Woman who fought off purse-snatcher deserves a pat on the back

By Staff
Private citizens fighting back against criminals isn't something we usually advocate here at The Franklin County Times, but Russellville's Patti McDuffa deserves a pat on the back.
Last Thursday, Ms. McDuffa went to Wal-Mart to look for groceries where she expected to be able to do so without incident.
She was wrong.
While shopping, a would-be thief tried to steal her purse – note our use of the word tried.
As the thief grabbed hold of the purse, Ms. McDuffa grabbed a hold of the thief.
The two wrestled over the handbag before Ms. McDuffa was finally able to take back what was rightfully hers and her assailant fled.
Russellville Police arrested the assailant, Judy Carol Pounders, of Russellville, outside the store and charged her with second-degree theft of property, second-degree attempted theft of property, third degree robbery and third degree assault.
Ms. McDuffa could have suffered serious injury at the expense of her handbag but was thankfully left unharmed and got to keep her purse and the belongings inside.
While she played a large part in catching an alleged purse snatcher, we would hate to think what might have happen should the situation escalated.
The Franklin County Times extends its heartiest appreciation to Ms. McDuffa for being a vigilant and proactive citizen, but we urge others to approach similar situations with caution.