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Paralyzed Former Cop Helps Thwart Robbery |
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A former Dallas police officer who was
shot and paralyzed while on duty helped to catch an armed robbery suspect
on Monday.
Officials said retired Officer Danny Rodriguez took quick action during a robbery at a Jack in the Box restaurant at Hampton Road and Illinois Avenue in Oak Cliff. Investigators said the robber had entered the restaurant, and lifted his shirt to show customers and employees that he had a gun in his pants, before emptying a cash register. Rodriguez, who was sitting in his truck in the drive through line during the robbery, noticed that a cashier seemed distressed. "She was looking at me with these big 'ol deer light eyes, to the left … she was giving me a signal," Rodriguez said. "Being a retired police officer, reading body language, I'm thinking, 'There's something wrong here.' And then I realized, that wasn't the manager clearing the register out." When the robber fled the store on foot, Rodriguez followed him in his truck and called police. At one point, the robber pointed his gun at Rodriguez, he said. The crook also attempted but failed to carjack a couple, according to officials. He then hid behind a trash bin, where police arrested him. Investigators said Rodriguez's quick thinking helped them capture the man. |