grandson who was committing armed robbery.  Give me a break!

   Posted by on July 03, 2008 at 0942 hrs




2. "Lovell would probably be dead if he lived in Wisconsin.”

   Not statistically based on Florida’s crime rate.

   Posted by on July 03, 2008 at 1116 hrs




3. #1- Why the assumption that he would be dead?  He would certainly have been robbed but nothing in the story says that he was threatened with his life.  You’re projecting.

   2#- If your gun-toting hero had the upper hand with his concealed weapon, and it appears that he did, why not use it to stop the robbery and call for authorities?  Is there now a second set of legal penalties, one for the courts and one for the streets?  When did the penalty for strong-arm robbery in Florida become “Death?”

   Posted by on July 03, 2008 at 1156 hrs




4. I’d rather the penalty for strong arm robbery be death then the penalty for being in a store being robbed be death.  Just my silly sense of fairness showing here.

   I’m not saying the robbers would have killed Lovell but it has happened many times in the past.  I won’t second guess Lovell, I wasn’t there.

   Wonder how many robberies this incident will prevent?  I’ll bet at least one.

   Posted by on July 03, 2008 at 1324 hrs




5. Another case of where you take a chance everytime you go to work, you may die.  So, it is true for these two robbers/thugs.  They took a chance, they lost, now 1 is dead and the other is hurting and going to prison.  That’s the way things go.  That’s the chance you take.  No sympathies for those two.

   Posted by on July 03, 2008 at 1335 hrs




6. Fair points, grumps.  However, I imagine that it might be difficult to keep the upper hand against 2 armed robbers. One, perhaps.  You don’t fire unless he raises his weapon.  But it would be alot harder to react against 2 armed criminals, and you’ve just raised the stakes by pulling your weapon.  Okay, sure you could have gone along with what the criminals wanted, keeping your weapon concealed and hoping they don’t execute you in the bathroom.  I don’t know how I’d react in a similar situation.  However, I don’t fault the retired Marine for his reaction, and I fail to sympathize with the dead and wounded armed criminals, no matter what grandma says.

   “Nothing in the story says that he was threatened with his life”.  I must disagree with your statement.  Two armed robbers certainly constitute a threat to life.  Projection or not, given the choice of hoping these criminals don’t execute me, or having a retired Marine end the situation, I choose the latter.

   Posted by on July 03, 2008 at 1340 hrs




7. Anyone in my presence who is brandishing a gun and is forcing me to do something means to me my life is in danger.

   Those two jerks got what they deserved, and they should pin a medal on the retired marine!

   Posted by on July 03, 2008 at 1634 hrs




8. But to the point of the post.  In Wisconsin the retired marine would most likely have been permanently retired.  All because we do not trust law abiding citizens to protect themselves from scum.

   That ain’t progressive.

   Posted by on July 03, 2008 at 1855 hrs