Holt Pizza Hut attacked with a syringe

Classified said :

Stevian said :

TheDancingDjinn said :

I want to know why it doesn’t spring to the minds of people doing robberies, that food establishments have knives, and things that can be used as weapons? – and why didn’t someone at pizza hut have the great idea of using pizza pans as frisby weapons? A few of them chucked in your face has to hurt a bit at least.

The possibility of an assault charge might deter such defensive tactics

Exactly. Someone comes in and holds you up, but unless they actually attack you it’s pretty hard to get away with assaulting them (at least, that’s how the law sees it).

So if one of the ungodly conducts an armed rob on you, with weapon presented and threats uttered, then that villain can sue you for any injuries incurred if you attempt to defend your life and property? You actually have to wait until he attempts to use the weapon, with all the advantages that gives him, before you can respond in kind?

IANAL, so that sounds crazy to me. Are there any lawyers out there who’d care to comment?

Stevian said :

TheDancingDjinn said :

I want to know why it doesn’t spring to the minds of people doing robberies, that food establishments have knives, and things that can be used as weapons? – and why didn’t someone at pizza hut have the great idea of using pizza pans as frisby weapons? A few of them chucked in your face has to hurt a bit at least.

The possibility of an assault charge might deter such defensive tactics

Exactly. Someone comes in and holds you up, but unless they actually attack you it’s pretty hard to get away with assaulting them (at least, that’s how the law sees it).

TheDancingDjinn said :

I want to know why it doesn’t spring to the minds of people doing robberies, that food establishments have knives, and things that can be used as weapons? – and why didn’t someone at pizza hut have the great idea of using pizza pans as frisby weapons? A few of them chucked in your face has to hurt a bit at least.

The possibility of an assault charge might deter such defensive tactics

I want to know why it doesn’t spring to the minds of people doing robberies, that food establishments have knives, and things that can be used as weapons? – and why didn’t someone at pizza hut have the great idea of using pizza pans as frisby weapons? A few of them chucked in your face has to hurt a bit at least.

Sorry, Pizza Hut employee, I think you should just have handed over the money. No loss to a take-away food business is worth the risk of being stabbed with a syringe and potentially contracting hepatitis or another disease.

Good on staff, they deserve some sort of award from Pizza Hut!

Mysteryman said :

I know that staff are usually instructed not to refuse demands during a hold-up, but I’m really enjoying reading about so many that do. Good to see that there are still people with some backbone, willing to stand up to scum like this.

I imagine I’d probably wuss out if I was in such a situation. But, reading the matter-of-fact press release it kinda seems it went like this…

Syringe bandit: Give me all your money or I’ll stab you to a slow and painful death with my killer syringe!!!

Pizza Hutter: No. I’d prefer not.

Syringe bandit: Oh. Okay then. Didn’t think you would, but it was worth a shot. Can you break a tenner, I need to call my getaway driver on the public phone; I’ve run out of credit see.

Doesn’t that mean that Pizza Hut Holt -wasn’t- rolled?

I know that staff are usually instructed not to refuse demands during a hold-up, but I’m really enjoying reading about so many that do. Good to see that there are still people with some backbone, willing to stand up to scum like this.