Attaboy

[armsmaster270]

http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/1276106.html

Retired cop springs into action

in purse snatching

By Kim Minugh - kminugh@sacbee.com

Published 12:00 am PDT Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Story appeared in OUR REGION section, Page B3
He might have retired the badge, but not the instinct.
Lloyd Kearns was headed home to Elk Grove last week after getting his Ford F250 pickup serviced downtown when his 31 years of experience as a Sacramento police officer kicked in.
He saw two teens riding their bikes suspiciously slowly down X Street east of 15th Street. He saw ahead of them an older woman swinging her clutch purse in her left hand. He saw one of the boys put on a hood.
What the 62-year-old Kearns saw next was, in his mind, almost textbook: The hooded teen sped up, pedaled to the woman's left side, snagged the purse and bailed.
"I knew pretty much immediately they were targeting her for a purse-snatch," said Kearns, who retired from the department in 2002. "I took off after him."
The teen biked down 19th Street and then darted down an alley – but not fast enough to shake Kearns. The retired cop followed him in and out of alleyways and around the carwash on Broadway.
"My diesel sounds like a Mack truck," Kearns said. "He looks back at me, and I see this look of terror in his eyes."
The teen almost got lucky. He ditched his bike and jumped a fence; Kearns did not follow.
At that point, a nearby resident came out of his house to ask Kearns about the commotion. Together, they tracked down the suspect in the bed of a parked pickup and held him until the cops – the non-retired kind – arrived.
Kearns' said it was then that his instinct faded. He had no problem turning over the 17-year-old suspect for others to book and letting his involvement end there.
"You know what? It was a good rush, the chase and the capture," he said. "I felt good."
It wasn't all fulfilling. Not only did the purse get lost in the excitement, so too did the victim (police are asking her, or anyone who knows who she is, to come forward).
And Kearns did walk away with some bruises and a swollen hand, which gave his wife an "I told you so" opportunity.
"Now do you remember why you retired?" she asked him.
She's right, he says – at least until he spots the next crime in progress.
Said Officer Konrad Von Schoech, a police spokesman:
"Once in your blood, always in your blood."

[CTR man]

I have been told that Once a Cop, Always a Cop. Sometimes it rubs off on their kids.

[10-42Adam]

Good shit. Retired cops may turn in their badges and guns, but never their hearts.

[Pudge]

Way to go!!

Now there's the guy I'd work with. Hell he does more than some of our guys who AREN'T retired!

[Pinki]

YAY. That's nice to read about

[Jenna]

Once a sheepdog, always a sheepdog!

[Captain America]

Once a sheepdog, always a sheepdog!

Ruff , Ruff, Ruff!!!!( Good Job!!!)

[Buttercup]

That is awesome!

[Five-0]

Swollen hand huh Officer Kearns? Did his face accidently run into your hand a few times sir? I see, these things happen. No sir, you don't have anything to worry about. Well I take that back, you are going to have to meet at the bar of your choosing in a few hours when I get off duty for a beer.

[2 Blue 4 U]

Job Well Done!

Good shit. Retired cops may turn in their badges and guns, but never their hearts.

Very true! Thankfully, in NY we turn in our badge but not our guns and ID's.

[armsmaster270]

I was lucky enough to keep my issued badge as it was #118, It was my dad's before me and when I retired they were reserving the 100 series for Sgt's Got to buy my Mod 15 issued 38 as they were converting to sig 9mm's.