Workers Find Thug Stealing Tools… Bystander Records Hilarious Street Justice
BY BENJAMIN ARIE
ON AUGUST 11, 2017 AT 12:27PM
ON AUGUST 11, 2017 AT 12:27PM
Sometimes, you have to take matters into your own hands — and
that’s exactly what a group of construction workers just did in North
Carolina.
that’s exactly what a group of construction workers just did in North
Carolina.
The blue-collar crew in Charlotte reportedly caught a man trying to
break into a construction vehicle and steal tools.
break into a construction vehicle and steal tools.
In a form of street justice, the men taped the suspect to some
nearby scaffolding until police arrived… and the aftermath was
caught on video.
nearby scaffolding until police arrived… and the aftermath was
caught on video.
“I gotta do what I gotta do to hold you. You got no business in
my truck,” one of the workers explained as the man was trussed up,
according to WJZY, Fox 46 in Charlotte.
my truck,” one of the workers explained as the man was trussed up,
according to WJZY, Fox 46 in Charlotte.
“I wasn’t breaking into it!” insisted the suspect. “I wasn’t in it! I was
just checking it out.”
just checking it out.”
A bystander recorded the altercation, and told the local news what
she saw.
she saw.
“You don’t stumble into those things but there I was,” said Tina
Quizon, who is also a freelance videographer for WJZY. “The leg
is taped to the scaffolding, they put a rope around his waist.”
Quizon, who is also a freelance videographer for WJZY. “The leg
is taped to the scaffolding, they put a rope around his waist.”
“I was like, nobody is going to believe this,” she said.
Officers arrived quickly to the scene, and the suspected thief did
not appear to be harmed, just embarrassed and indignant.
not appear to be harmed, just embarrassed and indignant.
After the video was posted on Facebook, it received over 8 million
views. Many commenters tried to claim that detaining the suspect
was somehow racist or cruel.
views. Many commenters tried to claim that detaining the suspect
was somehow racist or cruel.
“This reminds me of slavery,” one commenter wrote. “They didn’t have to TORTURE him. They should be charged.
Next time call the Police.”
Next time call the Police.”
The viewer was apparently ignoring that fact that the construction
workers were clearly a mixed crew of blacks and Hispanics, and
that the police arrived within minutes.
workers were clearly a mixed crew of blacks and Hispanics, and
that the police arrived within minutes.
“Humiliating someone should be against the law too!” whined
another commenter.
another commenter.
“Notice how most women who never served in this line of work or
have any idea how expensive tools can be, are the ones defending
this punk?” shot back another respondent.
have any idea how expensive tools can be, are the ones defending
this punk?” shot back another respondent.
“My job site got robbed in 2013, Took 8000 dollars worth of tools,"
chimed in another Facebook user, who had no sympathy for the
alleged would-be thief. “I’m guessing they got all of it in the bed of
one truck. It doesn’t take many tools to start adding up to big bucks.
It’s absolutely infuriating and that man deserves the humiliation.”
chimed in another Facebook user, who had no sympathy for the
alleged would-be thief. “I’m guessing they got all of it in the bed of
one truck. It doesn’t take many tools to start adding up to big bucks.
It’s absolutely infuriating and that man deserves the humiliation.”
The fact is that a citizen’s arrest is completely legal under the right
circumstances.
circumstances.
Like many states, North Carolina has a law — G.S. 15A-404(b) —
which permits a citizen’s detention of criminal suspects.
which permits a citizen’s detention of criminal suspects.
“A private person may stop and detain another person when the
private person has probable cause to believe that the other person
has committed in his presence a (1) felony, (2) a breach of the
peace, (3) a crime involving physical injury to another person, or
(4) a crime involving theft or destruction of property,” explained
Shea Denning, a professor of public law at the University of North
Carolina, in a piece written for the UNC School of Government
blog in 2014.
private person has probable cause to believe that the other person
has committed in his presence a (1) felony, (2) a breach of the
peace, (3) a crime involving physical injury to another person, or
(4) a crime involving theft or destruction of property,” explained
Shea Denning, a professor of public law at the University of North
Carolina, in a piece written for the UNC School of Government
blog in 2014.
It seems likely that the alleged theft of valuable construction tools
falls under that law.
falls under that law.
There’s a difference between “playing cop” and stopping somebody
who has been caught in the act.
who has been caught in the act.
It looks very likely that these construction workers just wanted to do
their jobs, until a would-be thief tried to take their hard-earned living
away from them.
their jobs, until a would-be thief tried to take their hard-earned living
away from them.
Strapping a suspect to scaffolding until police arrive may
unconventional, but it was probably exactly what needed to be done.
unconventional, but it was probably exactly what needed to be done.
H/T KTVU
Share this video on Facebook and Twitter to let everyone know
what street justice can look like.
what street justice can look like.
What do you think of how these workers handled this?
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