The Patriot Post® · Marines Capture Would-Be Robber Without Messing Up Uniforms

Three Marines foiled an attempted robbery that happened outside a Washington state recruiting office Jan. 6, detaining one perpetrator – without even ruining the blue dress uniforms they were wearing. A 60-year-old woman was getting into her truck when two men approached her, told her she was being robbed and that they had a gun. The woman replied that she was an ex cop and put up a fight. The suspects fled, but not before the commotion attracted the attention of Staff Sgt. Bryson Twigg, Sgt. Ricardo Schebesta and Staff Sgt. Ben Shoemaker inside the nearby Lynnwood recruiting office. The three tore after the suspects. “That kid was never going to outrun me,” Shoemaker told KIRO-TV. “Marines run towards the sound of chaos.” Shoemaker, who faced combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, told the New York Daily News he didn’t care if the suspects had a gun. “I’ve been shot at before. It’s not as bad as everyone thinks. Most people miss.” When he caught up with Diego Tavares, 19, Shoemaker wasn’t about to tackle him. “I was wearing my dress blues. I was not going to the ground,” he said. Instead, he placed Tavares in an arm bar until the police could arrive. Later, police would discover that Tavares was armed with a baseball bat he hid inside his pants. Another reason to be thankful for the few and the proud. Semper Fi! More…