Some people just can’t stand by as crime is about to happen. You need guts for that, but when it comes to armed criminals, things are a bit different. It’s never a good idea to make a move against someone carrying a gun.
But what this armed robber didn’t know was that he chose the wrong person to mess with!
Daniel Gaskey, 30 was having a regular morning as he entered the Exxon Oasis Food Store in Midlothian, Texas. He was thinking about getting some coffee, when it all happened!
“It was about 6:15 in the morning. I was on my way to work, stopped in here like I normally do before my shift and just getting some water or coffee, you know, just stuff to start the day,” Gaskey said in an interview with CW33. Here’s what happened next…
Daniel was ready to begin his workday, but he had no idea he would have to call his boss and tell him he’d be late. After entering the store, he headed directly to the cashier to pay for his coffee. That’s when someone from behind touched him.
Don’t you hate it when people don’t respect social boundaries? We’ve all been there, with strangers breathing down your neck as you’re paying for groceries. But this time, Daniel realized this wasn’t just a rude customer…
The person behind him was a young man that not only came too close, but also touched his shoulder and even shoved him aside. What was going on? Then, Daniel realizes what was actually happening!
“My initial thought is ‘Why are you touching me? Why are you pushing me out of the way?’” recalled Daniel. But as he looks up, he realizes what was going on. This man was going to rob the store.
“I glance over and realize he’s got a black hood or mask over his face, so immediately it’s obvious what his intentions are,” he explained to the reporters. So what did he do? Daniel took a step back…
“This will go quick and easy, I’m just here for the money,” said the masked robber as he showed the cashier his 5-inch-long hunting knife. Meanwhile, Daniel was close by. “I took a step away to see what’s going on,” he said.
Before we see what happens next, let’s check out some details about Daniel and what he does for a living. Daniel Gaskey was celebrating on that morning his one-year anniversary since he became a firefighter at the Mansfield Fire Department. But that’s not all about Daniel!
You see, before Daniel chose to become a firefighter, he served as a Marine. The poor robber stood no chance, even though he had a knife! So, Daniel would put his 8-year-long training as a former Marine to good use, now that he was retired.
“I’ve always had a protective nature. I’ve always been someone who was willing to stand up for what’s right, and that’s what took me into the Marine Corps,” explained Daniel.
Daniel looks back on his retirement and said that he knew he would have chosen either to become a cop or a firefighter. So he made his move…
“Sometimes there’s a job that needs to get done. You have to be willing to stand up and help each other,” said Daniel in an interview after he downed the robber. Here’s how it all happened.
The armed robber was overconfident. His mistake was that he wasn’t aware of his surroundings. Meanwhile, Daniel was planning and waiting for the right moment to make his move. Check out next the camera security screenshots!
The robber had his back at Daniel, so he had no idea what was coming from behind. “He was completely ignoring me, so after that it was an instinctive reaction,” said the firefighter.
It took Daniel only a few seconds to assess the situation, see how the robber was holding his knife, and jump on his back. The former marine threw his arm around the criminal’s neck and slammed him into the ground, making sure the knife wasn’t close to him.
In less than seven seconds, Daniel had control of the situation and removed the weapon. After taking the criminal off balance and rolling on the floor, the firefighter was able to pin down the masked robber. Here’s what he said about the fight.
“Once I got him on the ground, it was pretty quick. It wasn’t a long fight; it wasn’t incredibly rough,” said Daniel. He explained how he moved and his coordination and execution was flawless!
“I controlled his arm on the way to the ground, I got on top of him, and once I was wrestled the knife away from him and moved it away from his reach, I was able to put pressure on his shoulder, control him, and stop him from struggling,” explained Daniel. He makes it sound so easy! Then, things changed…
Daniel recalls that once the robber “stopped struggling, it became rather civil.” The firefighter wanted to deescalate the situation and not harm the robber. He had to wait for five minutes on the floor with the masked robber for the police to arrive.
“I like to think anyone else in that situation would assess and do the right thing, too. Sometimes doing what’s right involves getting a license plate number of someone driving away,” he said. Then, his boss saw the video.
The Mansfield fire chief, Barry Bondurant saw the video and was proud to have Daniel at their fire station: “I saw the video for the first time this morning and I went, ‘This wasn’t just, ‘I’ll hang on until the police get here.’ He intervened and made a difference in someone’s life.” As for the robber…
Daniel has been hailed a hero, but he said that he doesn’t see himself this way, saying that it was the right thing to do. The robber has been identified. It was Dylan Bearden, a 19-year-old that had just graduated high school.
Dylan got arrested and charged with a first-degree felony – aggravated robbery. Nicole Mitschke, Dylan’s sister, wrote on social media about her brother, mentioning that he is “a good kid.”
“I’d like to say my brother, Dylan, is a good kid who just graduated high school, he’s never done anything like this before and has never been in trouble,” she wrote. So what made him want to rob a store?
Nicole explained that her brother is not a thug. “He tried to get a job but couldn’t find one, he did what he did cause he wanted to help family.” Unfortunately, robbing a store wasn’t exactly a wise decision…
The sister hopes Dylan won’t get jail time. “I don’t expect anyone to understand; not everything is as it seems. There is always more than meets the eye,” added Nicole. As for Daniel, he also had a few words to say about the Dylan’s situation.
Daniel said that he has been praying for Dylan. Even though the robber put others’ lives at risk, the firefighter shows us he’s a true hero, praying for Dylan. If only more people were like Daniel!
Here’s why we shouldn’t see life only in black and white and good and evil. Although Dylan was the bad guy here, Daniel thought that the young man deserved a chance at redemption.
