Legal people: One employee steps in to stop crime
When Greg Groenjes, a manager in Manufacturing, Distribution & Engineering in Eagan, Minn., went out to see a movie with his wife one chilly evening in February, he anticipated that the only action scenes playing out would be on the screen. But by the night’s end, Greg was a real-life crime fighting hero.
After viewing a movie at a theatre in Inver Grove Heights, Minn., Greg and his wife came across a hammer-wielding man who was destroying car windshields in the theatre’s parking lot. Greg confronted the man and tried to get him to stop, and was shortly thereafter joined by two other movie theatre patrons.
Greg and the two other men surrounded the culprit until a police officer arrived at the scene. But instead of cooperating with the police officer, the assailant threw his hammer at him and began to charge.
The officer was able to tackle the man to the ground, but the assailant began grabbing at the officer’s equipment belt and face. The officer, now unable to subdue and handcuff the assailant on his own, called out for help. At his call Greg and the two other patrons rushed to the officer’s assistance.
“I knew the cop was in trouble so I just went for it and grabbed the assailant’s legs’” says Greg. “After the three of us had him pinned the officer was able to handcuff him and put him in the squad car.”
Greg and the other men who assisted were awarded a Certificate of Recognition from the city of Inver Grove Heights for their heroism and quick thinking. In the end, Greg admits that trying to stop the man wasn’t a hard decision.
“I didn’t even stop to think whether I should or shouldn’t help, it was instinctive,” says Greg. “Although this could have escalated to a much more dangerous situation, putting myself at risk, stopping the man and helping the officer was the right thing to do.”
