Would You Be A "have-A-Go Hero?"

[OnionTerror]

Well, this bloke had a gun pointed at him, but still had a go...brave chap...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-12515326

A "have a go hero" who wrestled with an armed thief fleeing the scene of a failed jewellery robbery is being sought by police. Two men, one armed with a handgun, burst into Harvey Daly jewellers in Long Causeway in Peterborough on Friday morning. A passer-by tried to stop one of the thieves from getting away.

Detectives said they "need to find him" as they search for the robbers and are appealing for him to come forward. Pictures of the incident were taken by a passing local photographer. One of the men was described as white, 6ft (1.8m), in his 20s, with a shaved head.

He was wearing blue jeans and a dark jacket with a grey stripe across the chest. The second was described as white, aged 20 to 25, wearing a dark blue jacket, blue jeans with the bottoms turned up and black shoes. He had short, dark hair.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police.

[Milton]

Yes, if I saw Any of the Last Labour Cabinet walking down the street.

But only If I could get away with it............

That would make me a hero, right?

[Harry Monk]

Alec de Antiquis was shot dead in Charlotte Street, located in London's West End, on 29 April 1947. He was attempting to prevent the escape of three robbers from a jewellery shop.

Three masked men had earlier raided the shop, the shop's manager was beaten about his head with a revolver, and the three robbers ran into the street after firing a shot. Alec de Antiquis, riding on his motorcycle, drive into the path of the raiders. One of them shot him through the head, leaving him dying on the pavement. They escaped into the busy traffic.

Superintendent Robert Fabian (nicknamed "Fabian of the Yard") arrived on the scene. There were several inconsistent witness statements, but a taxi-driver reported that he had seen two masked men disappear into Brook House, Tottenham Court Road, just after the time the murder was committed. When the police searched the premises, they found a discarded raincoat and a scarf that had been folded to form a face mask. The raincoat was eventually traced to Charles Henry Jenkins, aged 23 years old, who already had a criminal record.

The gun was eventually found by a schoolboy on the muddy banks of the River Thames. Ballistic tests proved that the gun had fired the bullet that killed Alec de Antiquis.

The various witnesses to the shooting failed to pick Jenkins out from an Identity Parade held by the police. However, the police had arrested two of Jenkins' associates: Christopher James Geraghty (aged 21) and Terence Peter Rolt (aged 17). Geraghty and Rolt blamed Jenkins for the murder.

All three were charged with the murder of Alec de Antiquis at their Old Bailey trial, which began on 21 July 1947. The trial judge was Mr Justice Hallett, the Prosecution case was led by Mr A. Hawke with Jenkins, Rolt and Geraghty defended by Mr Vick, Mr O'Sullivan and Mr Wrightson respectively.

After a week-long trial, all three were found guilty. Rolt, being aged under 18 at the time of the crime, was sentenced to detained during His Majesty's Pleasure. Jenkins and Geraghty were both sentenced to death by hanging.

Christoper James Geraghty and Charles Henry Jenkins were hanged in a double execution at London's Pentonville Prison on 19 September 1947.

I wouldn't shoot a jeweller but then I wouldn't risk my life trying to save him from having his pretty baubles stolen either.

[ccc]

If I had a few pints in me yes. I would have a go at anything. Why not. When you are wrecked you don't think about these things. You may end up being classed as a hero. When in fact you were probably just smashed off your face. Or you may end up dead. Although if you were proper smashed then you wouldn't really give a ******.

[Darkman]

I think you have to be practiced in violence to "have a go". When faced with a real life situation the fear sets in. Even the most hardened fighters say they still feel it, but they overcome it. You feel rooted to the spot, shaky and possibly unable to react. That's why martial arts teach movements through repetition, so they become instinctual rather than thought out.

I'm not a fighter myself. If I waded in like Cassius Clay I'd most likely get flattened by some thug. If necessary I might cautiously try to put a stop to things though, through talking or shoving etc.

Some police rep made a statement on hero's recently, which I thought made sense. He said that thugs are usually very good at fighting. They probably fight regularly. So for a non-fighter to wade in is not advisable. Thugs don't have the same morals guiding their actions. If you have a wife or kids to go home to, stay out of bad situations.

That might sound cowardly, I don't know. But that's how I feel about it. If you can defend yourself well, then that's different.

[Darkman]

Just to add....

I've been in many confrontational situations through various jobs and other stuff, and practice definitely (read repetition) helps you. I learnt how to react very calmly and not show fear. Showing fear is fatal, whether faced with a thug or a dog for that matter.

Just the other week some young fit guy walked up to my car in a road rage incident. He obviously wanted to beat the s*** out of me and told me I was "dead". But along with my own fear I could sense his fear too. His voice wavered, and he was visibly shaking. I knew he wasn't going to follow through, because if he was going to do something he would have done it already. Anyway, I showed virtually no reaction and after a tense show down he punched my car (lightly) and skulked off.

Even relatively small incidents like that can affect you for a while after though. It played on my mind for a couple of weeks, in a very negative way.

[Lagarde's Drift]

Run away.

['Bart']

Would You Be A "have-A-Go Hero?"

Can I check with my lawyer first?

Might be cheaper to get shot than face a compensation claim.

[Frank Hovis]

It would depend on what it was, can't say I'd be that bothered about a bank or jewellers getting raided. If it was an old person begging mugged then absolutely, I did go for somebody after he came belting round a corner and I heard a child screaming where he'd been. It was a steep downhill and I couldn't hold onto him at the speed he was going, and got slashed across the knuckles, but I did at least make him drop all the stuff he'd nicked off her.

[SarahBell]

17years ago in Hulme 4 lads with faces hidden by bandanas were nicking my mates car.. So I jumped over the balcony and walked towards them shouting. Thank f&ck they bottled it and left the car as I'm only 5 ft 3 and never been into thumping people. ( was a ground floor flat I was in not anything silly like jumping from a second floor one or anything)

Would I do it today? Probably not... I'm a stroppy mare at the best of times but have got more sensible as I got older...

[MC Fur Q]

I like to think I would under the right circumstances but faced with the reality of it I'd probably be a coward.

As many have said though, I wouldn't get involved for a robbery of a shop. I think it would be to protect someone from getting mugged in the street or something like that.

[Darkman]

Did you feel he had a point then, i.e. did you pull out on him or something, or did he misinterprete the driving situation?

If I've done something silly on the roads then I put my hand up straight away and as such appreciate others which do the same to me also the quicker you acknowledge your mistakes the easier it is to diffuse a situation.

Well it was a tricky one.

A car stopped in front of me in flowing traffic without warning or apparent reason. I narrowly avoided going into the back of it. It then turned in left into a layby, but again with no indication or communication. I wasn't happy with that, and childishly blasted the horn as I passed a few moments later. I didn't use the horn at the exact instant because I was too busy avoiding a smash. I saw a guy in the driver side.

Next thing I know this car has obviously followed me up the road, trying to get me to stop by using the horn. I stopped at some lights and this threatening guy comes up to my window, asking if it was me who used my horn at his girlfriend. And this is the key really, because apparently it wasn't him driving, but his s/o and of course he had to "protect her" and show how tough he was. Perhaps it was a left hand drive car.

In retrospect, had I realised it was a female driver having trouble, I wouldn't have used the car horn like that. But regardless, they were certainly at fault for dangerous driving.

Anyway, I didn't answer this guy for a while because I was a little surprised he'd followed us, and secondly I didn't understand his reference to his girlfriend driving. When I twigged he was standing up for her, I simply said calmly "yeah sorry mate", wound up the window and waved him off. He punched the car window and left.

Every situation is different. This one was particularly volatile because it was a guy standing up for his woman, and judging by his mannerisms they had been arguing. He was definitely ready to fight.

You'll have to draw your own conclusions as to who was to blame overall.

[gilf]

Already done it, stood up for somebody being attacked and ended up on the receiving end, was hit across the back of the head and across the front of the face with two beer bottles. If it wasn't for two strangers helping me a little further up the road I'd have died in a pool of my own blood. Even getting to the hospital it was touch and go.

Would I do it again, no idea, maybe, although I'd be much more aware of the risks and less likely to get involved in something minor. But normally at the slightest sign of any trouble in the area I'll make an exit and leave.

[AThirdWay]

Voted yes, depending on the circumstances.

If there was a firearm involved, then you let the guy walk away. It's definitely not worth getting shot for any possessions, no matter how valuable. I suspect this guy just reacted on instinct. If he'd thought about the impact on himself and his family, he would have let him walk.

If somebody was getting a shoe-ing in the street however, I couldn't walk away/ignore it. Couldn't stand the guilt I'd feel later, nothing to do with being a hero.

[AThirdWay]

What about if the guy giving the er shoe-ing is saying the guy's; "A Pedo, rapist (of his son / mother), I can prove it!"

And throws you a newspaper cutting for you to read before you rescue the er victim?

I'd have a hard time taking his word for it, and wouldn't be able to live with myself if it turned out the shoe-er was lying about the shoe-ee

[OnionTerror]

What about if the guy giving the er shoe-ing is saying the guy's; "A Pedo, rapist (of his son / mother), I can prove it!"

And throws you a newspaper cutting for you to read before you rescue the er victim?

You can really only take what's in the tabloid press with a pinch of salt...there's were the same ppl who castigated Chris Morris for his Paedophile episode of Brasseye whilst sexualising 11, 13 & 15 year old girls...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass_Eye

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4719364.stm

[longtomsilver]

I said no, there's too much at stake for me now with a wife and young family. In my twenties I was a proper little superman... once a female PC was called to a burglary in progress at a shop I happened to stop by at and the guy high on heroin pulled out a syringe and threatened to stab her as she was trying to arrest him... I dutifully fought him half expecting the PC to retake control of the situation with cs gas (I was shouting at her to do it) instead she coward in the corner pressing the emergency button on her radio and no one helped me until the cavalry arrived some 10 or so minutes later. Was I a hero that day, absolute not I was stupid!

edit: the courts handed out a two year suspended sentence for the assault on me and awarded me £50 compensation... not really an assault as he only managed to punch me once in the jaw, he was very lucky I chose not to kill him in self-defence as I only really know one proper restraint technique and one 'quick' kill other than that I doubt I could punch my way out of a paper bag lol!

[longtomsilver]

Always go for the throat (windpipe) not the face*, so I'm led to believe, quickest way to take your quarry down, but if you do go for the throat it's an offensive 'kill move', so sum up the situation like lightening that you'll be able to defend it in open court.

*(Unless you are confident enough to put the nose up into the brain, difficult and probably left to hardened fighters.)

That's the trick! If they are bigger than you are (as my quarry was) first action is to bring them down low by kicking the side of the leg at knee height, next standard headlock then carry your other arm around the victims neck onto your shoulder freeing up the original arm to either dial in intense pressure/pain or break the neck.

One thing worth mentioning is that there were other men in the shop and I blindly assumed that they would assist once I had the upper hand, they didn't and promptly vacated the premises - my guess is that this is rational behaviour so if anyone finds themselves in a similar scenario in the future expect the same.

[longtomsilver]

What cowards!

There's a female PC getting a kicking, with someone helping her and they didn't realise they could have shoed the guy without recourse?

It's pretty sad isn't it. I ended up down the custody suite as one of the sgt. arranged for their on-call dr. to give me a once over and the custody sgt. came over and asked if I wanted to have a look at the guy I helped apprehend in his cell. I obliged and to be fair it looked as though the 6 or so officers that eventually jump on him in the shop did a pretty good job of it - he clearly got a battering, convulsing on the floor with blood trickling out of his ear.