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D.C. robber picks wrong victim: Police chief's wife

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BY LORI PILGER / Lincoln Journal Star

Thursday, Nov 30, 2006 - 04:20:04 pm CST

When it comes to choosing victims, a Washington, D.C., purse snatcher could hardly have made a worse pick.

Lincoln Police Chief Tom Casady and his wife were strolling along Pennsylvania Avenue, “right smack dab in front of the White House,” during a visit to D.C. this week when a man dashed up and tried to grab Tonja Casady’s purse, the chief said.

When her purse didn’t come off her shoulder, the man turned toward them and spoke, Casady said, but they couldn’t understand what he said. The chief grabbed him, pushed him into a pedestrian barricade and shouted. Uniformed secret service agents near the White House responded quickly, as did city cops.

Story Photo
Casady

“My immediate thought was that he was either going to come back for a second try, or up the ante by producing a weapon,” Casady said Thursday. “ I was disinclined to let either of those happen, and I knew that there were police officers all over the place, and that all I had to do was yell and get control of his arms quickly, and lots of help would appear immediately — as it did.”

But don’t cops generally tell people it’s better to lose a purse or wallet than be assaulted, or worse?

“Well, first, I’m not your average citizen (at least I’d like to think so,” the chief said in an e-mail. “I’ve had a bit more experience than most in such situations.

“Second, this guy squirted by us with a failed attempt to snatch Tonja’s purse, and then, rather than fleeing, he got past us, stopped, turned and faced us.  ... Okay, I was a little mad, too. It takes quite a bit to bring it out, but beneath this calm and bald exterior lurks an Irish red (pre-bald) head with a history of being pretty protective of his girlfriend for the past 37 years.”

Neither Casady nor his wife was injured, though he said Tonja Casady was shaken by the incident.

The Casadys were in Washington for a National Institute of Justice think tank of police chiefs and academics on policing research over the next five to 10 years.

Reach Lori Pilger at 473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com.


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pete thompson wrote on November 30, 2006 3:31 pm:
" I hope the chief’s wife was not there on taxpayer money. "

 JS wrote on November 30, 2006 4:54 pm:
" Nice going, Chief. Maybe you still have some of that aggressive crime fighting left in you after all. "

 jv wrote on November 30, 2006 4:58 pm:
" That's sad that the first comment is about money. That's all everybody worries about is taxpayer money. Grow up people and let the government worry about it, that is why we elected them! "

 Mike U wrote on November 30, 2006 5:41 pm:
" What a great story! If more people would treat criminals in this manner, maybe all the streets would be safer! "

 Richard wrote on November 30, 2006 6:42 pm:
" Thanks for fighting back for those you love Chief. I hope you realize most of us would do the same. Calling 911 is not always the best option. "

 John wrote on November 30, 2006 8:08 pm:
" Chief Casady rocks! Talk about a one-man crime deterrent program. He's got a bigger bite than McGruff the Crime Dog. Way to go! "

 jeff wrote on November 30, 2006 9:50 pm:
" good job chief "

 purse snatching wrote on December 1, 2006 7:03 am:
" It was wise of Tonya to have the shoulder strap on to make it difficult for the thief...great foresight Tonya! On a side note, it is sad that my first thoughts at the end of the article were about who was covering the expense of Tonyas plane ticket. I am just as bad as pete in the first entry. "

 Sam wrote on December 1, 2006 7:19 am:
" How many times have we heard from Lincoln Police, don't fight back, give the crook what he wants to help prevent injuries? Casady did what was right, instead of giving in to the crook. What they had was earned by them and it was their property. Maybe we do need look into crime response more as there may be more cases where just giving in isn't right. "

 in the know wrote on December 1, 2006 11:03 am:
" Police officers can NOT recommend to citizens that they confront someone like this, since you know who will be blamed when the victim is hurt or injured because they fought back, but someone who's job it is to confront people like this need to respond. His job is to respond and he has the training that mandates he do what he did. I also know his wife's ticket and travel expenses were paid for by Casady, not with public funds. Sometimes she goes with him on a trip like this, and they pay for her cost. His is usuall paid for by the group sponsoring the conference, not the city. "

 Rambo wrote on December 1, 2006 12:06 pm:
" I think we have found someone to replace Sly in the upcoming Ramob IV "

 whatever wrote on December 1, 2006 5:57 pm:
" Not a big fan of Casady, but in this case--Good Work! "

 Susan (Wernicke) Smith wrote on December 4, 2006 10:37 am:
" That's the Chief we, in the policing community, all know and respect. Chief Casady is held in high regard and it's obvious why! "

 SS wrote on December 4, 2006 10:50 am:
" There is no doubt that the Chief personally paid for Tonja's plane ticket and any other personal expenses. They often travel together. Chief Casady goes out of his way to make sure there is never any "gray area" with expenses. At times, he's even paid out of pocket for HIS part of the trip, when the City budget did not allow. He is a pillar of honesty and ethics! "

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