02-05-2011, 09:09 PM
ALLIANCE, Ohio - A private snow plow driver in Stark County decided to take a break from battling icy and snow-covered parking lots and instead turned into a crime fighter.
John Shuman followed a suspected purse snatcher for 21 miles and gave 911 dispatchers a license plate and a description of the car.
Strangely, the suspect, 18-year-old Cody Bragg, also called 911, concerned about the snow plow on his tail.
"There's a guy in a snow plow and he's following me and he's scaring me," Bragg told an Alliance 911 operator.
The incident began at the Alliance Walmart store at 2700 W. State Street.
Jennifer Kisner was loading groceries into her car, when a car pulled slowly pulled alongside of her and grabbed her purse from a shopping cart.
Kisner chased after the car and tried to get her purse back.
"I reached inside the car and grabbed a hold of his neck and he proceeded to drag me about 60 feet," Kisner told NewsChannel 5.
Shuman saw the whole crime go down and began chasing the suspect, who was driving a Honda Civic.
"I was raised a good, old boy. I was raised to, you work hard for stuff, (I'm) not gonna let someone just take it from you," Shuman said.
Shuman said he was not surprised that Bragg was nervous as his pickup, with an 8-foot wide plow, got closer.
"Yeah, I'm sure I was close and that could be part of the reason, I suppose, he called 911," Shuman said.
Shuman, who has a concealed carry permit, said he was prepared to confront the purse snatcher, but a dispatcher advised him to avoid a confrontation.
Police arrested Bragg a few hours later at a home on Greenbower Street and he confessed to robbery, officers said.
The fact that Bragg called 911 is now amusing to both the victim and the good samaritan.
"Definitely dumbest criminal, for sure," Shuman said.
"It's hard to believe people are really that ignorant," Kisner said.
Bragg is being held in the Stark County Jail on $50,000 bond, charged with robbery and theft.
John Shuman followed a suspected purse snatcher for 21 miles and gave 911 dispatchers a license plate and a description of the car.
Strangely, the suspect, 18-year-old Cody Bragg, also called 911, concerned about the snow plow on his tail.
"There's a guy in a snow plow and he's following me and he's scaring me," Bragg told an Alliance 911 operator.
The incident began at the Alliance Walmart store at 2700 W. State Street.
Jennifer Kisner was loading groceries into her car, when a car pulled slowly pulled alongside of her and grabbed her purse from a shopping cart.
Kisner chased after the car and tried to get her purse back.
"I reached inside the car and grabbed a hold of his neck and he proceeded to drag me about 60 feet," Kisner told NewsChannel 5.
Shuman saw the whole crime go down and began chasing the suspect, who was driving a Honda Civic.
"I was raised a good, old boy. I was raised to, you work hard for stuff, (I'm) not gonna let someone just take it from you," Shuman said.
Shuman said he was not surprised that Bragg was nervous as his pickup, with an 8-foot wide plow, got closer.
"Yeah, I'm sure I was close and that could be part of the reason, I suppose, he called 911," Shuman said.
Shuman, who has a concealed carry permit, said he was prepared to confront the purse snatcher, but a dispatcher advised him to avoid a confrontation.
Police arrested Bragg a few hours later at a home on Greenbower Street and he confessed to robbery, officers said.
The fact that Bragg called 911 is now amusing to both the victim and the good samaritan.
"Definitely dumbest criminal, for sure," Shuman said.
"It's hard to believe people are really that ignorant," Kisner said.
Bragg is being held in the Stark County Jail on $50,000 bond, charged with robbery and theft.