Man accused of running over suspect who attempted to steal from his store

RACINE -- 54-year-old Rany Kong of Racine faces charges for allegedly running over a man who had attempted to steal from his store.

Kong faces charges of second degree recklessly endangering safety, possession of a firearm by a felon and carrying a concealed weapon.

The criminal complaint in the case indicates 25-year-old Joseph Mallon walked into Kong's store, Odd Fellows, and took three or four packs of tobacco off the shelf. Kong's wife, who was working in the store observed Mallon put the tobacco into his pants pocket before approaching the checkout counter to pay for other items. 

When Kong's wife questioned Mallon about the tobacco in his pants pocket, Mallon reportedly pulled one pack of tobacco out of his pocket and was going to pay for it. 

At that point, Kong had pulled into the store's parking lot. Mallon then reportedly forced the locked store doors open and attempted to flee, with Kong's wife yelling to Kong to "stop him!"

A scuffle ensued, before Mallon got onto his bicycle, and Kong got into his Jeep, and both left the parking lot.

Later, near the 700 block of Main Street in Racine, a Racine County Sheriff's deputy noticed Kong's Jeep jump a curb, drive over the grass area, drive around a tree, and continue on the sidewalk -- chasing after Mallon who was riding his bicycle on the sidewalk. The Sheriff's deputy said Kong was erratically punching the gas and then braking, before hitting the gas and striking Mallon. 

The complaint indicates the Jeep stopped with the front passenger tire on Mallon's leg and bike, pinning him to the ground.

James Pruitt heard the crash from his desk.

"I heard a screech of tires, and then a crunching sound. I looked out my window and I saw people running towards the front of my property. I went outside and sure enough, this Jeep was on top of this bike, which was on top of this guy's leg," Pruitt said.

Mallon was eventually freed from under the Jeep, and Kong was taken into custody.

The scene of the crash is just across the street from the Racine County Jail. The criminal complaint says one witness was a Racine County Sheriff's captain, who ran across the street and pulled Kong out of the Jeep. He was joined within minutes by the sheriff himself, who "assisted in laying Kong on the ground on his stomach, with his hands behind his back."

When police took Kong into custody, they found a .22 caliber two-shooter handgun on him. When interviewed by police, Kong told them prior to getting into his Jeep to give chase to Mallon, he went to his wife's vehicle and grabbed what he thought was a crowbar, because he reportedly believed Mallon may have had a knife. 

Kong told police that he grabbed his wife's handgun and put it on his person -- saying he was not planning to harm Mallon, but thought he needed to stop Mallon, believing his wife had been stabbed.

As a felon, Kong is prohibited from possessing a firearm.