A crazy scene on I-20 as tow truck driver surprises catalytic converter thieves in the act

At about 2:40 p.m. this afternoon, a local tow truck driver surprised two catalytic converter thieves on I-20.

A tow truck driver for Highway 27 Motors surprised two white males who were cutting the catalytic converter off a vehicle on the side of the highway. The vehicle was on I-20 West just past the Highway 61 North entrance and just before the Clay Street West exit.

Reportedly, shots were fired

Reportedly the tow truck driver pulled up to tow the vehicle and surprised the two thieves who then attempted to flee the scene. The tow truck driver jumped in the back of the pickup truck, an older model gold Dodge. Initial radio traffic indicated the occupants of the truck were shooting at the tow truck driver in the back of the older gold Dodge pickup. That version of events was not corroborated by police Sergeant Johnson, the Watch Commander.

Another report has the tow truck driver beating the back window of the pickup truck with “a wooden post.” 

An eyewitness account

An eyewitness to that part of the event messaged the Vicksburg Daily News to report what they saw: 

“I was in the vehicle directly behind it and at first I just thought it was a man riding in the back of a single cab truck (which isn’t uncommon around here). As I continued to watch them, I realize that was NOT the case whatsoever.

They pulled over, and the man in the back of the truck picked up what looked like a wooden post and proceeded to beat on the back glass of the truck until it shattered and was screaming at the people inside. I stopped in the middle of the ramp (Clay Street West) because I honestly had NO idea what to do, and I picked up my phone to call 911 and quickly drove around them because I didn’t know if anyone was armed or what it was going to lead to.

But, as I was driving around, keeping my distance, the man that had beaten in the back glass started screaming at me “CALL 911! CALL THE COPS NOW!” he was screaming so loud, that I could hear it clear as day with all of my windows up. Then we turned onto the street that Motel 6 was on to observe from a distance, and within that short amount of time, the truck had disappeared and the man that was in the back was by himself on the side of the road.”

Vicksburg Police and Warren County Sheriff’s Deputies, including Sheriff Martin Pace, responded to the call. 

The tow truck driver was transported back to the scene of the theft where he interviewed with Vicksburg police units. 

The scene of the event on I-20. Photo by David Day