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03-08-2007, 04:41 PM
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/article/0,2845,MCA_25340_5402238,00.html
By Alex Doniach and Jody Callahan
Contact (http://contacts.commercialappeal.com/reporters/emailreporter.cfm)
March 8, 2007
It played out like a scene in an action movie.
Two brothers from East Memphis were driving to Back Yard Burgers to pick up dinner Tuesday night when they noticed a red Mustang stalled at Perkins and Park. Thinking it was just car trouble, William Webber, and his older brother, Paul Webber, ignored the car and the man standing beside it.
"And then I heard the pop, pop, pop of a gun," said Paul, 29. Added William, 23: "I said 'Dude, you got to turn this car around, that dude is shooting at people!' "
They saw the man, identified later by police as Dementrius Roberson, fire three shots from his 9 mm gun.
"He was shooting right across traffic," Paul said. "Those bullets could have ricocheted off cars and hurt a lot of people."
No one was injured although one bullet hit a woman driver's car door.
Paul and William, both licensed to carry weapons, made a hasty U-turn, jumped out of the Jeep and held their guns high so Roberson could see them.
"Get on the ground!" yelled the Webbers.
"What are you going to do?" Roberson yelled back.
"Get down on the ground or I'll blow your head off!" screamed William. He feared for his life at that moment.
Roberson gave the brothers a "wild and deranged" look, William said, then dropped to the ground.
William inched toward Roberson and picked up the gun. The Webbers held him at gunpoint until police arrived five minutes later.
Roberson, 56, said Wednesday evening that he'd been rear-ended by a black car carrying six men. Roberson said he called police, then when the men got out of their car, he reached down, got his gun and tucked it into his back pocket.
At some point, Roberson said most of the men dispersed, leaving just the driver and a "heavyset" man. Roberson said the large man then pulled a gun.
"I didn't know what his intentions were, so I came out with mine. I started shooting," said Roberson, who is licensed to carry a gun.
Roberson, who was charged with reckless endangerment, admits to some regrets about the affair.
"I probably could've handled it a little better," added Roberson, who said he'd put his gun away before the brothers arrived. "Just leave it ... alone."
Memphis police spokesman Sgt. Vince Higgins praised the brothers for their actions.
"These men should be commended for stopping another man in the middle of a crime," he said.
The Webbers, who live with their mom in a quiet East Memphis neighborhood, said they felt obliged to act.
"There are not enough men and women out there willing to step up and say, 'Don't do that,' " Paul said. "I don't want to sound like some Neighborhood Watch salesman but it's important to look out for the good of mankind."
Both Webbers are 6 feet tall and share the thick build of former football players. Born and raised in Missouri, they moved to Memphis with their mom and three siblings after their dad passed away in 1998.
Paul played football at the University of Nebraska and at the University of Missouri. He is a substitute teacher and coach at Harding Academy. William graduated from Harding Academy in 2002 and works at Lenny's Sub Shop in Arlington.
Both men enjoy target practice. They sought "carry and conceal" permits because "it's a constitutional right," William said. Added Paul: "I'm a major advocate of citizens carrying guns as long as they are responsible."
The permits require eight hours of training and written and shooting tests. According to the Tennessee Department of Safety, about 25,000 Shelby County residents owned a handgun permit in 2004. This was the highest number of permit holders in the state, followed by Davidson County with about 11,600 permit holders.
Paul, who got his license a few years before his brother, said he's pulled his .380 caliber Kel-Tec three times, once in the drive-through of a Krystal restaurant when a panhandler grabbed his arm. He did not fire his weapon any of those times.
Tuesday night was Willliam's first opportunity to pull his .40 caliber Kahr, which he generally keeps slung on his hip.
The Webbers said citizens need to take security into their own hands.
"Our dad always told us not to put ourselves in a situation where we can't protect ourselves," William said.
Added Paul: "He said always be prepared."
-- Alex Doniach: 529-5867
By Alex Doniach and Jody Callahan
Contact (http://contacts.commercialappeal.com/reporters/emailreporter.cfm)
March 8, 2007
It played out like a scene in an action movie.
Two brothers from East Memphis were driving to Back Yard Burgers to pick up dinner Tuesday night when they noticed a red Mustang stalled at Perkins and Park. Thinking it was just car trouble, William Webber, and his older brother, Paul Webber, ignored the car and the man standing beside it.
"And then I heard the pop, pop, pop of a gun," said Paul, 29. Added William, 23: "I said 'Dude, you got to turn this car around, that dude is shooting at people!' "
They saw the man, identified later by police as Dementrius Roberson, fire three shots from his 9 mm gun.
"He was shooting right across traffic," Paul said. "Those bullets could have ricocheted off cars and hurt a lot of people."
No one was injured although one bullet hit a woman driver's car door.
Paul and William, both licensed to carry weapons, made a hasty U-turn, jumped out of the Jeep and held their guns high so Roberson could see them.
"Get on the ground!" yelled the Webbers.
"What are you going to do?" Roberson yelled back.
"Get down on the ground or I'll blow your head off!" screamed William. He feared for his life at that moment.
Roberson gave the brothers a "wild and deranged" look, William said, then dropped to the ground.
William inched toward Roberson and picked up the gun. The Webbers held him at gunpoint until police arrived five minutes later.
Roberson, 56, said Wednesday evening that he'd been rear-ended by a black car carrying six men. Roberson said he called police, then when the men got out of their car, he reached down, got his gun and tucked it into his back pocket.
At some point, Roberson said most of the men dispersed, leaving just the driver and a "heavyset" man. Roberson said the large man then pulled a gun.
"I didn't know what his intentions were, so I came out with mine. I started shooting," said Roberson, who is licensed to carry a gun.
Roberson, who was charged with reckless endangerment, admits to some regrets about the affair.
"I probably could've handled it a little better," added Roberson, who said he'd put his gun away before the brothers arrived. "Just leave it ... alone."
Memphis police spokesman Sgt. Vince Higgins praised the brothers for their actions.
"These men should be commended for stopping another man in the middle of a crime," he said.
The Webbers, who live with their mom in a quiet East Memphis neighborhood, said they felt obliged to act.
"There are not enough men and women out there willing to step up and say, 'Don't do that,' " Paul said. "I don't want to sound like some Neighborhood Watch salesman but it's important to look out for the good of mankind."
Both Webbers are 6 feet tall and share the thick build of former football players. Born and raised in Missouri, they moved to Memphis with their mom and three siblings after their dad passed away in 1998.
Paul played football at the University of Nebraska and at the University of Missouri. He is a substitute teacher and coach at Harding Academy. William graduated from Harding Academy in 2002 and works at Lenny's Sub Shop in Arlington.
Both men enjoy target practice. They sought "carry and conceal" permits because "it's a constitutional right," William said. Added Paul: "I'm a major advocate of citizens carrying guns as long as they are responsible."
The permits require eight hours of training and written and shooting tests. According to the Tennessee Department of Safety, about 25,000 Shelby County residents owned a handgun permit in 2004. This was the highest number of permit holders in the state, followed by Davidson County with about 11,600 permit holders.
Paul, who got his license a few years before his brother, said he's pulled his .380 caliber Kel-Tec three times, once in the drive-through of a Krystal restaurant when a panhandler grabbed his arm. He did not fire his weapon any of those times.
Tuesday night was Willliam's first opportunity to pull his .40 caliber Kahr, which he generally keeps slung on his hip.
The Webbers said citizens need to take security into their own hands.
"Our dad always told us not to put ourselves in a situation where we can't protect ourselves," William said.
Added Paul: "He said always be prepared."
-- Alex Doniach: 529-5867