http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/100907dnmetrobshooting.2c97696.html






Dallas couple kills robber in their cleaners

Wife produces 9mm and husband opens fire

04:54 AM CDT on Tuesday, October 9, 2007

By STEVE THOMPSON / The Dallas Morning News
[email protected]

Customers picking up pants and shirts pulled up beside a large bloodstain Monday in the parking lot of Joe's Cleaners.

Asked to describe his lethal encounter with a robber a few hours earlier, owner Joseph Baggett apologized for saying little.

"I've still got work in there I've got to finish," he said.

But in between filling out police reports, pressing clothes and answering phone calls, the 53-year-old retired Army warrant officer gave his account.

A man smelling of alcohol came into his store in the 1500 block of John West Road in Far East Dallas and then just left, Mr. Baggett said.

A few minutes later, he returned, this time barging in holding a gun.

"The money's over there; go get it," Mr. Baggett recalled saying as he backed away from the counter and motioned toward the register.

His wife ducked around a corner.

The robber ignored him. "Turn around; we're going to the back," he said. He grabbed Mr. Baggett by the wrist and held the gun to the back of his head. "Where's the lady at?"

As they were headed for the back of the store, Mr. Baggett's wife emerged from behind them.

She was holding Mr. Baggett's 9 mm handgun.

"Stop it or I'll shoot you," she told the robber.

Mr. Baggett said he felt the robber's pistol come off the back of his head, so he spun around and grabbed it.

"I don't think he was expecting that."

The pair struggled a moment until Mr. Baggett pushed the robber away.

Mr. Baggett's wife handed him the 9 mm, and he fired three times. A bullet hit the robber in the face.

The man stumbled out the front door and fell in the parking lot, still holding his gun. Emergency workers tried to revive him, but he was soon dead.

Police didn't identify the robber Monday, pending notification of his next of kin. They said Mr. Baggett appears to have acted in self-defense, but the facts, as is routine, will be given to a grand jury.

It was evening before Mr. Baggett found a chance to drag a hose around to the front of his store. In shorts and a cutoff shirt, he washed down the bloodstain before closing up shop.

maybe they will start to learn.

Zero-percent recidivism rate.

Wow headshot in a stress situation. That is damn good gun control if you ask me.

My wife would have pulled the trigger

Wonder if he has a "No Weapons" sign in the door?  

Nice...one less loser we have to support with tax dollars while they stay in prison!

Quoted: My wife would have pulled the trigger

+1 to that, plus I trust my wife to pull the trigger in that situation!

Quoted: Wonder if he has a "No Weapons" sign in the door?

yes, he does.



mm

Regardless, I'm glad the guy ended up dying..... that's one less "gun crime" for the statistics.

Law Abiding Citizen    1
Wortheless Scum       0
wonder where the other two hit, center mass?  that would be AWESOME in a RL incident!!!

Very good of him to clean up the othr guy's mess.

Quoted: Very good of him to clean up the othr guy's mess.

He should have left the stain.  "Let that be a lesson to you, and to others like you."

Either way, I need to start taking my dry cleaning to him.

Quoted: He should have left the stain.  "Let that be a lesson to you, and to others like you." Either way, I need to start taking my dry cleaning to him.

Just like hanging coyote skins on your fence to scare off the other 'yotes.

Or headhunter tribes leaving impaled skulls on spears lining the road.

I like it.

Good shoot.  If I lived around there my dry cleaning would be going to them

Its good to hear he has cleaned up the streets at his place of business...

Pun intend !

Quoted: Quoted: Wonder if he has a "No Weapons" sign in the door?   yes, he does. mm

A poor attempt at humor on my part, I suppose.  Regardless, a good shoot and one less BG on the street.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Wonder if he has a "No Weapons" sign in the door?   yes, he does. mm A poor attempt at humor on my part, I suppose.  Regardless, a good shoot and one less BG on the street.

Think about it, it was funny.  Add the fact that there is a sign in place and the irony of a rather severe penalty.

mm