Off Duty and On Date Night, Married Cops Stop Robbery
Officer Nicole McKeown and her husband, Detective Chase McKeown. Photo: Elizabethtown Police Department
Louisville, Kentucky – Officer Nicole McKeown and her new husband, Detective Chase McKeown, were eating at a Raising Cane’s restaurant when their weekly date night was cut short by a robbery.
The pair had been on a date night shortly after their first Valentine’s Day as a married couple. Being proactive in maintaining a healthy relationship, the McKeown’s frequently go on dates as recommended by their church.
It was during a prescribed date night on February 15th that a suspect identified by police as 30-year-old Justin Carter, entered the restaurant and pulled a gun on the cashiers.
Surveillance footage shows Carter walk into the Raising Cane’s wearing a black hoody pulled up and a white mask on his face. He pulls a silver handgun from his waistband and orders the employees to hand over the money.
When the video cuts to a different angle, Officer and Detective McKeown can be seen sitting at their booth in the back. They quickly notice the developing situation and after a brief word to each other and a nod, they draw their concealed pistols and quietly advance on the suspect. Splitting up and taking different avenues of approach.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjV43pt4Y80
“That’s where that repetitiveness and that training kicks in,” Nicole told WAVE, an NBC affiliate.
As the pair closed in, Carter caught sight of them and immediately fled the scene through the front door. The Elizabethtown police officers pursed and caught the suspect with the assistance of nearby patrol units.
Chase and Nicole McKeown where highly praised by their own department as well as others for disregarding both their own safety and date night for the benefit of the public.
“You never know who’s minding their own business but ready to put in work.
This is the Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers at #MidCityMall Saturday night. Shout out to the two Elizabethtown Police Department officers that went from enjoying them delish chicken fingie’s to full-blown #Sheepdogs real quick. They chased the suspect in the Highlands and made the arrest with our 5th Division officers. Great work, EPD!” the Louisville Metro Police Department said on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/LMPD.ky/videos/234028784276307/
The couple said they considered the event a team building exercise for their marriage and are dedicated to the success of both their relationship and careers in law enforcement.
“In marriage we’ve got each other,” Chase McKeown said. “We’re going to talk things out, we’re going to deal with whatever comes at us.”
The suspect, Justin Carter, was arrested and charged with first-degree robbery, receiving a stolen firearm, and possession of a handgun by a felon. He was booked and held on a $50,000 bond.
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