Owner Of Tulsa Lawn Care Business Chases, Shoots At Would-Be Thieves

The owner of a Tulsa lawn care service made use of his handgun permit to protect himself and his business Monday afternoon.

The owner was on a mower when he said two people tried to steal some of this other equipment in a neighborhood near 31st and Garnett. He said the two people also tried to run him over in the truck they were driving. It was at that point he said he made the decision to draw his weapon.

A bullet hole and a couple of flat tires was all the damage left behind after Steve Anderson says he was forced to pull the trigger.

Before Anderson fired two rounds, he said the day was like any other. He was mowing a yard for one of his Total Lawn Care customers when a familiar face stopped by with troubling news.

"Our mail man that lives in the neighborhood, that I know very well, stopped by and said guys had tried to steal equipment out of my trailer," Anderson said.

As Anderson talked with the mail carrier, he said the suspects drove by not one, but two more times.

That's when Anderson said he took matters into his own hands.

"We went to follow them to see where they were going and ended up trapping them a couple blocks down and got them in between two cars, and then they tried to ram the mail truck and me and tried to run over me outside of my truck," Anderson said.

At that point, Anderson said he had no choice but to pull his gun.

"I've got a concealed weapons permit and I fired two shots at the vehicle and hit and disabled it," Anderson said.

He said the two people sped away. They ended up at a shopping center a few blocks up the road, then ran off.

"Took a couple hours out of my work today, but at least they didn't steal my equipment and they got their truck," Anderson said.

Anderson said the would-be thieves tried to take his blowers and weed eaters, but got away with nothing, because he keeps it locked tight after someone stole about $500 worth of his lawn tools last week. For Anderson, it's not just about protecting his equipment, it's about protecting his livelihood.

Police said their suspects are a white man and woman. The woman is said to be younger, possibly pregnant, with dark hair. The man is described as bald, about 6 feet tall, weighing between 280 and 300 pounds.