Off-duty Airman honored for thwarting crime

  • Published
  • By Derek Kaufman
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
BEAVERCREEK, Ohio --  An off-duty Airman was honored by city officials here August 25 for heroic actions in thwarting a violent purse snatching. 

Staff Sgt. Noland Noble, Jr., a security forces officer with the 88th Security Forces Squadron at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, was off-duty shopping with family on July 15 when he noticed a woman being assaulted in the parking lot of the Beavercreek Sam's Club. 

The victim, from Clayton, Ohio, was about to unload groceries into her parked car at about 7 p.m. when a man grabbed her purse and violently threw her on the hood of a car, being driven by a female accomplice. 

Sergeant Noble's security forces training and a healthy dose of adrenaline kicked in. Without regard for his personal safety, he immediately ran across the parking lot and jumped into the driver's side window of the get-away vehicle in an attempt to shut off and disable the engine, said Beavercreek Police Chief John Turner. 

During a public meeting of the Beavercreek City Council, Turner showed surveillance video of the store's parking lot which captured the crime and Noble's quick-thinking actions on tape. Noble's effort led to the immediate capture of the female driver and eventual capture of the second male subject, who was also implicated in a number of other crimes in the local area, Turner said. 

Chief Turner presented a Citizen's Award certificate of appreciation, praising Noble for his "courageous actions." Beavercreek Vice Mayor Vicki Giambrone also offered the recognition of the city council and Jeff Lencke, Sam's Club Ohio regional manager presented Noble with a gift certificate for his efforts to come to the aid to a fellow citizen in distress. 

"If it wasn't for [Sergeant Noble's] actions, these people would have gotten away," Chief Turner said. "We didn't have any information on the male subject, until after the arrest of the female." Turner added he believed Noble was "critical in our success in making the apprehensions and bringing these people to justice." 

Noble credited the victim's own actions, kicking and screaming while she was sprawled on the hood of a moving car, for enabling him the time to respond to the situation to disable the vehicle and help apprehend its driver. He said his security forces "training just kicked in" allowing him to react while others around him were still ascertaining what was happening. 

Lt. Col. Paul Stang, 88th Security Forces Squadron commander, said Noble's heroic acts may well have saved the life or prevented serious injury to the victim who was in a vulnerable position on the car hood. 

"I hate to think what would have happened had these suspects been allowed to drive away," he said.