MARRIED COPS IN RIGHT PLACE, ROBBER IN WRONG PLACE

Off-duty cops on date night foil armed robbery at chicken joint By Yaron Steinbuch

New York Post
February 19, 2020

A newlywed police couple took a bite out of crime at a Kentucky chicken joint during their date night — when they collared a masked gunman who chose the wrong spot to hold up, according to reports.

Elizabethtown cops Chase and Nicole McKeown, who tied the knot about six months ago, were enjoying a meal at Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers in Louisville about 10 p.m. Saturday when the man walked up to the counter.

“I think we kind of both saw him at the same time,” Nicole said at a news conference, WDRB reported.

She said she initially thought the man was sick, possibly with the flu, but her police instincts then kicked in and she alerted her detective hubby.

“I looked at him and said, ‘That’s kind of odd,’” Nicole said, adding that they quickly realized what was happening when the worker behind the counter raised their hands.

Chase handed his wife his cellphone and told her to call 911 — but she decided to also spring into action.

“No, I’m gonna help my husband!” she said.

Dramatic surveillance footage captured the crime fighters whipping out their handguns and pointing them at the man as they approached him.

He dropped his weapon and ran out of the eatery with the couple in hot pursuit. They captured him and held him at gunpoint a few blocks away until Louisville cops arrived.

The suspect, a convicted felon identified as 30-year-old Justin Carter, was charged with robbery, receiving stolen property and being a felon in possession of a handgun, WHAS reported. He has pleaded not guilty.

His handgun had been stolen from Jeffersontown police, according to the station.

Detective Dan Mason of the Louisville Metro Police Department’s Robbery Unit praised the married partners in blue for their bravery in foiling the robbery.

“It is my belief that if not for the heroic actions of these two officers, the perpetrator’s actions inside the business would have escalated. They acted honorable and heroically,” Mason said, CNN reported.

“We are police officers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on or off duty,” he added.

Chase said the couple have been focused on marriage at their church, which stresses the importance of having a date night once a week, according to WDRB.

They decided to stop at the Raising Cane’s outlet because it was the first place they ate after getting hitched.

A representative from the franchise was on hand Tuesday to thank the cops.

“We are extremely blessed that they chose to dine with us,” she said. “It’s because of good people like Chase and Nicole who give us good hope for tomorrow … we’ll never be able to thank them enough.”

Chase said he and his wife were a bit overwhelmed by all the attention.

“Maybe it’s the term ‘hero,'” he said. “We don’t feel that way. We just feel like our training kicked in.”

Nicole added that they’ll likely be enjoying Raising Cane’s again soon.

“Oh absolutely,” she said, laughing. “I love Raising Cane’s.”