This event happened here in Beeville last Friday evening. I did not witness this, but listened to it live on my radio. Thankfully no one was injured and there were no license holders present that I'm aware of, or if there were no one drew.
I had just left the police station and had stopped at Whataburger (No 1 with cheese, mayo, no mustard). My next stop was the Sheriffs Dept. We were hosting a charity bike ride the next day and I wanted all emergency services, especially dispatchers, aware of what we were doing and have route maps with turn by turn directions should a situation arise. PD dispatch reports that they've got a kidnapping in progress at the Stripes on US Hwy 181 Bypass at FM 351. Three male subjects dressed in suits came in the store, grabbed a guy and carried him outside. Th victim got away briefly, but was recaptured and put into a black Camaro headed north toward San Antonio.
A minute or so later, while I'm still in the drive-thru I watch every cop in town that was on duty heading North. Side-bar this means they were ALL at the police station and not patrolling and this would be a great time for someone else to cause mischief. Sheriffs Dept has reported they have no deputies in the area and request PD to take the lead until they get there. A trooper is en-route but is still 10+ miles away. Dispatch further reports multiple 911 calls continuing to come in, stories are all the same/similar.
It continues to play out for the next 20 minutes or so. Tapes are pulled from the store. The footage corroborates the 911 callers reports, but they only captured a partial plate on the Camaro. Next county north is sending a unit to the county line to wait. Off duty detectives are showing up and the gas station is shut down for the investigation. Police are searching all the side streets and back roads north of town along that highway. So multiple agencies are involved, an Amber alert is being prepared, and a BOLO is out on the Camaro.
Then the hammer drops... Three men (not wearing suits) walk into the police station and turn themselves in. They heard (somehow) that the cops were out in force looking for them. It was a prank they pulled on a friend.
So, if you had been there what would you have done? You're either pumping gas nearby or inside the store (again, presumably nearby). Carrying either on your person or in your vehicle. I do not know if any weapons, real or fake, were brandished during the kidnapping. There was no radio traffic that I caught on that matter. It might have been discussed, but I was trying to follow multiple frequencies and might have missed it.
I had just left the police station and had stopped at Whataburger (No 1 with cheese, mayo, no mustard). My next stop was the Sheriffs Dept. We were hosting a charity bike ride the next day and I wanted all emergency services, especially dispatchers, aware of what we were doing and have route maps with turn by turn directions should a situation arise. PD dispatch reports that they've got a kidnapping in progress at the Stripes on US Hwy 181 Bypass at FM 351. Three male subjects dressed in suits came in the store, grabbed a guy and carried him outside. Th victim got away briefly, but was recaptured and put into a black Camaro headed north toward San Antonio.
A minute or so later, while I'm still in the drive-thru I watch every cop in town that was on duty heading North. Side-bar this means they were ALL at the police station and not patrolling and this would be a great time for someone else to cause mischief. Sheriffs Dept has reported they have no deputies in the area and request PD to take the lead until they get there. A trooper is en-route but is still 10+ miles away. Dispatch further reports multiple 911 calls continuing to come in, stories are all the same/similar.
It continues to play out for the next 20 minutes or so. Tapes are pulled from the store. The footage corroborates the 911 callers reports, but they only captured a partial plate on the Camaro. Next county north is sending a unit to the county line to wait. Off duty detectives are showing up and the gas station is shut down for the investigation. Police are searching all the side streets and back roads north of town along that highway. So multiple agencies are involved, an Amber alert is being prepared, and a BOLO is out on the Camaro.
Then the hammer drops... Three men (not wearing suits) walk into the police station and turn themselves in. They heard (somehow) that the cops were out in force looking for them. It was a prank they pulled on a friend.
So, if you had been there what would you have done? You're either pumping gas nearby or inside the store (again, presumably nearby). Carrying either on your person or in your vehicle. I do not know if any weapons, real or fake, were brandished during the kidnapping. There was no radio traffic that I caught on that matter. It might have been discussed, but I was trying to follow multiple frequencies and might have missed it.