This might not have been the best plan, but we understand the emotion.
When crime runs amok, vigilantism isn’t far behind. With rising car theft rates in many cities throughout North America and other parts of the world, we’ve seen more people taking the law into their own hands. Many have said they’re frustrated with the lack of police response to information they provided about their stolen vehicle, which we suspect might be behind one man chasing his mother’s stolen car through Simsbury, Connecticut recently.
A man has been accused to stabbing a wheel thief to death.
According to the police department, back on July 6 at 1:48 am the man called dispatch to report someone stole his mother’s car from a parking lot. That caller also said he was following his mother’s stolen ride, which was driving through the city along with two other stolen cars.
When officers tried to intersect the pursuit, they saw all four vehicles speeding down one of the streets. Dispatch asked the son to stop chasing his mother’s car but the guy didn’t. He later told police one of the suspects brandished a rifle, probably to get him to back off.
During the chase, the son said one of the suspects crashed the stolen car they were driving. Police would only say they couldn’t find the two men who reportedly fled on foot, declining to give any information about the vehicle, including where it was stolen and when.
We know car thieves often take vehicles they stole earlier out to steal more rides. We also know they often carry guns or other weapons just in case someone tries to stop them from boosting a vehicle. And while that makes chasing car thieves dangerous, we also understand why people have lost their faith in the ability of police to stop this specific crime.
Many law enforcement agencies are dealing with an absolute deluge of car theft reports. They have to prioritize murders, domestic violence calls, and other situations which are more pressing. With quite a few departments short-staffed thanks to a famous anti-police movement a few years ago, plus all kinds of restrictions slapped on them because of that push, coupled with rising crime in general, the problems are multiplying.
Frustrated citizens are deciding to track down and get back their stolen vehicles themselves. We get why, but it’s still a dangerous proposition.
Lead image via IMDB
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