Accused of calling in a bogus pizza order last Thursday in order to rob the delivery driver, Kenneth Jimmerson got more than he bargained for.
Des Moines Pizza Hut Driver James Spiers said Jimmerson put a gun to his head and demanded cash as he walked up to the apartment complex to deliver the pizza about 10 p.m. But Spiers grabbed that gun and whipped out his own, shooting Jimmerson three times as he ran away.
Yeah, it’s not fun being robbed, and it does happen to pizza delivery drivers a few times a year in the Cedar Rapids area. But whether they are trying to get you to give up your money with a gun, a knife or their own fist, don’t you just think it’s best to give it to them and get the heck out of there? What if Spiers hadn’t been able to grab the guy’s gun? Is just giving him $20 to $50 of someone else’s money worth possibly getting shot?
Read what Spiers had to say about the robbery here. He has been suspended from his job until the police “sort everything out” because company policies prohibit drivers from carrying a gun while on the job, even though he had a permit to carry one. One Republican state senator from Urbandale has said he would boycott Pizza Hut if they fire him because he should have the right to defend himself.
Obviously I hate guns and don’t think anyone needs them, but I’m a little impractical. However, I’m pretty sure if I thought my delivery driver had one on him or her to “protect themselves,” I wouldn’t be comfortable interacting with that person. What do you all think about this situation?
UPDATE: If you want to let Pizza Hut know how you feel about their suspension of the driver, call the corporate customer feedback line at 1-800-948-8488 or visit their Web site to leave online feedback.
April 9, 2008 at 11:53 pm
“…don’t you just think it’s best to give it to them and get the heck out of there?”
Right, because we all know how well that works out far to often. That’s exactly how many people get killed. If I was the pizza delivery driver I most likely would have done the same thing. As soon as you pull any kind of a weapon on me I consider my life to be in danger and I will act accordingly. I have a concealed carry permit and thankfully have never pulled it once to defend myself, and hopefully never will. But I’m not afraid to do it to save myself from a threat to my life. I’d rather the criminal be dead rather than me.
April 10, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Right…in Chicago, or Kansas City, maybe it’s likely that the person who is holding the gun to your head wants to shoot you. But here, if there is even a weapon involved, it’s rarely used and isn’t life-threatening when it is.
Here’s my philosophy: If you really think the mean streets of Iowa require you to pack heat, be my guest. I’ll continue taking my chances. I won’t live my life in a constant state of alarm. It’s worked for me so far, and I’ve been in places much more dangerous than here.
April 10, 2008 at 10:22 pm
It isn’t life-threatening when somebody points a deadly weapon at you? I’d like to know what you’ve been smoking if you honestly think that. I guess you’re willing to put your life in the hands of the criminal as to whether or not he lets you live by not pulling the trigger. Some of us obviously have a stronger will to protect ourselves from being injured or killed. I’d rather it be me determining my fate than a criminal doing it for me.
I’ve lived in areas more dangerous than C.R. too. Right now I’m living in the 3rd largest city in the pacific northwest, also the 23 largest metro area in the country. Just because I have a concealed carry permit doesn’t mean I live my life in fear. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I get dressed, I grab my pistol and I walk out the door and go about my day. It’s reassuring knowing that I have a great tool to use if my life were to be put in danger by a criminal. Do you roll up your windows and lock your car doors? Do you lock the doors and windows to your home? If so, does that mean that you’re living in a state of fear? It’s called being proactive and not taking unnecessary risks. There’s an old saying: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
A gun is a tool, and like many other things that can be used for good or bad. The criminals are criminals because they won’t obey the law. There’s already plenty of laws out there that make stealing, raping and murdering a crime yet they continue to steal, rape and murder. Do you think that another gun law (there’s already 10,000+ on the books) will suddenly make them realize the errors of their ways and make them not use guns while committing their crimes? I kinda doubt it.
There’s a fundamental difference between people like you and me. People like me don’t want to become victims of crime and actively take steps to protect ourselves, just in case. People like you would rather go through life oblivious and hope that things turn out OK if confronted with a dangerous situation. A gun may not save my life but it sure evens the odds and I will most likely survive. Your phone will most likely be found near your injured or dead body when the cops arrive after the crime is already committed.
April 10, 2008 at 11:00 pm
I just don’t like guns. That doesn’t mean I want to take them away from you. What I’m saying is they’re not necessary for protection, and I won’t touch one.
I have taken plenty of steps to protect myself in the way of self-defense classes and proving myself to be one tough cookie when I have to be. That makes me anything but a willing victim.
April 11, 2008 at 12:39 am
Google Meredith Emerson to see how far all of your martial-arts training will get you against even an old man.
April 11, 2008 at 3:33 am
You should Google my mom. Ha!
We will not change each other’s minds, my friend. I think it’s best if I stay away from guns and, hopefully, you’ll never use that gun outside of the practice range.