Over the Christmas holiday, my father gave me a small envelope that contained three Remington-UMG .32 S&W caliber rounds. They are the tangible evidence of what could have been a life-changing event that happened over 54 years ago.
In the spring of 1956 my father was a young Indiana State trooper working out of the Redkey post. While working one evening, he heard over the radio of an attempted robbery in the Muncie area. Two men had tried to rob a store. As they sped away, the store owner shot the back of their car with buckshot.
Two hours after the robbery report, while he was spot patrolling on US 35, just south of US 36 (southwest portion of RandolphCounty) he noticed an Ohio car go by his location several times. Thinking they might be lost since they were out of state, he decided to stop the vehicle and offer directions. (The car was not the model or color listed in the robbery broadcast and the police lookout had been cancelled.)
As he walked toward their car and got even with the back of the car he saw the buckshot pattern on the trunk. Just as he realized that this is the get-away car, the driver jumps out and fires his H&R top break revolver at about three feet distance. He pulls the trigger multiple times. My father said he can remember the sound of the hammer falling.
Miraculously, none of the rounds went off. My father tackled the man and tore the gun from his hand. (The perp later complained to the judge that he thought Dad had been a bit rough on him…) The second man surrendered peacefully.
As Dad was taking the first man in, the robber said “If I had had my buddy’s .38, you’d be dead!” A search of the car found a Smith and Wesson .38 revolver under the passenger seat. Testing later confirmed that it functioned flawlessly.
I was born the following year. Had the .32 revolver worked or if the robber had used his friend’s .38 handgun, I very possibly would not be here!
Here’s a picture of my father next to one of his early patrol cars.
Here are three of the rounds taken from the H&R revolver. They appear to have been struck twice.
In the spring of 1956 my father was a young Indiana State trooper working out of the Redkey post. While working one evening, he heard over the radio of an attempted robbery in the Muncie area. Two men had tried to rob a store. As they sped away, the store owner shot the back of their car with buckshot.
Two hours after the robbery report, while he was spot patrolling on US 35, just south of US 36 (southwest portion of RandolphCounty) he noticed an Ohio car go by his location several times. Thinking they might be lost since they were out of state, he decided to stop the vehicle and offer directions. (The car was not the model or color listed in the robbery broadcast and the police lookout had been cancelled.)
As he walked toward their car and got even with the back of the car he saw the buckshot pattern on the trunk. Just as he realized that this is the get-away car, the driver jumps out and fires his H&R top break revolver at about three feet distance. He pulls the trigger multiple times. My father said he can remember the sound of the hammer falling.
Miraculously, none of the rounds went off. My father tackled the man and tore the gun from his hand. (The perp later complained to the judge that he thought Dad had been a bit rough on him…) The second man surrendered peacefully.
As Dad was taking the first man in, the robber said “If I had had my buddy’s .38, you’d be dead!” A search of the car found a Smith and Wesson .38 revolver under the passenger seat. Testing later confirmed that it functioned flawlessly.
I was born the following year. Had the .32 revolver worked or if the robber had used his friend’s .38 handgun, I very possibly would not be here!
Here’s a picture of my father next to one of his early patrol cars.
Here are three of the rounds taken from the H&R revolver. They appear to have been struck twice.
Last edited:
Cool story!
