Teen Shot In The Foot As His Father Tries To Wrestle A Gun Away From Robber
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A wild robbery that led to a police chase ended in an arrest and a local man is being hailed a hero. It happened at the Denny's off Madison Avenue Wednesday.
The Tallman's are regulars at the Denny's and were hoping for a Grand Slam when their breakfast was interrupted.
"I saw a guy come in and pull a gun on the woman behind the register," said Doug Tallman. "She was panicked."
Tallman put down his coffee and sprang into action.
"I walked right past him and as soon as I got past him I came right behind him, I grabbed him by his throat, by the gun, and picked him up and slammed him on his head and we just started wrestling for the gun," Tallman Sr. said.
But in the struggle for the firearm, Doug Jr., his son, got shot in the foot.
"He comes running up to help and that's when the gun went off," Tallman Sr. said. "As soon as I heard that shot it was like fight or flight and it was fight for me. I wasn't gonna let go. If I would have let go he would have shot me again or tried to shoot me again."
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"They said it might of ricocheted off something and hit me," Doug Jr. said.
The Tallmans said the entire restaurant was full of children.
"I would rather it be me than my grandma or a little kid that was running around playing," Doug Jr. said.
In fact, the Tallman's were there trying to cheer grandma up.
"I brought my mother here for breakfast because my father passed away a few days ago," Tallman Sr. said.
He says someone was watching over them.
"I believe my father was looking over me if anybody was, my father you know," Tallman Sr. said.
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The suspect didn't get very far. After carjacking someone in the parking lot of a nearby hotel, he was stopped by police and arrested.
"I never would've imagined this would happen," said Monica Ramos-Tallman.
Unfortunately, it's not the first offense for 57-year-old Jonathan Franklin, who was out on parole for first-degree murder.
"They just said I was very lucky it didn't go all the way through," Doug Jr. said.
A family that's already been through so much, is now counting their blessings.
"Just try to take her out in something like this happens, makes you think twice about a lot of things," Tallman Sr. said.
Franklin went to prison for grand theft in the early '80s. He was released only to commit murder and sentenced to another 26 years. He's now back behind bars.