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The Omaha Channel wrote:Citizens Help Arrest Carjacker
Man Arrested For Carjacking

POSTED: 11:10 a.m. CST December 8, 2003
UPDATED: 6:08 p.m. CST December 8, 2003

OMAHA, Neb. -- An Omaha police officer tried to arrest a car-jacking suspect Sunday and the man grabbed her gun and threatened the officer. That's when four citizens stepped in to help.
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Video: Samaritans Tell Their Story





"I looked over and seen this cop with her gun drawn on this guy," said Dave Norris, one of the Good Samaritans. "And he was down on his knees and he turned around and grabbed a hold of her and threw her down on the ground."

Officer Jodi Sautter spotted Patrick Brew crossing Blondo Street Sunday night. Brew (pictured, left), 19, was wanted for taking a car earlier Sunday at the Lowe's store on 75th and Dodge streets. Brew told a man he needed to use his cell phone and the Tekamah, Neb., man let Brew into his truck. Police said Brew assaulted the man, forced him from his truck and stole it.

Patrick Brew abandoned the vehicle near 76th and Pinkney streets about 25 minutes before Sautter spotted him on Blondo. Norris also spotted Brew and watched as he started punching Sautter.

"At that time, that's when I ran over and grabbed a hold of the guy and slammed him down on the ground," Norris told KETV NewsWatch 7's Kevin Tomich.

Kayla Brown watched all of this unfold and grabbed her weapon -- a can of Mace.

"I told (Sautter) 'I have some Mace,' and I was gonna hand the Mace to her and she was like, 'No, Mace him now.' I was like,'OK,'" said Brown.

The Mace found its mark.

"Mouth, face, nose, just everywhere," Brown said. "I just sprayed it, just wanted to get him down. I just sprayed everywhere."

Two other passersby stopped to help, too, and held Brew down until police backup arrived.

Brown and Norris said they aren't heroes.

"We were just happy nothing happened to her because of what happened to the other officer -- Jason Pratt -- and we didn't want to see that happen again," said Brown.

Brown was referring to Omaha police Sgt. Jason "Tye" Pratt who died of a gunshot wound in September after he tried to stop a wanted criminal for a traffic violation.

Sautter was not injured, but the carjacking victim had seven stitches after Brew hit him with a gun.

Brew faces a number of charges. He has 29 prior offenses from drug possession to driving under the influence.

Dorsk 81 wrote:*Takes a huge sniff in through his nose* You know what that's the smell of kids? Thats the smell of justice...

One question though, if she had her gun drawn on him, how the hell could he get it without her shooting him?

Raoul Duke, Jr. wrote:As unflattering as it may sound, (or flattering, depending on your perspective) my guess is that the young officer lacked the resolve or preparation to actually use her weapon. Another contributing factor would be that she was standing much too close to the suspect. But the gravest, most fundamental mistake on her part is approaching a violent suspect alone in the first place.

Dorsk 81 wrote:

Raoul Duke, Jr. wrote:As unflattering as it may sound, (or flattering, depending on your perspective) my guess is that the young officer lacked the resolve or preparation to actually use her weapon. Another contributing factor would be that she was standing much too close to the suspect. But the gravest, most fundamental mistake on her part is approaching a violent suspect alone in the first place.

A choice between inexperience or incompetence or both. Not much of a choice.

Raoul Duke, Jr. wrote:

Dorsk 81 wrote:

Raoul Duke, Jr. wrote:As unflattering as it may sound, (or flattering, depending on your perspective) my guess is that the young officer lacked the resolve or preparation to actually use her weapon. Another contributing factor would be that she was standing much too close to the suspect. But the gravest, most fundamental mistake on her part is approaching a violent suspect alone in the first place.

A choice between inexperience or incompetence or both. Not much of a choice.

Not so much a choice as a combination of the two. She may have been a bit overeager and undertrained, one of which is due to inexperience and the other not being her fault, but her department's.