MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Freddie Smith never thought it would happen to him. Police say he and his wife were parked on North Montgomery Street, near Poplar, when a guy walked up to their car with a gun. Freddie was sitting on trunk and Michelle was in the driver’s seat.
“Next thing I know I hear a calm voice say, ‘Get in the car.’ And he pointed the gun at me, and then pointed it at my wife’s right side,” Smith said.
He says the gunman wanted to drive and demanded his wife move to the passenger’s seat.
“First of all, I was just numb. And like, the first thought through my head was like, ‘This is it, because he told us to get in the car.’ So, I assume he was going to take us with him.”
Smith started walking around the car, drawing the gunman’s attention. That’s when his wife did something that might have saved their lives.
“And she took that opportunity when he was paying attention to me to start the car, put it in drive and try to run this young man over and just get away from the situation.”
He says she hit the gas and the guy got out of the way as she sped away. He says the gunman chased her for a minute before giving up and running off.
“So she made the block, and I ran across Poplar Avenue and called the police. They showed up in two to three minutes.”
The incident happened a few weeks ago, but police just released surveillance video of the crook on Wednesday.
“He couldn’t have been no more than 17,” Smith said.
Smith and his wife were headed to Memphis Recovery Centers when it happened. They go there every week to help teens addicted to drugs and alcohol.
“We talk to them about integrity, accountability.”
If and when he’s caught, they want to help that gunman too. They want to help him make better decisions.
“It’s a waste of a young man’s life when he could be doing so much more. You know, joining the military, or going to college, or focusing on school, or playing football or basketball even,” Smith said.
If you know anything about this case, please call Crime Stoppers at (901)-528-CASH.