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Gen. Mike Minihan, Commander of Air Mobility Command, visits the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station June 8, 2024.

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914th Airlift Wing Airman helps thwart robbery

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Joseph McKee
  • 914th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station --  It might not have been a dark and stormy night but crime was never the less afoot during a felonious Craigslist transaction gone sour. Luckily for intended victim, Todd Cavanaugh who thought he was buying a laptop computer from alleged suspect Joshua Bennett, justice was waiting in the wings. Cavanaugh had answered an ad on Craigslist.com about a computer for sale and was going to meet Bennett on Wednesday to complete the transaction. When they met, Bennett allegedly got into Cavanaugh's vehicle and asked for the money. Cavanaugh in turn asked to see the computer, a Mac Book Pro, at which point Cavanaugh claims Bennett reached into a back pack, pulled out a gun and pointed it at him. When Bennett reached below the driver's seat to take the money, the Cavanaugh grabbed the gun and the two started to wrestle inside the vehicle. As Both men spilled out of the cars passenger's side door the Cavanaugh's repeated calls for help where answered by good Samaritans, U.S. Senior Airman John T. Taylor with the 914th Airlift Wing, Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station and Christopher Greene, copy machine salesman. Both men leapt into the fray to help subdue Bennett, who was trying escape. Taylor risking his life wrested the weapon from Bennett. Taylor said his "military training kicked in and there was no hesitation in jumping in to help". Bennett was pinned to the ground by the three men until Deputies Tracy Steen and Patrick Rindfleisch arrived and detained him.
While the whole episode turned out well with an arrest and the safety of the victim, Sheriff James Voutour advised people that when faced with similar situations, "they shouldn't take matters into their own hands".