KANSAS CITY, MO – A robbery suspect was wrong when he thought he found an easy target walking alone in Kansas City, Missouri. The suspect walked up behind his target and grabbed hold of the would-be victim’s shoulder, presented a gun, and promptly had it taken away from him by the victim.
Courtesy of YouTube
On October 29th, Josh Henges, a former member of the USA Judo team, was the would-be victim who was walking down the sidewalk by himself at about 8 p.m. Henges said that he felt someone grab his shoulder and when he turned around, he saw the suspect with a gun pointed at his head.
The suspect ordered Henges to give him whatever money he had on his person.
Henges said:
“I felt someone behind me pull my shoulder. I’ve done judo my whole life.”
KCPD: USA Judo team member stops attempted robbery.https://t.co/DxnqfarwKA
— 41 Action News (@41actionnews) October 27, 2020
Henges, who has not competed in nearly five years, said that instinct kicked in and he was able to deal with the situation. When Henges turned, the suspect later identified as Lunden Roulette had the gun pointed at his head.
Henges credited his Judo training for being able to remain calm. He grabbed the gun out of Roulette’s hands and took him to the ground. He said that he just reacted to the situation.
Henges said:
“He was in grabbing range of me. You don’t have to hurt him. You just hold him in place, and there’s no permanent injury.”
Once the gun was removed and Roulette safely secured on the ground, Henges used his hands-free AirPods to call 911. While waiting for police to arrive, Henges began talking to his would-be robber and got to know him a little.
He said:
“[I] was able to have a conversation with him while we were down, trying to get to know him a bit. Young folks make mistakes, and this shouldn’t define him and I hope that it doesn’t.”
When police arrived on scene, they found Henges still had Roulette pinned on the ground. They examined the gun allegedly used in the crime and discovered that it was a bb gun. Police charged Roulette with one count of attempted first-degree robbery.
Someone tried to rob Josh Henges last night on his walk home, but he happens to be a decorated Judo player.
How the KC native deescalated the situation and the compassion he’s showing the suspect tonight on @fox4kc after the #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/6Fh8bclao4
— Zac Summers (@ZacOnTV) October 28, 2020
Henges stated that Roulette expressed remorse for his actions. Henges said he hopes that Roulette is able to move on with his life after the arrest. Roulette said that he spends time working with youth in the area and may actually end up helping Roulette at some point in the future.
Henges said:
“I’ve worked with transition-aged youth for a long time, worked with homeless folks my entire career, so I wanted to see what led him to this. People have to own their behavior, but there’s also a reason why they behave in a certain way. To me, real justice is a changed heart and a changed heart changes behavior.”
Henges added:
“Coming out of this, it wouldn’t be crazy that I would work with him whatever this record is and trying to figure out how to get him housed, employed, educated and all that. So I’m committed to seeing him succeed despite this.
“I mean, he’s 20. He’s got his whole life ahead. There’s most of his entire life going forward and I really hope that it’s going to be good.
“If I can forgive this kid, I hope anyone can forgive this kid. He’s going to own it, and when he does, let’s find a way to make the most of his life.”
September 24, 2020
SPANAWAY, WA – A 78-year-old woman heard her dog barking late at night on September 20th, and went to investigate, shotgun in hand. When she did, she found a man breaking into her home and she held him until police arrived.
’I reached over and got my shotgun, and I cocked it’: Grandma holds would-be burglar at gun point https://t.co/GPY6gOMews
— KIRO 7 (@KIRO7Seattle) September 22, 2020
The incident happened in Spanaway, Washington, earlier this month. The woman, identified only as Sandy, heard her dog Booboo barking and knew something was not right.
Sandy went to investigate what was happening and opened her door to find a man standing right in front of her.
Sandy said:
“I opened my door, and standing right 2, 3 feet in front of me was a man. We looked at each other for a few seconds, and he turned and started to leave. And I said, ‘Oh no, you don’t. You stay right there!
“I reached over and got my shotgun. And I cocked it, and I told him to stay right there. Told him to go sit on the steps. I followed him out, and I just stood here with the shotgun waiting for the police to come.”
This tough lady held the man at gunpoint until police arrived. Sandy said that she did so because she knew that there had been a spike in crime in her neighborhood recently. Not knowing if this man was responsible or not, she was not going to let him leave without talking with the police.
Sandy mentioned that she had first gotten the shotgun many years ago to protect her family as she was a single mother. Sandy said she was nervous when she first produced the gun, but later felt calm.
She said:
“But then I was totally calm, really and truly. I thought, ‘This is amazing!’ I said, ‘You know, I’ve got grandchildren your age!’
“After he was so meek and mild and sat down like I told him to do? It was empowering. I felt like at least I was in charge. I wasn’t afraid.”
While waiting for the police she decided to interrogate the would-be burglar. Although she did not reveal specifics of what they talked about, she hopes the incident has changed him.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office responded and met with the man. According to deputies, when asked by them what he was doing he said:
“He was looking for his wife and (talked about) how God had sent him.”
It is unknown if the man was suffering from some type of mental illness. However, his thought of God sending him may be quite sane. After all, he encountered a tough lady who chose not to shoot him, which may well have been God’s way of showing him the path he was on, and hopefully leading him to a new one.
Deputies were able to take the man into custody for the attempted break-in and praised Sandy for her quick actions that may well have saved her life. When speaking of the incident, Sandy just said that she was thankful no one, including the man, was harmed.
Sandy, in her kindness after an event like that, decided that she would not pursue charges against the man. As a result, deputies released him after they determined that he did not seem to be under the influence of anything nor a danger to himself.
We can all hope that this man truly saw the light and stops his criminal actions. As for Sandy, Law Enforcement Today is proud of her standing up for her rights and refusing to be a victim.
Want to make sure you never miss a story from Law Enforcement Today? With so much “stuff” happening in the world on social media, it’s easy for things to get lost.
Make sure you click “following” and then click “see first” so you don’t miss a thing! (See image below.) Thanks for being a part of the LET family!
