Vietnam Vet doesn't back down from gunman

[Cave_Johnson]

CHATTANOOGA, TN (WRCB) -- A 67-year-old Chattanooga man didn't back down when someone tried to rob him in a grocery store parking lot. His response sent the suspect running, but he didn't make it far.

--snip--

Wednesday afternoon around 4:00 p.m. in a packed Bi-Lo parking lot on Highway 58, Rutledge was walking back to his car with $600 in money orders.

"This guy came up behind me and said, ‘Hey sir I want your money!' I turned around and looked, and he cocked his 9mm."

--snip--

When the gunman held the gun up Rutledge said, "Why you wanna rob me? Why don't you get a job? What I got, what I get, what I spend in this store, I earned it! I said if you gonna shoot me then shoot me. I got a wife and three kids that you'll have to take care of."

Rutledge said he then saw the fear in the gunman's eyes. The bad guy put down the gun and then made an even stranger request.

"He said well can you give me a ride across the street from Bi-Lo," said Rutledge. "I said No, you better get away from me!"

He did, 19-year-old Octavious Malone left in a hurry and was arrested shortly afterwards, along with two juveniles, on Gunbarrel Road. Malone is facing weapon and aggravated robbery charges.

Rutledge just doesn't understand the mentality of people like Malone. "What is wrong with them? I got drafted to go to Vietnam, I didn't have a choice. They got all the opportunities in the world now to make something of themselves but they don't want it," he said.
http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/18741495/vietnam-vet-doesnt-back-down-from-gunman
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That's the ability to read people put into action... Good on this guy...

[CBGLuthier]

1. He is lucky he met a frightened punk instead of some of the creatures that stalk this world.

Every day you read about some lowlife who would have shot him before he got ten words of his rant out.

[Cave_Johnson]

2. Indeed he is..

I suppose I am impressed at his ability to tell the difference between the two.

[Bonhomme Richard]

3. The "Hey Sir" was probably his biggest clue. n/t

[Javaman]

4. "They got all the opportunities in the world now"

Opportunities? Where?

[Egalitarian Thug]

5. Yeah, I noticed that, too. n/t

[turtlerescue1]

6. That Draft of long ago,

not sure there's much difference between Uncle Sam's "Greeting and Salutations" is a huge stretch of Today's joining to have a source of income. Still at least when graduating the same week you get a diploma you don't also get your number for the Draft.

[jwirr]

7. Yes, I saw that. These kids do not have all the opportunities in the world anymore. And there are

far too many older Americans who do not understand this. Having said that I am not defending the kid who decided a crime would make anything better.