Bondsman Dave Vinson granted an interview with the Lake Sun Leader. After being found guilty of two misdemeanor offenses involving a fugitive recovery incident, Vinson told his side of the story.
Vinson told the Lake Sun Leader that he and another bondsman, Jason Dampier, had located fugitive Ronald Brown in a vehicle in Versailles. Brown turned onto a dead end street. Vinson said Dampier got out of the car and walked up to Brown’s vehicle, asking him to get out. Instead Brown threw the car into reverse and attempted to back over Dampier. Vinson said Dampier told him he heard the gears shifting and because of that was able to narrowly escape being struck by diving behind their own vehicle. Vinson had his Glock 22 .40 caliber pistol drawn. Brown pulled the car forward, this time over lawns, attempting to find a way out of the dead-end. Vinson said he fired off one round, shattering the back window of the SUV. “I fired at a location where I knew I wasn’t going to hit him. I hoped the sound of the gun, of the bullet, would scare him into stopping before someone got hurt,” Vinson said. With at least 20-feet now between them, Brown attempted to back up over Vinson and Dampier again, Vinson said. It was enough room to do real damage if Brown managed to strike his targets. This time, he managed to drive away.
Previous Posts
Vinson Found Guilty of Misdemeanors
Lake Sun-New Info on Fugitive Case
Bondsman Held After Shots Fired
Friday, May 8, 2009
2 comments:
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What is the darned difference if a cop is going to be ran over or us bail agents.
ReplyDeletewouldn`t it be just as lethal if the idiot tries to run us over or a cop? It is just as mindless and dangerous to our well being and safety and I tell you I would defend myself and bail personnel
in the same matter, We`re going home to our families, There is no difference! Our lives are no less valuable than a cops life. Perhaps I`m missing something here. I`m glad they were only misd. charges
The first commentator is absolutely right. When it comes down to the value of your life on the job, there is no difference in what we face and what the cops face in an apprehension. I know, because I've worked both sides of the issue.
ReplyDeleteI don't know Vinson and I wasn't there when he fired the shot. As such, I cannot realistically stand in judgement of his actions. I can't tell you that I would have handled the situation differently, or that I wouldn't have done the same thing.
I can tell you, that had it been a cop that fired that shot, (s)he would have come under an even greater scrutiny, and would also have been subject to the same criminal charges Vinson faced, if a prosecutor would have found cause for such an action.
The point is this. In many ways the jobs are the same. We carry many of the same responsibilities as law enforcement, and in some respects, even more. We also carry much of the same liability, and again, in some respects much more.
And to some degree, even though we compete for business each day, like the cops, we owe each other a certain measure of loyality and respect. Because, like the cops, there isn't anybody out there that's going to take care of us, but us.
As the old saying goes... You can't judge a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes. For whatever Dave Vinson did or didn't do that was right, wrong or indifferent, let's just be thankful we didn't lose one of our own. I've been there, too.