If researchers are looking for evidence of nature over nurture to rebut Skinner, they need to look no further than the father and son team of Edward R. Pluhar Sr., 61, and Edward R. Pluhar Jr. 26. Junior reportedly did not want to wait in line at Wal-Mart in Muncie, Delaware, so he went to the front of the line. When a guy objected, he and his father became abusive and threatened him. It turned out to be off-duty police officer Chris Kirby. The confrontation would end up in the parking lot with Kirby injured by the Pluhar’s van and the Pluhars ultimately in the Delaware County Jail.
The encounter occurred on a Sunday and resulted in the son being charged with battery and the father being charged with criminal recklessness with a vehicle and intimidation.
Kirby was with his wife and daughter at the time when he told Junior that he needed to wait his turn. Junior refused and Senior than demanded that Kirby go outside and fight it out, saying that he was going to “kick his ass” and possibly shoot him. Kirby then told them that they were speaking to a police officer and the two reportedly made a fast retreat to their van. However, Kirby followed them while calling for the police. He stood behind the van to keep them from leaving and was allegedly hit by the Dad and slightly injured in the leg. Junior then reportedly fought with the officer.
Besides the sheer stupidity reflected in these charges, one is stuck by how the police could come up with charges in this Walmart case but not when another officer threw an elderly man to the ground and threw another man through a glass door.
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There was no trying to “Run Down” the cop. The two men were trying to leave while he stood behind their van. He slowly backed up, and the cop refused to move so he got bumped by a van in the leg. And as for waiting 25 minutes, I can definately see that. It is a Wal-mart in the middle of a college town when students are just getting back to classes. That sounds like a busy time for wal mart to me.
Regardless of anything else, the cop was stupid for going outside. When the old man said “You want to take this outside?” He should have said “Sure”, then just stayed there in line while they walked outside.
Rex,
These two mental giants were stupid because they messed with anyone about a spot in line. If they were coming back to a previous spot, I would imagine that a clerk would have stepped in. And I have a hard time with the son’s story that he waited 25 minutes! That is one busy Wal-Mart. Remember, this is the same guy who tried to run the cop down, so why should be believe him?
I thought these two should get pummeled, too, until I read another account of the story on another news site, where they actually took the time to ask the father and son what the hell was going on. Seems the son had already waited in line for 25 minutes–can’t imagine a slow line with the “speed” shown by returns clerks in countryside America, huh?–and was sent back by the clerk to find a replacement for the item he was exchanging. When he returned to the counter to wrap up his transaction, the off-duty cop thought he was jumping line; and things got out of hand. We know the father is a moron for wanting to “take this outside”–this is not a “nice guy” we’re dealing with here–but where in the hell was the store clerk or manager to straighten things out and let everyone know this guy wasn’t actually cutting in line? As for all of those I see expounding all over the web about how “dumb” they were “for messing with a cop,” he didn’t identify himself and they didn’t even know about until the rest of the cavalry showed up. And while I respect law enforcement, the worst neighbors and most abusive drivers we’ve ever seen have been country cops.
I’ve lived in Indiana and liked much of it, but this is another typical story from the hinterlands where those supposedly “in charge” stick a thumb up their butt and “let the peasants fight it out amongst themselves” instead of taking responsibility and seizing control of a situation. Ironically this is exactly what the cops do out in the hinterlands, too…which is why you see situations where a neighbor complains 114 times about neighbor noise, or theft, the cops do what they do best–nothing–and next thing you know, those who have been put upon for years finally gun down the problem neighbor. Which I guess would be the ultimate example “fighting it out amongst themselves,” eh, country coppers?
Jill…
Yes, those darn things can slow me up too!! I find myself yelling at them and kicking them. I am often removed from the store!! 🙂
Sally,
He couldn’t use self checkout! What if that was too slow? How was he going to beat up the machine? Think woman, think!!! 🙂
Why didn’t they just use the self check-out line?
Or act like adults and wait their turn?
You know, had this occurred at K-Mart, rather than Walmart, this would be a classic “blue light” special!
Just one more reason to never go into a Wal-Mart. This story really is about a pair of idiot punks. Even though the father is 61, he is still a punk. It is interesting that the police had no problem finding something to charge these guys with, but I think they charged them with the wrong crime. The worst crime was that the father was allowed to procreate. Couldn’t the police officer have just written down the plate number and followed the van instead of risking his life by trying to block the van’s exit? This pugilistic line butters should spend some quality time in a local Wal-Mart as greeters. That way they could handle any of the abusive policemen that come through there.