Phone lines lit up at the Sandy police station on April 28 following the evening news.
Earlier that morning, a theater employee was making a bank deposit when he was assaulted and robbed by two armed masked men. The employee jumped in his van and ran over one of the alleged thieves, killing him. No arrests were made, and prosecutors will have to decide if the employee should face criminal charges.Now callers were offering support for the employee - insisting his actions were justified. Maybe even admirable.
Ask anyone familiar with the story, and he'll likely have an opinion.
"The cops should give (the employee) a medal," said Henry Montoya, Salt Lake City. "I just get sick of victims being treated like criminals in the end."
Others, such as Linda Jones of Salt Lake City, mete more reserved judgments.
"I wasn't there, so I don't know exactly what happened. But it seems like it would have been better if the (employee) had just called the police instead of trying to take matters into his own hands," said Jones.
Most law officers agree but acknowledge a fuzzy line separates self-defense and vigilantism.
"Any time I teach a citizen class, somebody asks about when they have the right to use deadly force," said Sandy police officer David Lundberg.
If a bad guy is inside your home and endangering you or your family then defend yourself, he answers. Shoot and kill the guy as he's running out your front door with your VCR under his arm and you could be in trouble.
But provisions do allow citizens to take violent actions - even if lives are not in immediate danger. Under state law, deadly force can be used only if a person believes it's necessary to defend against imminent danger - or "prevent the commission of a forcible felony."
Forcible felonies are defined not just as murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping and violent sex crimes, but also include arson, robbery and burglary.
"The law provides for people to take action to prevent (serious) crimes," said Salt Lake attorney Jim Bradshaw.
During Saturday's slaying, the armed robbers reportedly stole the money, cut the theater employee with a stun gun and ran. The employee jumped in a van and caught up with the fleeing thieves in a nearby field before running one of them over.
Police say the employee was not in imminent danger when he hit his attacker. But was he trying to prevent a forcible felony?
Again, prosecutors, and maybe a jury, will have to interpret what it means to prevent such crimes.
Regardless of the district attorney's decision, the idea of citizens fighting serious crime with force worries police.
Officers train and re-train for situations where they might have to use a weapon. In place of police schooling, most citizens rely on emotion, said Dr. Kay Gillespie, a psychiatrist who teaches criminal justice at Weber State University.
"I think there are people who have lost confidence in the justice system, and many are striking out," said Gillespie. "Average people will react to these circumstances emotionally. . . . I think we can expect and even accept this kind of reaction."
Paul Cassell, a University of Utah law professor and victim's right advocate, agrees.
"People will meet force with force," said Cassell. "Crimes like armed robbery are a dangerous line of work."
Recent changes in concealed-weapon laws also mean more Utahns are armed. But a concealed-gun permit doesn't deputize its owner, Lundberg said.
Citizens pulling guns on a crook who is robbing a convenience store could result in "a real mess," Lundberg said.
"I don't like to think of one of my colleagues arriving at a crime scene and finding two guys with guns pointing them at each other," he said. How do cops differentiate the good guys from the bad guys?
The consequences of citizens enlisting violence goes beyond the courtroom, Lundberg said. Killing or even seriously injuring someone can forge a lifelong, painful memory.
"It's nothing like in the movies. It doesn't matter if your actions are justified or not, it will stay with you," Lundberg said.
Preventing crime and knowing what to do if you're targeted by crooks is a safer alternative, said police.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Police suggest:
- Unless lives are in danger, call 911 and don't act aggressively.
- Don't jeopardize your life over property.
- Anticipate crime by being mindful of suspicious people.
- Be a good witness by noticing distinctive facial and body features.
- Above all, stay calm "and keep your guns in their holsters," Sandy Police officer David Lundberg said.