Army Veteran Delivers Instant Justice To Purse Thief In Walmart

When a thief made his move on an unsuspecting New Hampshire woman, who was finishing up some shopping at a local Walmart, the last thing he expected was to be given a dose of instant justice from an Army veteran. But, that’s exactly what happened.

Army veteran Rick White was shopping at his local Walmart in Manchester when he heard a woman scream. That woman was 51-year-old Rhonda Healey, who had been looking at greeting cards when a thief made off with her wallet.

The thief thought he had an easy target when he saw Healey’s wallet in her open purse at the front of her shopping cart. But Rick White, an Army Drill Sergeant just back from a 9-month deployment in Afghanistan, had other plans.

“Stop him, he has my wallet,” a worried Healey shouted. Hearing her screams, the 43-year-old veteran instantly sprang into action, chasing after the thief, who was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt.

Before the purse snatcher could reach the exit, White grabbed him and slammed him to the ground.

White then pinned the thief down with an arm-bar, holding him until the authorities arrived. Bystanders quickly took photos of the remarkable scene.

The thief, later identified by police as 24-year-old Alan White (no relation to Rick White), was arrested and charged with theft. Alan White, who police say is homeless, didn’t stand a chance against the veteran’s quick actions.

Rick White described the encounter: “I grabbed him and tossed him to the ground,” he said to WCVB5. “He tried to hit and grab me. I sat on him until the police came. I brought his arm up and said, ‘give me your other hand or I’ll break this one.’ And he gave me his other hand, and that was it.”

White further explained, “I put him in a wrist lock and an arm-bar, and that took the fight right out of him.”

Rick White, who works for the Manchester Department of Public Works and part-time as a bouncer, was pleased he could return the wallet to its owner.

“With all the opportunities for help, there is no need to steal,” White remarked about the thief. “To me, it wasn’t a big thing. I am just glad I could help out,” he added modestly.

Healey was extremely thankful that Rick White was in the right place at the right time to thwart the thief. “With everything going on, it’s nice to know there’s really good people out there,” she said.

Indeed, this veteran is the kind of person you’d want around in times of trouble. He’s not afraid to step in and fix a bad situation. Well done, sir.