Is it ever worth it to challenge a thief?

When a gun is involved, law enforcement and safety experts always say comply and hand over what is being asked for. What if it’s less than? What if it’s a knife? A bat? What if it’s nothing but the prospect of a very bloody street brawl?

I don’t think there’s ever a one-size-fits-all answer to this, but theoretically, is it ever worth it to challenge a thief? Police say someone tried to in Glen Rock, New Jersey, and for their bravery, they got run over by a car.

Authorities say a 31-year-old worker at Bottle King Liquors chased after a shoplifter on Thursday. According to a report on News12 New Jersey, car police say the employee and the suspected shoplifter grappled outside of the store in the parking lot. According to police, 37-year-old Jeanelle Mulligan was an accomplice to the thief and drove a Toyota Camry into the worker. The suspected shoplifter got away, and the store employee got a trip to the emergency room for minor injuries, authorities say.

It’s often not the value of what a thief is coveting. It’s the victim’s pride. A stubborn sense of principle can kick in, and logic goes right out the window.

I am, by no one’s standard, a fighter. Yet when I was about 11, I received a bicycle from my parents, and I rode it between Rahway and Clark to visit my grandmother at her job at a diner. Just as I quickly finished locking it to a pole out front, a gang of at least a dozen teenagers descended on me, looking to steal it.

They asked if they could just “see the bike for a second.” Yeah, right. I knew this would get ugly fast, and the street was deserted except for me and all of them. But that pride and principle kicked in, and I said no.

It was a combination lock, so they needed me to undo it. I was quickly being held by two of them with arms behind my back. I was told to unlock it, and when I said no, I was kicked in the mouth. I can still remember what the mud from that sneaker tasted like mixed with my sudden blood. I was told again to unlock it; again, I said no, and every time I refused, I got hit worse. I had made up my mind I would die on that street corner before handing my bike over to them.

Stupid? I’m not the one to say. All I know is I was punched and kicked a good dozen times with blood coming out of my mouth and nose and my cheek split open. Finally, a huge adult came upon the scene, and they fled.

Worth it? I don’t know. Things seem different today, though. It feels more likely a weapon could be brought out nowadays.

The truth is, then or now, it’s always a matter of context as far as what your reaction might be in a robbery. But I’m sure a law enforcement officer might remind you wallets and car keys can be replaced, but fathers and friends and sisters can’t be.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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