Statesboro, Georgia

From the Statesboro Herald of October 16, 2005

Woman attacked in Wal-Mart

Numerous weapons found on suspect in bathroom assault

A bizarre attack in a department store bathroom Friday night ended with an offender being held at gunpoint until police arrived.

A man carrying several weapons, including a stun gun and pepper spray, assaulted a woman in the bathroom at Wal-Mart around 6:22 p.m. Friday, knocking her two-year-old granddaughter from her arms and forcing her into a stall.

The attack occurred in a restroom at the rear of the store, said Statesboro Police Capt. L.C. Williams.

The man, later identified as Stephen Mark Hall, 25, Garfield, used the stun gun when he attacked the victim, then threatened her with a knife as he tried to force her into the stall, he said.

“The victim was knocked to the floor but kept her grandchild away from Hall,” Williams said. “She began to scream, and Wal-Mart employees and shoppers entered the bathroom and got the female and child out.”

Hall, who Williams said was carrying the stun gun, knife, “pepper spray, an expandable baton, brass knuckles and three sets of handcuffs,” fled from the bathroom but was surrounded by store employees and shoppers.

“He began to spray them with pepper spray and threaten them with his stun gun,” he said. “While he fled the store he was spraying pepper spray at anyone he came into contact with.”

Hall made it to the parking lot, but an unidentified man drew a gun and stopped him, Williams said.

“Det. Robert Bryan arrived on the scene and was advised ... the offender was in the parking lot,” he said. Bryan found Hall outside the store “with a pistol drawn on the offender. ... (by a) United States Marine Corps Reservist.”

Bryan and the unnamed Marine ordered Hall to drop his weapons and surrender, but he refused, Williams said.

Another officer, Advanced Patrol Officer Ken Scott, arrived to assist, and Hall eventually “dropped his weapon and was placed under arrest,” Williams said.

Hall was taken to the Bulloch County Jail, charged with aggravated assault, two counts of kidnapping, possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime (two counts), possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, two counts of cruelty to children, multiple counts of battery, one count of carrying a concealed weapon, and one count of carrying a weapon at a public gathering, he said.

Don’t bring a stun gun, knife, pepper spray, an expandable baton, brass knuckles and three sets of handcuffs to a gunfight.

From the Statesboro Herald of October 17, 2005

Marine recounts role in capture of Wal-Mart suspect

Tucker man in the right place at the right time for Friday heroics

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.

(Much more)