Daniel Gaskey was on his way to work at the Mansfield Fire Department in Texas last month when he stopped at a gas station in Midlothian, Texas.
He may have been off the clock, but as many first responders can attest, emergency officials are rarely truly off-duty.
“It’s 6:15 in the morning and you’re still trying to wake up to, you know,” Gaskey told CBS. “And then all of a sudden this guy is pushing me. I realized real quick what was going on. There’s only one reason people wear a black mask at a gas station.”
Gaskey realized he was now involved in an attempted robbery.
READ MORE: Employee chases would-be robber at southeast Calgary Centex
Security cameras from inside the station captured the whole incident, showing the suspect, 19-year-old Dylan J. Bearden, enter and push Gaskey aside.
Gaskey puts his hands up in surrender and walks behind Bearden, who shifts his attention to the clerk. The firefighter and former U.S. Marine assessed the situation, concluding that he could subdue the armed man.
“He’s got a fixed blade knife,” Gaskey recalled thinking. “He doesn’t have a gun. Or if he does he doesn’t have it in his hand. He’s got a knife right now. I was like, he’s focused on the lady. I can control this.”
That’s when Gaskey’s high school wrestling experience came in handy. He jumped on Bearden’s back, putting him in a headlock and throwing him to the ground. He then threw the knife out of the suspect’s reach and held him down as the clerk called 911 for assistance.
The Midlothian Police Department told Global News that Bearden was arrested and charged with aggravated robbery.
Commander John Spann said that Bearden had a couple minor traffic citations prior to this charge, but had become “desperate” for money.
“He was out of work and living with his parents, and it seemed that it was getting to the point where he was being asked to find his own place,” Spann told Global News.
READ MORE: Man succeeds at most unsuccessful robbery of ATM in Australia
Spann said that he was grateful Gaskey was able to control the situation before it became worse, but doesn’t recommend other citizens to follow in the firefighter’s footsteps, stressing the danger posed by an armed robbery.
“It’s extremely fortunate the way the situation turned out,” he said. “The off-duty firefighter did an outstanding job, but again, we don’t condone the actions.”
Gaskey said he was glad he was at the right place at the right time.
“It’s just the right thing to do and that’s the reward in itself: the fact that you were able to help someone out,” he said.
Comments