BY KEITH LACEY
In the good old days, when someone roughed up a woman in Romeo Beaulieu?s neighbourhood, ?the Flour Mill boys would take care of him.?
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Romeo Beaulieu, who will soon turn 70, caught a thief attempting to take a woman?s purse last week. |
Old habits die hard. Last week, when Beaulieu heard a woman scream in a housing complex on St. Anne?s Road, the former Flour Mill boy jumped
into action.
Two young thugs were roughing up the woman in an attempt to steal her purse.
Beaulieu, who will turn 70 in a few weeks, chased one of the punks and held him until police arrived a few minutes later.
?The woman?s husband was chasing the guy, but he was in his bare feet and the first thing that came to my mind was ?I?m going to get him?.? said
Beaulieu. ?The young guy got trapped between two buildings and I knew he only had one way to go.
?I turned right and his shoe had fallen off and as he was trying to put it back on, I nabbed him. I grabbed him by the chest, raised him in the air and
dropped him on his back.?
Worried the youth might have a weapon in his possession, Beaulieu said he applied a submission hold with his hands and placed a firm elbow under his chin.
?Every time he tried to struggle away, I pressed down with my elbow. He had a hard time moving,? he said. ?The more he tried to get away, the more pressure I applied.
?I cried out for someone to call the cops and a woman told me she had called...the police arrived a few minutes later.?
Beaulieu is proud of the fact he?s kept in good shape.
?The young guy was really afraid of me and I find that a little bit funny because I?m almost 70 and he?s just a kid,? he said.
?I?ve always stayed in good shape and played sports all of my life. I guess that helped me out a bit here.?
Beaulieu didn?t want to talk to the media but a police officer convinced him to modestly come forward.
?I didn?t do what I did to be any kind of hero or anything,? he said. ?I only did my duty as a citizen...if someone tried to rough up my wife, I would
hope someone would step forward and help her.?
Beaulieu celebrated his 49th wedding anniversary with wife Lucille Friday.
The incident took place in the middle of the afternoon while Beaulieu was visiting family members.
He noticed two young men sitting on a guard rail and his ?gut instinct? told him they were looking for trouble. ?I kept a close eye on them for more than half an hour,? he said.
One youth has been charged with one count each of robbery, breach of recognizance and breach of probation.
Police say they have some solid tips on the second man involved and hope to make an arrest soon.
Beaulieu will receive a public commendation for his actions.
?While public safety is always the number one consideration, you have to balance this with the comforting fact that someone Mr. Beaulieu?s age took such offence at a woman being robbed and roughed up that he decided to do the right thing,? said Sgt. Wayne Foster. ?What he did was very brave and he?s to be commended.?
Beaulieu?s wife she couldn?t be prouder of her husband.
?I?m very proud of him, but I don?t want him doing any more of this kind of stuff,? she said smiling. ?He?s not as young as he used to be.?
