Marine recounts role in capture of Wal-Mart suspect

[thedrifter]

Marine recounts role in capture of Wal-Mart suspect
Tucker man in the right place at the right time for Friday heroics
HOLLI DEAL BRAGG/staff
Cpl. Kevin Doncaster
By HOLLI DEAL BRAGG
hbragg@statesboroherald.net

Cpl. Kevin Doncaster, a 29-year-old Marine reservist from Tucker, Ga., was in the right place at the right time Friday night when he stopped a man who attacked a woman in a Wal-Mart bathroom, holding him at gunpoint until police arrived.

What was Doncaster doing in Statesboro's Wal-Mart? What was he doing with a gun? And why did he chase Stephen Mark Hall into the parking lot after Hall sprayed him and a store manager with pepper spray?

On his way to Savannah for a weekend getaway to escape work-related stress, Doncaster decided to stop at the department store for groceries.

A situation arose requiring management assistance, and Doncaster was speaking to a female manager around 6:22 p.m. when Hall sped past, spraying them both with pepper spray.

"I figured he was stealing something," Doncaster said. He dropped his purchases and sped after Hall.

Unaware of what had happened, Doncaster chased Hall into the parking lot and was sprayed again.

Having gone through extensive military training, the spray did not affect him like it would others."I've been gassed in the Marine Corps," he said. "It's part of the training, and I recognized it for what it was."

He did not know Hall, carrying three pairs of handcuffs, a collapsible baton, a knife, a Taser, and brass knuckles, had just accosted a 41-year-old grandmother in the Wal-Mart bathroom at the rear of the store.

Hall stunned the woman with the Taser and used a knife to force her into a stall. The woman fought, according to Statesboro Police Det. Rob Bryan, keeping the attacker away from her two-year-old granddaughter.

Customers and store employees, hearing the victim's screams, rescued her and the child, but Hall used pepper spray and threatened them with the Taser, and escaped.

He sprayed everyone he met as he ran, according to Statesboro Police Capt. L.C. Williams, and that's when Doncaster became involved. Catching up to Hall, Doncaster reacted as he "tried to Tase me and spray me again." He pulled a Glock .357 Sig handgun from his waistband and ordered Hall to drop the weapons and get face-down.

"I immediately pulled my weapon and told him if he sprayed me again, he'd be injured."

"I have a license to carry a concealed weapon," he said. And the reason he had the gun with him was "I always take it with me instead of leaving it in the car where it can get stolen."

Hall refused Doncaster's orders, and stood there with his spray and the Taser, "catching his breath," he said.

Hall argued back and forth with Doncaster, who kept the Glock trained on the offender. Hall taunted him, daring the Marine corporal to shoot him.

"He really wasn't expecting anyone to have a weapon except for himself," Doncaster said. "From that point on it was pretty much a standoff." Doncaster kept Hall at gunpoint for about 10 minutes, until Statesboro Police Det. Robert Bryan and Advanced Patrol Officer Ken Scott arrived and took over.

"The detective patted me on the shoulder to let me know he was behind me and said 'you're good, brother.'"

Then, Doncaster "disarmed my weapon and put it on the hood of a car. I got out my ID and concealed weapons permit and just waited," he said.

Then, Bryan asked "Who are you?" he said. "He shook my hand and thanked me."

So did an unknown bystander, Doncaster said. "I was upset, you know, after the adrenaline took over during the (incident) and then I realized I almost had to shoot this guy. "He (the unidentified bystander) came out of nowhere and calmed me down, asked if there was anything he could do for me."

The realization that he might have had to shoot Hall was unnerving, he said. Having been to Iraq, Thailand, Korea, and Okinawa, Doncaster has faced some hairy situations, but coming face to face with an armed civilian still rattled the Marine - after the fact.

"I personally thought he was on some kind of drugs," he said of Hall. "I've never seen anybody not follow my commands ... He kept coming at me and wouldn't listen."

When Doncaster saw the arsenal of weapons Hall had on his person, he was shocked, he said.

Sunday, Doncaster had enjoyed his weekend in Savannah and was on his way back to Tucker when he stopped in Statesboro for a bite to eat.

Currently on inactive reserve status with the Marines, he works in Ellenwood, Ga. as an operations engineer with PanAmSat. He is married with no children. "I'm sort of scared to raise children in this world right now," he said. Doncaster said police told him the victim, who remains unidentified, wants to thank him in person whens he recovers. Bryan said she was not seriously injured physically, but is "very shaken up."

"I hope she does pursue meeting me," Doncaster said. "I'd like to help in any way I can, and help her get closure. I'll be glad to come back (to Statesboro) and meet her."

Hall was charged with several offenses, including aggravated assault and "multiple cases of battery," and more charges are to follow today, Bryan said.

Hall was charged in August, 2004, with two counts of theft by taking motor vehicle at Ogeechee Technical College.

According to information from the North Carolina Department of Corrections, he was charged in a Sept. 1999 incident with "attack with a deadly weapon, inflicting serious injury." He was convicted in April 2000, then released Dec. 2001.

Ellie

[hrscowboy]

Its a dang shame this Marine didnt blow this scum bags arse off, Just another scum bag off the street...

[GySgtRet]

hrscowboy,

You obviously never got the word on sensitivity training when you were in the Corps, did you...???? LOL I agree, but then if the Corpral would have blown him away he would have been suied. It is a shame that he doesn't want to bring children into the world because of how many bad things are going on in it.

Semper Fidelis

[yellowwing]

He pulled a Glock .357 Sig handgun from his waistband and ordered Hall to drop the weapons and get face-down.

Got to admire his taste in weapons! Go big or go home.