Mayhem': Big Shell farmer recalls group in stolen vehicles raiding his yard for gasoline

[bat119]

'I'm completely vulnerable. I cannot defend myself'

Dan Zakreski · CBC News · Posted: Oct 15, 2019 4:00 AM CT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

Carson Battersby at his farm that was invaded by a convoy of stolen trucks and cars . (CBC)
Carson Battersby says he remembers hearing the racket of revving engines coming from the tree-lined roadway into his farmyard.

It was just before 7 o'clock on a Thursday morning last month.

First thought?

"My son's coming to work early today."

Battersby runs an excavating company from the farm with his son, Evan.

This first thought vanished when a Jeep Cherokee drove right past him and parked at his gas tanks. A Chevy pickup with a gooseneck trailer followed in tight behind it.

Then, another racket and there's a Volkswagen Jetta "burning into the yard" pulling up the rear.

Second thought?

"Did Evan give somebody permission to get gas, or are they lost?"

So I'm looking around. I grab a piece of pipe. 'No,' I think, 'No, I don't want to go to jail today.'
- Carson Battersby
Battersby says the second thought vanished when he yelled at the driver from the Jeep Cherokee and then made clear eye contact. He doesn't believe that, until he yelled, he had even been noticed standing there.

"A that point, I knew that this is not good," he said.

"So I turned and I run into the shop and I'm thinking, 'What do I do?' Because my mom lives over there, she's 85 years old, she's in the house over there. My wife's up in the house, she doesn't know nothing what's going on. I'm thinking, 'What do I do?' You know, he sees me now, are they gonna come and get me? So I'm looking around, I grab a piece of pipe. 'No,' I think, 'No, I don't want to go to jail today.' "

'If someone is coming after you, what do you do?'

"I haven't had a good night's sleep for two weeks, three weeks," he said. "The furnace kicks in. You're jumping up, running and looking out the window, opening the door. Listening."
Battersby knows that time will eventually bring back a sense of normalcy, but the fundamental questions raised by the farmyard invasion will linger.

"I will be going to jail if I defend myself. I know that, so I'm screwed," he said.

"If someone is coming after you, what do you do? If there's one guy, OK, you got a chance. But when you're an old guy like me and you got five, six — there was nine people in my yard at one point –it's scary. We're on our own."

RCMP say the events at Battersby's farm were part of a larger series of incidents in the area at the same time.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saska...line-1.5318973

Rural folks are in a pickle, defend yourself and family you risk financial ruin or jail.

[buckbrush]

Sad. The crooks know you're hands are tied unless you risk BIG legal trouble.

[JDK71]

Originally Posted by buckbrush

Sad. The crooks know you're hands are tied unless you risk BIG legal trouble.

you nailed it they have not a thing to lose

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by buckbrush

Sad. The crooks know you're hands are tied unless you risk BIG legal trouble.

This is wrong on so many levels!

During the election, I don't recall anyone discussing people protecting their own property.

Thieves and crooks have more rights than those of us who pay the taxes that pay the judges wages!

BW

[liar]

It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself. Charles Darwin

stole this quote from another member . this is where we are . the " British common law" that our legal system was adapted from no longer works . if we are going survive as a society , dramatic changes have to take place . we need elected officials that have the foresight to make tough and unpopular decisions . the phrase " constitutional right " is used often on the news , but it is always when they are talking about the criminals , never the victims . at some point in time criminals will need to be stripped of the rights that are enjoyed by a law abiding society , otherwise our society will " average down " to the lowest common denominator , the criminals .
just my 2 cents worth .

[Zip]

Originally Posted by liar

It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself. Charles Darwin

stole this quote from another member . this is where we are . the " British common law" that our legal system was adapted from no longer works . if we are going survive as a society , dramatic changes have to take place . we need elected officials that have the foresight to make tough and unpopular decisions . the phrase " constitutional right " is used often on the news , but it is always when they are talking about the criminals , never the victims . at some point in time criminals will need to be stripped of the rights that are enjoyed by a law abiding society , otherwise our society will " average down " to the lowest common denominator , the criminals .
just my 2 cents worth .

Well this is no Liar talking...pun intended...I agree with all you have said, it's time we made ourselves great again...at one time pulling into a rural property in the dark was because you were lost or needed help in another form...it was never to do harm or steal...look how far we have come in 40 years, nw the world is not safe no matter where you go, soon we all will be broke from all the stealing enough to be criminals and then we all will get to play victim...sad really that a guy has to think like that..
Zip

[Albertadiver]

If you read the remainder of the article it's pretty clear why it's an issue. Repeat offenders who know they're immune to any real consequences.

Brutal.

In the early 80's we had issues with people stealing fuel off of our farm. Early one morning my father caught two punks and beat the snot out of them. My grandfather held them at gunpoint with the shotgun.

RCMP came after we called and carted them off to jail. They were charged with assault, theft, and possession of stolen vehicle. Can't remember if they served time or not but the cops thanked my father for the farm justice as they drove off. Funny thing is that the thefts in the area dropped right off too.

Nowadays it would be my father in jail and my grandfather too most likely.

[Big Grey Wolf]

You are able to defend yourself/ family and property even in Canada. It is preferred that you use your shotgun and not your handgun. Proper warning must be given including warning shots. However you can only use sufficient force to defend yourself and family. Review the Stanley case, the judge said Stanley followed the law in his summation.

[Hilgy]

Hmm, I live way out in the middle of nowhere and own a bunch of excavators and a bunch of scumbags show up to steal my stuff/threaten my family.

I wonder what I'd do???????

Would be an easy choice for me. No need to call the RCMP. Excavators dig deeeeep holes.

[Scott N]

I've wondered lately how many land owners have the holes already dug for the "just in case" scenarios like this one.

[stuckincity]

Originally Posted by liar

.....the phrase " constitutional right " is used often on the news , but it is always when they are talking about the criminals , never the victims.....

Not only that, but I'm sick to death of hearing or reading "not criminally responsible".

If the perp did it, he (or she) bloody well is. The do-gooders and bleeding-hearts can go...uh...pound sand. (and maybe lock up a few of those for aiding and abetting a criminal).

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

It is preferred that you use your shotgun and not your handgun. Proper warning must be given including warning shots.

Just load the 'warning shot' second or even third!

[foothills26]

Last time our place was broken into the RCMP jokingly said the dogs can only find things above 7’ so if we dig a hole deeper than that we are good. He was joking I think but it got awkward when I said not a problem and pointed at the 3 300 sized excavators. So just remember 7’ is the magic number.

[jstubbs]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

However you can only use sufficient force to defend yourself and family. Review the Stanley case, the judge said Stanley followed the law in his summation.

Yes, after he was dragged through the courts and made out to be a public enemy by national news. I guarantee you Mr. Stanley wishes he never confronted Mr. Boushie and co. to protect his farm if it meant things could go back to normal prior to that fateful day.

The farmer in this story was right, if their was a confrontation and he had a weapon, even if he was fully in the right, he could still be charged and forced to go through a trial where despite the notion of "innocent until proven guilty", he would still have to pay a legal defense to go against a crown prosecutor in court to prove his innocence.

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

You are able to defend yourself/ family and property even in Canada. It is preferred that you use your shotgun and not your handgun. Proper warning must be given including warning shots. However you can only use sufficient force to defend yourself and family. Review the Stanley case, the judge said Stanley followed the law in his summation.

Can you fire the warning shots, after you put buckshot in there ass?

BW

[Sooner]

That's when you jump in the biggest piece of equipment you got and start driving toward them. More and more of this is happening that don't get reported from the farmers I talk to because it is smaller incidents and then there is the "oh I must be at the wrong place" speech but their just scoping out farms.

A real shame the punks have the power in today's world.

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by Albertadiver

If you read the remainder of the article it's pretty clear why it's an issue. Repeat offenders who know they're immune to any real consequences.

Brutal.

In the early 80's we had issues with people stealing fuel off of our farm. Early one morning my father caught two punks and beat the snot out of them. My grandfather held them at gunpoint with the shotgun.

RCMP came after we called and carted them off to jail. They were charged with assault, theft, and possession of stolen vehicle. Can't remember if they served time or not but the cops thanked my father for the farm justice as they drove off. Funny thing is that the thefts in the area dropped right off too.

Nowadays it would be my father in jail and my grandfather too most likely.

Bingo, a nice hug, a scolding and send them right back out. I guess the government teat is not enough, have to steal as well.

[bat119]

In the 70's two guys robbed the bank in Lemberg Sk. two trucks full of good old boys chased them out of town until the car lost control and rolled. The boys held them at gun point until the RC's got there, as the crooks were being cuffed the cop quipped "welcome to Lemberg boys"

Now a day's the boy's would get charged and sued

[Immigrant]

To all the rural folk out there....prepare yourselves. Have a walk around the yard, think of possible scenarios of what could happen and how you are going to react. If you’re in the barn, if you’re in the house, if you’re in the pasture and something is going to go down.....have a plan. What are you going to do.....what are you going to say. Have a plan, be prepared. Stick to the plan. Mr. Battersby did not have a plan.
This is only going to get worse. We are on our own....

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by Sooner

That's when you jump in the biggest piece of equipment you got and start driving toward them. More and more of this is happening that don't get reported from the farmers I talk to because it is smaller incidents and then there is the "oh I must be at the wrong place" speech but their just scoping out farms.

A real shame the punks have the power in today's world.

I agree with quietly running the big equipment.

I disagree with the power line though, they have no power, it is more that there are no teeth chasing them and they know it.

Canadian law (currently) protects life. It does not care for assets. That is often mistakenly construed as power. I only clued into this a very short time ago, thought the same before the revelation. It is something that MUST be changed. NOW.

[260 Rem]

Having a plan ready that can “mark” the bad guy and/or his vehicle might be an option. Something that breaks easily and splashes works well on vehicles ...like a thin walled jar filled with a bright colored oil based paint for “hard” targets or inside a balloon type bladder for “soft” targets. I would think something like potassium permanginate (even in dry form) that stains skin might be worth a look.
I remember hearing a story about a young principal who laid in wait for some rambunctious teens that had established a tradition of drive-by “egging” of teachers houses every Halloween... and hit their vehicle with a jar of white paint. Apparently the tradition ended midway during the first volley of eggs ... and was never resurrected.

[jungleboy]

Keep a dummy set of fuel tanks in the open with 50 or 60 gal of spiked fuel . Keep the area around the fuel tanks booby trapped with spike belts. or both.

[Ebrand]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

Keep a dummy set of fuel tanks in the open with 50 or 60 gal of spiked fuel . Keep the area around the fuel tanks booby trapped with spike belts. or both.

Tank filled with water. Creep’s will be walking soon.

[Kurt505]

The only solution is to kill them all.

[EZM]

9 guys fueling up in this guys yard?

Sounds like a good case to bring back high capacity magazines to me.

It infuriates me to hear stories like these. Bold crooks who know the slap on the wrist is their worst scenario.

[Au revoir, Gopher]

Originally Posted by 260 Rem

Having a plan ready that can “mark” the bad guy and/or his vehicle might be an option. Something that breaks easily and splashes works well on vehicles ...like a thin walled jar filled with a bright colored oil based paint for “hard” targets or inside a balloon type bladder for “soft” targets. I would think something like potassium permanginate (even in dry form) that stains skin might be worth a look.
I remember hearing a story about a young principal who laid in wait for some rambunctious teens that had established a tradition of drive-by “egging” of teachers houses every Halloween... and hit their vehicle with a jar of white paint. Apparently the tradition ended midway during the first volley of eggs ... and was never resurrected.

KMnO4 followed with a stiff dose of H2O2 could be interesting....

ARG

[dgrimard]

In the words of a wise man

Sh!@#, Sh(*&%, Shut up.

[bossmansteve]

Yet how many of the same people who complain about rampant crime criticize the U.S. for having too many guns and being able to defend themselves too readily? You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Between the poor economy, deficient justice system, and the huge demographic change underway, it will only get worse in my estimation.

At the moment, best ways to protect against theft are:
- Own less attractive stuff, like older buildings and vehicles
- Have trees that hide your property from the road
- Keep a closed gate on your driveways
- Keep everything locked up
- Have people around as much as possible

Common sense says that we should be able to defend ourselves (and our property) against thieves, but unfortunately that is not the case and probably never will be since left wing politics are very much antipathic towards the wealthy landowners and sympathetic towards the "poor" criminals, and Canada is a left-wing ****hole.

[elkhunter11]

A friend had issues with fuel being stolen, so he emptied his tanks, and swapped the gasoline into the tank marked diesel, and vice versa. This was after the thieves shot his dogs, right in his yard. After the first vehicle was found abandoned on his property, he called the RCMP who came out, ran the plate number, and went to visit the registered owner. At that point the owner claimed that the vehicle was stolen, but at least the fuel thefts stopped.

[JDK71]

shoot a mans dog and you might as well put a target on your back

[liar]

Originally Posted by Ebrand

Tank filled with water. Creep’s will be walking soon.

i know someone who did this . the can came back a week or so later with a note " if you do this again we will kill you "