KRMG Local News

"Burglar Beatdown" Given by Tulsa Homeowner

Steve Berg

February 22, 2011 10:48 AM

Tulsa, OK) - Technically he'll go down in the police report as a "victim", but a Tulsa man quickly and vigorously turned the tables on an alleged burglar who police say broke into the man's home in the 200 block of South 69th East Avenue Monday night.

Tulsa Police Officer Jason Willingham said the victim was making a sandwich in the kitchen of the home when 45-year-old Todd Tracy Hicks (shown) tapped him on the shoulder and told him to get on the ground.

"The suspect entered into the home where a mid-20's individual was making a sandwich, and the suspect implied that he had a weapon," Willingham said.

Instead, the victim started punching Hicks repeatedly in the face and then held him until police arrived.

"He yelled into the other room, and his father brought in a gun and held the suspect at bay at gunpoint until officers arrived."

Hicks was booked into the Tulsa County Jail on two complaints of burglary.

"Obviously this was an unusual set of circumstances where we're certainly happy that nobody was injured in this exchange of events that occurred."

Willingham said Hicks had broken into another nearby residence before making his ill-fated decision to tap on the shoulder of the man making the sandwich.

Willingham said it appeared that Hicks was "quite intoxicated".

He added that while this incident ended in the homeowner's favor, police don't recommend taking the same aggressive approach.

"You know we don't encourage people to normally take action when confronted with a situation like this, but having said that, everything in this particular incident went accordingly, and everyone's going home safe, and that's what's important," he said.

Willingham said Hicks apparently had a knife from the earlier alleged break-in but dropped it before allegedly breaking into the second home.

MUST SEE PHOTO

LINK TO PHOTO AND INTERVIEW WITH POLICE:

http://krmg.com/localnews/2011/02/burglar-beatdown-given-by-tuls.html