OK: ''911 Call Reveals Woman's Struggle With Purse Thief''

As you listen to the 911 tape that is the subject of the following story, you will quickly realize the headline should read "911 Call Reveals Woman's Struggle With Police Dispatcher".

Oklahoma City's KOCO-TV is reporting that Oklahoma City police released a 911 recording Thursday which reveals a dramatic struggle following an attempted purse-snatching in south Oklahoma City.

Barbara Gesell, 83, had just pulled into her garage when a man ran inside her garage and grabbed her purse, which has hanging across her shoulder. During the attack, Gesell's car continued forward and struck the back of the garage.

Police told reporters the story might have ended differently if Gesell's daughter, Theresa Gesell, had not taken action.

As Theresa recounts on the 911 call, a 60-year-old neighbor named Hershall heard the commotion and came to their assistance, catching the assailant and wrestling him to the ground when he attempted to run from the scene. During those moments, Gesell called 911.

"A man has attacked us in our house, and we are fighting him in the yard," Theresa Gesell said to the 911 dispatcher.

From the story:

Theresa then grabbed her .45-caliber pistol and continued running after [the attacker] -- despite the dispatcher's plea for her to drop the handgun.

"I am going to go get my .45 ... you all are too slow," she said.

As the call continues, the dispatcher asks Theresa to get rid of the weapon. However, after the suspect tried to escape along a creek bed, Theresa and Hershall used the pistol to make sure he didn't leave.

"You can go put that gun up now," the dispatcher said.

"No sir," Theresa replied. "We have the gun pointed at him ... he must have been a city fellow because he didn't know anything about the woods."

Eventually, police arrived and arrested Robert Campbell, AKA Roderick Starr. He is expected to be charged with assault and attempted robbery.

With Hershall's help, the Gesells retrieved Barbara's purse.

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