WFMJ.com News weather sports for Youngstown-Warren OhioSouthington family talks about run in with a member of a neighborhood watch group

Southington family talks about run in with a member of a neighborhood watch group

SOUTHINGTON, Ohio - As more neighborhoods in cities and rural areas form watch groups, the potential for those individuals to act like police is there.

A Valley parent says heartache, on all sides, could have been avoided in the case raising national attention right now.

Patricia Len feels blessed at the outcome of her son's situation when he found himself confronted by a man with a gun this past January.

She says she was worried about the safety of her son after he came home and told her about what happened when he pulled over to text. Len explains she has taught her son not to text and drive.

The Southington mother believes a confrontation by a possible member of a neighborhood watch person was unnecessary. Len says watch groups are there to support law enforcement and call authorities when they see a suspicious person or activity going on. She believes watch group members should not go around with a gun and approach people.

Her son, 17-year-old Jarrett, tells 21 News he was on Herr Field House Road in Southington doing what he thought was the right thing when he pulled over in a drive way to send a text.

He was responding to several texts when he found himself facing a stranger who blocked his truck in, and that stranger had a gun.

Jarrett says the man shined a spotlight in his face and he couldn't see much. He says the man asked him what he was doing in the area and sort of assumed he was there to rob homes.

The teen says he could see the man had a gun, and adds the man didn't waive it at him but it was a scary situation. Jarrett says he didn't know what to do because he was being confronted when all he did was pull over to text.

Police say the presence of a gun can escalate a situation. Jarrett agrees and adds a gun can easily change the outcome of something in a few seconds.

Patricia Len says a sheriff's deputy who heard about the situation told her this has happened more than once and warned that some people in the watch groups are putting themselves and police in a situation that's not safe.

Len says the deputy told her the department is getting calls and some members are jumping the calls or getting there before authorities do. When that happens, police don't know who is the good guy or the possible suspicious person which creates a dangerous situation.

Len says her heart goes out to the Martin family who lost their son, Treyvon, adding as a parent she would be devastated if she lost any of her sons. She does not believe George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch person, meant to kill anyone that night, but says he could have avoided the entire situation or confrontation by calling police and letting authorities do their job.

Len is in favor of neighborhood watch groups and believes they provide a great service when they act as additional eyes and ears for police, but believes the key word is watch and report, not watch and confront.