Former Vikings Player Thwarts 4 Muggers, Murder Suspects

CHICAGO (WCCO/WBBM) -- A former player for the Minnesota Vikings apparently helped capture three murder suspects from Georgia after being the victim of a mugging earlier this month.

As reported by CBS Chicago, Napoleon Harris owns two Beggars Pizza franchises in Oak Forest and Harvey. He reportedly decided to give his delivery crew a break late one night earlier this month.

Harris, who is also a Democratic state senator in Harvey, was making a delivery in that town. Harvey Police Department spokesperson Sean Howard said the order was a ruse and that four men attacked Harris when he arrived at the house, which was vacant and up for sale.

"I think they were looking for a guy about 5-foot-9-inches in stature," Howard said. "They got a guy 6'4", 260 (pounds)."

Howard said the men put a chokehold on Harris, but he out-powered them. That could possibly be in part because he played seven seasons in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders.

"As they were all beating on him, one guy just went out of his way and really hit him hard, and Napoleon never moved. He just looked at him like Hulk Hogan, and from that the guys knew that we better get out of here, because we can't get this guy down," Howard said.

Harris followed their Chevy Tahoe and let police know where they were headed. They abandoned the vehicle, but investigators noted blood in the back of the truck, which was registered to a man reported missing in Georgia. That man, Lester Jones, was later found dead.

Two of the muggers were arrested in Georgia after exiting a Megabus. The third was arrested at the mental institution he checked himself into after arriving back in Georgia.

The fourth attacker has not yet been charged, CBS Chicago reported.

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