Don't walk around at night with your smartphone out...

[LouisEly]

http://host.madison.com/sports/college/football/badgers-football-tanner-mcevoy-absolutely-fine-after-mugging/article_a8b94c0b-9191-57b6-9196-74c4eaa86927.html

 

While this article is about Badgers QB Tanner McEvoy getting mugged and his cell phone and watch stolen in downtown Madison (less than 10 blocks from where I live), according to sources in Dane County law enforcement this is not an isolated incident. People are driving around looking for someone with a smartphone and they pull up to him, jump out of the car and mug him. Doesn't matter if the phone is locked or if you have GPS locators, they take it to a chop shop where it is disassembled and sold for parts. Jewelry too; according to my sources the average amount of time a pawn shop holds on to jewelry before melting it down is 14 hours. Apparently if they melt it down they don't have to give it back.

 

A little disturbing that this happened less than 10 blocks from where I live, and that they targeted a guy who is 6'6", 220. Makes me think twice about wearing one of my nice watches when I walk to/from the restaurants/bars in downtown Madison. I do walk past the courthouse though - always police presence there - so that's probably a bit safer. But you may want to be careful about taking out your cellphone at night.

[jerichoholicninja]

Good thing I don't own fancy things or live in Madison.

[Outlander]

It still seems isolated to me, always happening around bar close.

[paul253]

This is happening all over Milwaukee too. It's pathetic what people are willing to do for a few bucks.

[Bikeage77]

First rule of living near UW-Milwaukee Campus: Carry very little cash

Second rule of living near UW-Milwaukee Campus: Travel by bike or car

[AZBrewCrew]

Even more reason to carry....*

 

*This comment isnt intended to start a gun control debate

[bani1717]

I do not want to debate gun control either, but given that it is legal to concealed carry in most states, I have an honest question about the advantages and disadvantages to Tanner about carrying in this particular incident. (i.e., my question has nothing to do with concealed carry laws themselves, I am more interested in the strategy of how Tanner in this instance could have protected himself and the associated pros/cons)

 

Let's say Tanner was carrying at the time he was mugged. (Prior to the attack, the assailant does not know he's carrying.) How does he react when the assailant goes after him? Does he say, "I have a gun" and the guy backs off and goes away? Does he pull it out and point it at the guy? It seems to me like carrying is a higher risk/higher "reward" scenario. The risk is that the assailant also is carrying and pulls the trigger first. The "reward" is getting the guy to back off without taking anything or harming Tanner.

 

I am asking these questions because I have never taken a concealed carry class, I have never owned a gun, and I have never been mugged. So I am wondering what the best way to protect yourself is with regard to carrying (without getting into people's general opinions about stand your ground, concealed carry, etc.)

[thablingster]

I tell each and every one of my new students not to walk around at night alone with their phones out texting/blaring music not paying attention to their surroundings.

 

Every time we get a safe alert on campus I read what it was about. Around 75 percent of the time it starts with "the victim was texting/on the phone/not paying attention to their surroundings."

 

The most important thing is paying attention to your surroundings. If a would-be robber figures you'll get a good look at them before they approach you, they're less likely to. If you're not aware of your surroundings that puts you at a disadvantage because in a split second someone can sneak up behind you or run up to you.

 

In an ideal world we wouldn't have these problems, but unfortunately we do.

[LouisEly]

That's a good question. It's a situation where your life isn't being threatened - they just want to rob you - and using a gun in a non-life-threatening situation can get you in trouble. And if the assailants are black (in McEvoy's case they apparently were) and you are white you could have a national media situation on your hands. But this behavior isn't going to stop until the risk for the assailants is greater than the reward.

 

Another option is to carry mace or a tazer. If you're not carrying the answer is to fight dirty. Too often when people get in a fight they just try to punch people in the face. Wrong. Go for the eyes, throat, knees, and nuts. I have long arms so I can gouge someone in the eyes before they get their hands on me. Hit them in the throat so that they temporarily can't breathe. If you kick them in the side of the kneecap hard enough you can dislocate their kneecap, and if they grab you from behind you can give them a mule kick to the knee or shin. And if someone is trying to mug you the nuts are always fair game. If someone can't see, breathe, or stand it's really hard for them to do anything to you.

[jjkoestler]

You want to rob me? Here's my wallet and cell. I'm not risking my life or taking one for a few bucks.

[TracyThom]

Madison has a city ordinance (9.24) that states all pawned jewelry must be held for 14 days before resale or disposal. I believe this also applies to most pawned goods, but I know movies are an exception. In my area, we are seeing an increase in burglaries and thefts due to the spike in heroin use. Much of the stolen goods end up at Pawn America or EZ Money.

 

As far as the concealed carry question, if a person reasonably believes their life or anothers is in imminent danger, they can use deadly force to protect themselves. Here is Wisconsin's self-defense statute:

 

(1) A person is privileged to threaten or intentionally use force against another for the purpose of preventing or terminating what the person reasonably believes to be an unlawful interference with his or her person by such other person. The actor may intentionally use only such force or threat thereof as the actor reasonably believes is necessary to prevent or terminate the interference. The actor may not intentionally use force which is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm unless the actor reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself.

 

To answer bani1717's question, don't imply you have a firearm unless you are prepared to use it. Like you said, bad guy may be armed and kill you over a stupid cell phone. Just cooperate and give them what they want. Most of all, BE A GOOD WITNESS!! Remember everything you can about the suspect not just height, weight, age, and hair color. What kind of shoes was he was wearing? Did he have an accent or talk with a lisp? Any visible tats or scars? Was he right or left handed? Also, be sure to get a good vehicle description. Do you have any idea how many white 4-door cars there are in Wisconsin? Get that license plate!

[paul253]

Would it make too much sense to create a new law requiring any pawn shop/resale shop to require photo ID and to log the names of everyone selling something to them? With the advent of websites like craigslist and ebay there are other options but this would at least remove one route for all these losers to go.

 

Go for the eyes, throat, knees, and nuts. I have long arms so I can gouge someone in the eyes before they get their hands on me. Hit them in the throat so that they temporarily can't breathe.

 

I just want to add two things to this. One.....scream. Especially females. But males, don't feel to manly to yell "help" really loudly. Someone is going to hear you and someone is going to call the police. And the criminal, knowing this, will probably want to get out of there quick. Don't just scream though. Drunk girls scream all the time. Yell something like "help" or "call the police" or "Im being robbed".....things that will get someone's attention.

 

Secondly.....scratch. It sounds dumb but if you scratch you can get some of the attackers DNA underneath your fingerprints. If this person is a convicted felon the DNA is on a state database and they will be found.

[nate82]

Would it make too much sense to create a new law requiring any pawn shop/resale shop to require photo ID and to log the names of everyone selling something to them? With the advent of websites like craigslist and ebay there are other options but this would at least remove one route for all these losers to go.

 

That would be racist but in all seriousness yes that would be a good idea but not to take this political there are obvious reasons why this wouldn't pass for a law.

[homer]

This seems like a good time to plug the political board. It'd be nice to get some more people on there.

[LouisEly]

It's not racist if it applies to everyone.

 

I just want to add two things to this. One.....scream. Especially females. But males, don't feel to manly to yell "help" really loudly. Someone is going to hear you and someone is going to call the police. And the criminal, knowing this, will probably want to get out of there quick. Don't just scream though. Drunk girls scream all the time. Yell something like "help" or "call the police" or "Im being robbed".....things that will get someone's attention.

 

Secondly.....scratch. It sounds dumb but if you scratch you can get some of the attackers DNA underneath your fingerprints. If this person is a convicted felon the DNA is on a state database and they will be found.

This too. The fighting is based on the assumption that they will attack you/jump you, which sounds like what happened to Tanner, and not just surround you and threaten you. It's also based on principle and not economic loss; behavior is repetitive, and these people are going to repeat their behavior until there are repercussions. If they get an eye gouged out or a knee rearranged they will think twice about doing it again. And the police can call the area hospitals looking for someone coming in with an eye gouged out or a messed up knee fitting the description of the attackers - that's one way to catch them.

 

I have a friend who was held up at gunpoint outside of his house in LA. That's a different story.

[RightFieldCoder]

I have a story that makes these situations sadder to hear about.

 

Last night two Japanese women were sitting next to us at The Keg. I assume they were from Japan since they were wearing signed Japanese jerseys and were shouting at Aoki in a language that was not English. At one point they got up from their seats and just left their things sitting on the bleachers for two innings. They were large purses that had who know what still in them. They didn't ask anyone to watch their things (although I did take it upon myself to keep an eye on them). JaDerHeysdki was shocked they would just leave their things sitting there. I explained that the mentality in Japan was probably something like "It's ours. Why would anyone else take it?".

 

In America, you have to be careful with people trying to take the things you are carrying.

 

Off Topic: In the 9th inning a foul ball came down into the corner. Aoki saw them and tossed the ball up. The 40? year old woman that caught it was so happy she broke into tears.

[homer]

That's a cool story, RFC (well, the story about the lady that cried when she got the ball. Not the story about the bags). Did anyone talk to them about leaving stuff behind unattended?

[homer]

Since this thread will be locked sooner than later, I have made a thread on the political board to continue the discussion:

 

http://brewerfanpoliticalscene.yuku.com/topic/1089/master/1/

[mothershipconnection]

I assume they were from Japan since they were wearing signed Japanese jerseys and were shouting at Aoki in a language that was not English. At one point they got up from their seats and just left their things sitting on the bleachers for two innings.

 

Your assumption has a 99.9999999% probability of being true, as this is totally normal behavior in Japan. There, like here, you mark your seat by leaving something there. However, Americans leave junk like an empty tray, a cup, or hat you don't care about on top of a table to indicate that it's taken. In Japan, I've watched people lay down a purse or a cell phone on a table to reserve it before they get up to go order or use the restroom. Property theft there is just not very common (except pick-pocketing in some areas), so people don't grow up learning to be afraid of it. This happens in busy areas of Tokyo, not just small towns, and it blows my mind.

 

Since this thread will be locked sooner than later, I have made a thread on the political board to continue the discussion:

 

We've cruised within millimeters with a couple of comments. Everyone please remember that this isn't the Yahoo News comments section.