From August 10, 2005 KIRO-TV channel 7:
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- A man pulled a pistol on a car prowler here Tuesday morning and held him at gunpoint until police arrived, KIRO TV News reported.A more detailed account at the August 14, 2005 Olympia Olympian:
Police credit the man with solving a string of car prowls and helping to recover more than $4,000 in stolen property.
Chuck Estes awoke Tuesday to find the roof of his wife's convertible slashed and her stereo system stolen.
Estes told KIRO TV News South Sound Bureau Chief Richard Thompson that, "One thing I can't stand in life is a thief."
Estes said he was driving through his neighborhood when he spotted a vehicle suspected in the theft from his wife's car.
Estes had a .44-caliber Magnum Smith and Wesson pistol with him. He approached the suspect's car, drew his gun and ordered the teenaged occupant to put his hands on the dashboard.
Estes called police who arrested the 16-year-old boy. They also arrested a 21-year-old man they say was an accomplice nearby.
Estes didn't keep the gun -- a revolver with a 6-inch barrel -- pointed very long, he said. He holstered it immediately after determining the suspect didn't pose a threat, he said.
"I made it very clear to stay in the car and that he was not at risk and that I was not a threat," said Estes, 40, who has a concealed weapon permit.
It was about 4 a.m., and Estes was on his way to work when he noticed someone had sliced into his wife's convertible to steal her stereo and speakers. He didn't think he had time to deal with it right away.
But as he headed down the street, he noticed two younger males climbing into a Volkswagen Rabbit loaded with electronics and other equipment. He thought it seemed suspicious and decided to stop. One suspect ran.
Holding his flashlight and gun, Estes approached the driver's side window and ordered the suspect to put his hands on the dashboard. Then he called 9-1-1.
"Hopefully that's the last time I'll have to pull it out of the holster," Estes said.
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