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As reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Man with concealed weapon shoots alleged robber
By Bill Bryan
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
03/14/2007
Riccardo Crossland used a pellet gun to rob a man legally carrying a real gun outside a Bridgeton motel Tuesday morning and ended up shot, police said.
Crossland went off to a hospital with wounds of the hand and leg; the victim went on his way with the congratulations of police.
"Here was a robbery where we have a good ending for once," said Bridgeton Police Major Don Steinman, who said the shooting was clearly self-defense.
The 23-year-old victim holds a concealed-carry permit from his home state of Florida, which is honored in Missouri, officials said.
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Ricardo Crossland
"He had his gun aimed at my face," the robbery victim said in an interview granted on the condition that his name and hometown not be used. "I definitely thought he was going to shoot me, so I started firing."
Crossland's weapon turned out to be a pellet gun that resembled a .45-caliber handgun, police said. The victim had a real .45 in his waistband.
Crossland, 39, of the 7100 block of Beulah Avenue in Jennings, was taken to DePaul Health Center, police said, for treatment of his wounds, which were not considered life-threatening. He was charged with first-degree robbery and armed criminal action.
Police said Crossland is on probation for a drug-related offense, and has convictions for robbery, burglary, stealing and drug-related crimes.
The victim gave this account:
He had stayed several days at the Motel 6, near Interstate 270 and St. Charles Rock Road, while looking at a race car engine to buy from a man in St. Louis.
About 3 a.m. Tuesday, he took his pit bull on an errand for food. Just outside the motel, he encountered two men who asked questions about the dog before one of them pulled out what looked like a gun and announced a holdup.
"The one guy started to pat me down, and I didn't want him to find my gun, so I was handing them over everything I could," the victim said. "I was just waiting for the right opportunity to get my gun."
The robbers then started to depart with the man's wallet, necklace, ring and cash.
"The guy with the gun was walking away with the gun at his side, but then he turned around and aimed it at my face," the victim said. "I definitely thought he was going to shoot me, so I pulled my gun out and started firing."
He fired seven shots and the pair fled.
Crossland was found about a quarter of a mile away, hiding on a parking lot in the 12900 block of St. Charles Rock Road, police said. The accomplice was not caught.
The victim said he had the concealed-carry permit for two years but had never used the weapon. Missouri has no tracking system for cases in which people with concealed-carry permits use their weapons.
[email protected] | 314-340-8950
The story can be found at; http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...C8F7B714E662ECD68625729E000FA62B?OpenDocument
- Janq
Lessons learned:
I post these stories not to be critical of the persons even as it may seem or I might come across as just that. I'm not saying the persons did anythign I miyself might not do under pressure & surprise. What I am though doing and pointing out are items of note, after the fact, that we ourselves as citizens can glean and learn from via the experiences of others such as this case.
Mr. Crossland obviously thought well on his feet with an effort to protect his own life by keeping the attackers hands off his own body offering up instead everything he had with visual bling appealing to their sense of greed. He retained his firearm succesfully. Further he even had the wit to wait and not fire as the BGs walked away. It was only after they stopped and turned to point their weapon at him that he then properly, and legally, deployed his firearm to do what little else he could do. My only comment here and lesson reaffirmed is this; do not go out in the middle of the night to do anything...especially not in places strange to you in areas that are less than optimally safe such as where Motel 6s are typically located.
I'm never so hungry that it's worth my while to risk my life at 3AM (!?) to go for a walk to get some grub. Never. IBDominos!
As a general rule of the jungle in the middle of the night thats when hyena come out to hunt. Think like a water buffalo and travel by day if at all possible, and if not then order out.
"I, unlike most people, try to not only learn from my mistakes, but the mistakes of others." - The Ghoul
Man with concealed weapon shoots alleged robber
By Bill Bryan
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
03/14/2007
Riccardo Crossland used a pellet gun to rob a man legally carrying a real gun outside a Bridgeton motel Tuesday morning and ended up shot, police said.
Crossland went off to a hospital with wounds of the hand and leg; the victim went on his way with the congratulations of police.
"Here was a robbery where we have a good ending for once," said Bridgeton Police Major Don Steinman, who said the shooting was clearly self-defense.
The 23-year-old victim holds a concealed-carry permit from his home state of Florida, which is honored in Missouri, officials said.
Ricardo Crossland
"He had his gun aimed at my face," the robbery victim said in an interview granted on the condition that his name and hometown not be used. "I definitely thought he was going to shoot me, so I started firing."
Crossland's weapon turned out to be a pellet gun that resembled a .45-caliber handgun, police said. The victim had a real .45 in his waistband.
Crossland, 39, of the 7100 block of Beulah Avenue in Jennings, was taken to DePaul Health Center, police said, for treatment of his wounds, which were not considered life-threatening. He was charged with first-degree robbery and armed criminal action.
Police said Crossland is on probation for a drug-related offense, and has convictions for robbery, burglary, stealing and drug-related crimes.
The victim gave this account:
He had stayed several days at the Motel 6, near Interstate 270 and St. Charles Rock Road, while looking at a race car engine to buy from a man in St. Louis.
About 3 a.m. Tuesday, he took his pit bull on an errand for food. Just outside the motel, he encountered two men who asked questions about the dog before one of them pulled out what looked like a gun and announced a holdup.
"The one guy started to pat me down, and I didn't want him to find my gun, so I was handing them over everything I could," the victim said. "I was just waiting for the right opportunity to get my gun."
The robbers then started to depart with the man's wallet, necklace, ring and cash.
"The guy with the gun was walking away with the gun at his side, but then he turned around and aimed it at my face," the victim said. "I definitely thought he was going to shoot me, so I pulled my gun out and started firing."
He fired seven shots and the pair fled.
Crossland was found about a quarter of a mile away, hiding on a parking lot in the 12900 block of St. Charles Rock Road, police said. The accomplice was not caught.
The victim said he had the concealed-carry permit for two years but had never used the weapon. Missouri has no tracking system for cases in which people with concealed-carry permits use their weapons.
[email protected] | 314-340-8950
The story can be found at; http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...C8F7B714E662ECD68625729E000FA62B?OpenDocument
- Janq
Lessons learned:
I post these stories not to be critical of the persons even as it may seem or I might come across as just that. I'm not saying the persons did anythign I miyself might not do under pressure & surprise. What I am though doing and pointing out are items of note, after the fact, that we ourselves as citizens can glean and learn from via the experiences of others such as this case.
Mr. Crossland obviously thought well on his feet with an effort to protect his own life by keeping the attackers hands off his own body offering up instead everything he had with visual bling appealing to their sense of greed. He retained his firearm succesfully. Further he even had the wit to wait and not fire as the BGs walked away. It was only after they stopped and turned to point their weapon at him that he then properly, and legally, deployed his firearm to do what little else he could do. My only comment here and lesson reaffirmed is this; do not go out in the middle of the night to do anything...especially not in places strange to you in areas that are less than optimally safe such as where Motel 6s are typically located.
I'm never so hungry that it's worth my while to risk my life at 3AM (!?) to go for a walk to get some grub. Never. IBDominos!
As a general rule of the jungle in the middle of the night thats when hyena come out to hunt. Think like a water buffalo and travel by day if at all possible, and if not then order out.
"I, unlike most people, try to not only learn from my mistakes, but the mistakes of others." - The Ghoul
