Bringing the Innocent to Justice

Driving on Highway 24 through another television market(Colorado Springs) with a photographer, my spidy sense began tingling.

There was a man walking on the shoulder. And he had a large handgun at his side. And he was walking toward a 7-11.

We made a second pass to confirm the sighting. This time the man had taken his T-shirt off and wrapped it around the gun.

Fulfilling our civic duty, we called the police. A substation was just around the corner so we knew there would be a quick response.

Fulfilling our professional duty, we pulled off the
highway to a parallel side street and set up our camera at a convenient and safe distance.

The police had already arrived and placed the would-be felon in custody.

When officers arrived, they told us later, the man immediately let the gun drop, raised his hands in the air and yelled, "Don't shoot!"

Turned out the gun was a non-functioning collector's replica. A fake.

The man put his T-shirt over the gun so TV crews wouldn't get the wrong idea.

I was just a feature reporter doing his civic duty. Taking innocent hobbyists off the street.

Just doing my job, Maam.