"GET THE GUN OUT OF THE CAR!"

I see two Hispanic males on the baby food aisle. One is standing next to a cart with a covered baby carrier in it while the other keeps going from end to end of the aisle. Alarm bells are ringing.

I radio my partner and find a place to surveil the two. Sure enough the one who was next to the shopping cart reaches into it, uncovers the baby carrier, looks at his buddy who gives him a nod, and starts to load up on baby formula. When he's done he covers up the baby carrier again and the two stroll out of the aisle, and the front doors, as if it were the most normal thing in the world to do.

Once they get outside I sprint out after them but they see me coming and take off toward their car, ditching the cart in the process.

I catch up to the one who loaded up the merchandise, grab him around the neck with my arms (gross motor skill and all that) and begin to try and take him down, while my partner starts chasing the other guy around the car.

I'm having a heck of a time with bad guy #1, who ends up bending over and lifting me off the ground and giving me a ride. At least my partner has caught bad guy #2. Or so I thought. He grabbed bad guy #2 in a similar hold as I grabbed mine, but overcompensated in an attempt to keep from being lifted up like I did, and ended up backing up into the curb, falling over, and letting go of him. Now I've got a hold of bad guy #1, I've got bad guy#2 running around like a chicken with his head cut off, and I've got my partner trying to recover and scramble to his feet... all the while the two bad guys are yelling at each other in Spanish, talking about who knows what.

The next thing I know Bad Guy #1 yells at Bad Guy #2 in clear, plain english, "GET THE GUN OUT OF THE CAR!" and Bad Guy #1 goes diving into the front drivers side door. Of course I'm thinking ,"oh, shit!"

Bad Guy #2 comes out of the car with his right sleeve pulled down over his hand, looking scared out his mind, and begins to point his covered hand at me, while yelling, "LET GO OF HIM!" I can see my partner, frozen, over Bad Guy #2's shoulder.

By this time I had found my feet again and had sunk a proper choke on Bad Guy #2, who was now starting to feel it. I began to yell, "GUN! GUN! SOMEBODY CALL THE POLICE" (there was a lot of YELLING going on), and started backpedaling out into the middle of the stores front drive, dragging Bad Guy #1 along with me. Bad Guy #2 began to follow, still pointing his covered hand at me. The thought crossed my mind that this guy was bluffing, otherwise why wouldn't he just display the thing to me, but I thought, why take the chance.

I released the choke hold I had on Bad Guy #1, gave him a good shove away from me and toward his buddy, and continued backpedalling away from the two while continuing to yell for someone to call the police.

The Bad Guys recovered, hopped into their car, and sped off into the sunset, never to be heard from again.

At least we recovered the baby formula.