MMA fighters are pretty tough dudes. I wouldn’t want to go up against one, but the shoplifter that Jesse Finney took down on Dec. 21 probably didn’t know who he was dealing with.
Patch reports that Finney was on his way to the local Schnucks grocery store when he saw a man running away from a female employee. The man had reportedly stolen multiple bottles of vodka and was making his escape. Finney didn’t know the man was shoplifting, but suspected something was up. He grabbed the man by the coat and slammed him to the ground.
The shoplifter really didn’t have a chance as Finney is not just an amateur. He’s a professionally trained boxer and MMA fighter. He holds an impressive 23-0 kickboxing record, an 8-2 boxing record, a 4-0 amateur MMA record, and a 6-1 professional MMA record. He has also coached for Chuck Norris’ World Combat League.
Finney says that his training helped to subdue the shoplifter without hurting him. Only one bottle stashed in the coat was broken. A less disciplined man may have broken more bottles and caused serious injury to himself and the shoplifter.
As for the experience, he says that the experience was “pretty amazing.” He was grateful that “nobody got hurt,” but said that he’s “not going to let a man push a woman.”
The store acknowledged that Finney took down the shoplifter, but stressed that they don’t condone acts of vigilantism.