Everyday Tow Hero In TN

Tow boss Donny Burgess of Donny's Towing in Silver Point, TN, takes down a criminal. Here's the story from News Channel 5:

by Marcus Washington
SILVER POINT, Tenn. - A mid-state business owner caught a thief in the act and held him down until sheriff's deputies arrived.
To some folks, Donny Burgess is a hero as he comes to the rescue of stranded drivers, but he never thought he would be his own hero.
"A lot of stealing been going on around here," said Burgess.
His towing company, Donny's Towing, has been burglarized three times this year, so he decided to start stopping by to keep an eye on things and one day, he found the crooks in action.
"When I pulled up I (saw) a truck sitting right by the fence," Burgess said.
Burgess says he saw 27- year-old Ryan Flatt climbing the barbed wire fence and that's when he called 911.
"I went up here and looked in the back of his truck and I found some of my stuff and I (knew) something was going on then," said Burgess.
Moments later Burgess said Flatt peeped around the opposite side of the building saying he "ran out of gas."
"I told him to stay right here until I checked this out a bit further. There is something going on here and I don't' like it," Burgess shared.
When he did that, Flatt made a run for the allegedly "out of gas" truck and tried to pull off.
Burgess said he ran after Flatt and the man reached in the moving truck.
"I just shoved it right up in park and jerked his keys out the truck and I pulled him out the truck," Burgess said."held him (Flatt) by his shirt collier up against the truck until the police officer got here."
Two others, brothers Daniel and Shone Frazier, were also arrested in connection with the burglary. They may have gotten away from Donny, but not the law.
"If they decided not to run and fight, I would have had to take on three of them. I never thought about that. I was a little nervous, but this is mine. It ain't much, but it's mine," Burgess added.
Donny said he has no regrets and if he had to do it again he would do the same thing.
Donny's Towing was not the only place the three men stole from that night.
According to police reports, they stole parts from another company worth and estimated $10,000.
Donny sids what the hardest part of this is that the young man he caught is his friend's son.
All three men are facing criminal theft charges and will appear in court before the end of the year.
Email: mwashington@newschannel5.com