Afternoon Justice

October 19, 2009 by James Schlessinger Jr
Filed under: Copwatch, News

James By James B Schlessinger Jr.

I was about to sit down and eat my freshly prepared meal when I heard a lady outside yell, “he has a knife.” I turned to the door and a moment later a woman was standing at the entrance announcing, “don’t come outside there is a guy with a knife.”

I exited the Subway and noticed crowd gathered somewhat semi-circle around the entrance of the next door shop, The Apothecary. I started to walk toward the door and a man in a mask burst out of the door. He was carrying a large kitchen knife and what looked like a tan wastebasket or bag. He ran straight to the alleyway next to the shop, I followed him down the length of the alley and into a parking lot. He had dropped his mask mid-way through the alley and his face was clearly visible bearing a distinct grey facial hair pattern. I saw him heading for a waiting vehicle and watched him climb in the front passenger seat of the SUV which contained a driver and perhaps one more in the back. I memorized the license plate and headed back to the shop.

At the shop I talked with the shop keeper and the witnesses inside and found that everyone was essentially unharmed and that the only damage was of property. Specifically the man was after Oxy-contin. The shop keeper informed me that the police were on the way and that she had passed on the license plate number. I decided to go back to Subway and eat some of my sandwich.

Roughly five minutes later I returned to the store to check on the status of the police response. The shop keeper stated that the police had already captured the guy and were coming to the store. A few minutes later I went outside and a Keene Police Sergeant James Cemorelis arrived and started taking down names and phone numbers of the witnesses. I provided my information and was asked if I could identify the man if he was brought to the scene. A short while later a squad car pulled up containing the suspect who I positively identified as the robber.

I was carrying a firearm and at no time did I feel it was necessary to draw it. I don’t think anything I did was especially brave. I just ran after him and got the license plate number and the Keene police did the rest of the work. I do think that things went well, in that no one that I know of got hurt during the robbery or the arrest.

I want to thank the Keene Police Department for pursuing and capturing this violent criminal. This man’s victims undoubtedly extend the same gratitude.

Comments

21 Comments on Afternoon Justice

SamIam on Mon, 19th Oct 2009 11:42 pm

Great job JJ. If you were not carrying a firearm, would you have run after the guy?

I guess most would cower inside, hoping not to get targeted before the police show up.

I hope one day people understand it’s government prohibitions and IP protection that create this kind of crime in our community.

Paul on Mon, 19th Oct 2009 11:45 pm

Go JJ! Go KPD! Now THAT’s police work I’d be happy to pay for.

Teknorat on Tue, 20th Oct 2009 1:13 am

This is a fine example of Police doing what police should do, apprehending violent criminals. Bravo to KPD for catching this man and to JJ for identifying him and remaining peaceful. It seems to me that if KPD would stop arresting peaceful people they would be a fine police force. (Eli Rivera excepted.)

Puke on Tue, 20th Oct 2009 5:26 am

Way to not cower in fear and wait for the bureaucrats to maybe show up.

GRAFFITI on Tue, 20th Oct 2009 6:19 am

Not bad for a Schnergenberger! LOL

Russell Kanning on Tue, 20th Oct 2009 7:15 am

I want to know if the sandwich tasted good.

Dan on Tue, 20th Oct 2009 8:08 am

Nice work! This is precisely how society should work. No problem whatsoever with police apprehending people who have committed crimes with a victim.

theKINGofKEENE on Tue, 20th Oct 2009 8:12 am

…*CEMORELIS*???…i knew it…kpd is getting a bit clever now…they are borrowing a page from the “freestater/freekeene” *PLAYBOOK*…nice piece of street-theatre, *KPD*…anybody else notice the “lady” looked a lot like *OCCIFER RAMEY* in a wig???…HMmmmm…

bil on Tue, 20th Oct 2009 8:55 am

Very nice work! As stated above,that is how things should work.Thank you! —bil

ihavehadenough on Tue, 20th Oct 2009 9:42 am

You guys should read the Union Leader article about this. They totally ignore Schlessingers contribution to the arrest. They only refer to some Steever guy from Hinsdale. I often disagree with a lot that happens here but give credit where its due. You guys should get on this.

iawai on Tue, 20th Oct 2009 9:48 am

Gotta love the drug war! Without State prohibition this violent crime would not have taken place, and no one would have had to go out of their way to defend the peace.

ELKFART on Tue, 20th Oct 2009 10:39 am

You got that right, IAWAI! Maybe *AFTER* the *DRUG WARS* are over, KPD can get my stolen house & bicycle back, & help me locate my missing mother. Too bad that felon didn’t just go get some *METHADONE*, just over the line, in *SWANZEY*…cops there could have shot his ass dead, like they did to that other piece of human trash earlier this year!…Hey, if you’re gonna have *DRUG WARS*, you gotta expect *CASUALTIES*, right? No, really, I’m not kidding. WAR = KILLING = a no brainer, people…///…See why I’m *BUDDHIST*???…”If your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. If your only weapon is a gun, everybody looks like a target.”…

Peacemaker on Tue, 20th Oct 2009 10:51 am

If someone had said the man has a gun, instead of a knife, would you have kept on eating your sandwich?

No doubt you must have felt very safe knowing he’s a got a knife and you’ve got a gun!

Good job.

Joseph Mabe on Tue, 20th Oct 2009 12:01 pm

Nice Job James

Curious on Tue, 20th Oct 2009 12:08 pm

Doesn’t anyone oppose working with goverment agents on principle?

Mark on Tue, 20th Oct 2009 12:10 pm

Nice work, JJ and Police!! Way to work together to get a *real* criminal off the street.

Kdus on Tue, 20th Oct 2009 12:42 pm

I still boycott Subway.

Dave on Tue, 20th Oct 2009 12:52 pm

Curious,

I think in a situation like this, where there is an actual crime with an actual victim, working with the police is the right thing to do, especially if it is a freestater. He had a firearm on him, and didn’t even pull it out and try to get all “hero” on the criminal. I’m sure the police really appreciated that. I think this is a great example of how peaceful people can work with the police to catch a bad guy.

Of course, if there was no drug war, and the criminal could have just bought the stuff over the counter, this would have never happened.

Paul on Tue, 20th Oct 2009 1:03 pm

Curious,

I think it’s better to work with and encourage people when they are doing a good thing, even if some of the time they do evil. Completely rejecting a person because of the evil they sometimes commit makes it difficult for that person to change. Entirely rejecting people in this way really makes those people out to be the enemy, whereas in reality the enemy is the behavior.