An Indiana man has been filmed pointing down the barrel of a handgun in a daring confrontation with an armed stranger who tried to steal his friend’s moped.


Timothy Gramza, 56, who had his own gun in a back pocket but did not
draw the weapon, spent several minutes arguing with the hooded teenager.


South Bend detective Sergeant Eugene Eyster, who is investigating the
April 1 incident, said he was amazed at Mr Gramza's bravery.

"It's one of those when you're telling yourself, either this man has a
lot of guts or he's about to lose all that he has," Sgt Eyster said.

"You see him reach several times to his back pocket, but he just couldn't do it. He couldn't make himself shoot a teenager."

Eventually the younger man fired off a shot and something — possibly a
ricocheted stone — hit Mr Gramza in the leg and he fell down.

The teen then jumped on the bike but could not start it.

"(Mr Gramza) said the young man kept saying, 'How do you start this?'
And Timothy was saying, 'You're not taking my moped'," Sgt Eyster said.

"He was not going to let him take it."

Sgt Eyster said the youth, who is believed to live nearby, eventually ran off and Mr Gramza fired a warning gunshot after him.

The entire confrontation was recorded by a CCTV camera on Mr Gramza's house.

"We have a positive identification and are trying to locate the young man," Sgt Eyster said.

"I don't know that I could confront someone and be as calm as he was or not want to take the weapon out.
"It either took a lot of restraint and guts or real stupidity."