ICYMI: Video - Determined Jewelry Store Owner Chases Down Thief Who Bolted with Pricey Item
On July 14, at 4:30 p.m., a would-be robber hastily fled from Furnari Jewelers with a haul of jewelry worth $16,000 clutched in his hands in Holyoke, Massachusetts
It was only due to the swift response of the store owner, Joe Furnari, that the ill-gotten wares were promptly recovered.
Furnari had been assisting a customer, who expressed keen interest in viewing the selection of exquisite gold-link chains, according to Western Mass News. This “friendly” customer perused the collection extensively, or so it seemed.
In a shocking twist captured by surveillance cameras, the customer suddenly bolted for the exit, taking with him one of Furnari’s most prized possessions — a Cuban gold-link chain necklace, appraised at a staggering $16,000, according to WWLP.
Furnari didn’t hesitate. He gave chase and successfully subdued the perpetrator.
“I haven’t run like that in a long time,” Furnari said.
Nevertheless, he continued his pursuit. “I got to get that back. I worked hard for that gold chain,” he recounted.
He made sure the criminal knew that he was not going to get away. “I yelled at him, ‘I’m going to catch you! I’m going to catch you!’”
The would-be thief eventually fled the scene, leaving Hampden County Police to investigate the matter.
During an interview with WWLP, Furnari said, “99.9 percent of the people that come in are wonderful people.
“But if someone wants to rob you, there’s not much you can do to stop them, just catch them — which is fortunately what we did.” Thankfully, no one was harmed during this altercation.
This incident raises an important question: What more can store owners do to safeguard their businesses and customers? The Second Amendment clearly grants American citizens the right to defend themselves and those around them.
Furnari was fortunate that this assailant wasn’t armed. Some shop owners are not so lucky in their encounters with their assailants. It’s only prudent and justifiable for store owners in similar situations to consider enhanced self-defense measures.
Presently, Massachusetts permits its citizens to obtain carry permits. However, Massachusetts has long been known for having some of the nation’s strictest gun-control legislation.
Since the extensive gun-control measures, dating as far back as 1998, which have led to a decline in the number of gun owners in the state, violent crime rates have steadily risen.
From the gun grabs that are currently going on in California, to the Biden administration placing harsher rules in ATF background checks for gun sales, it’s hard to feel safe in this country anymore.
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