Fayetteville, NC – September 29, 2012 – 22 year old Benjamin Bell of the 82nd Airborne survived a tour of Afghanistan including an IED attack, but on a ride along with his brother Jason Bell of Bell Recovery and Towing, he was shot in the head and is hospitalized at Duke University Hospital.
It was a routine repossession at approximately 1:15AM on Saturday the 29th according to Jason. The vehicle was chained to a tractor and they backed the truck up to it. As soon as they lifted the vehicle, “The lights came on and I heard a bang and a flash. The borrower didn’t say a word.”
“My brother fell over into my lap and said “I’m hit”
The shooter, Billy King, reportedly fired a Korean War era sniper rifle with a 7.62mm ball round that entered the truck alongside the side and struck young Benjamin in the forehead.
According to Jason Bell, his younger brother lost an eye, but is expected to recover.
The shooter, Billy King, was placed under arrest and faces charges of attempted murder.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Bell family…
It’s times like this that makes me angry and makes me sad that our industry doesn’t command more respect for who we are and what we do. With all due respect for this young man injured; and the seriousness of this unacceptable and despicable incident, we must be sure to continue to publicize these unfortunate acts of violence and assure they don’t go ignored or unnoticed.
It is also incumbent upon each of us to send the lenders and forwarders the pictures and stories of our own “Wounded and Murdered Warriors”, too many of whom in the past several years have suffered the lost of life and limb while doing the work our clients are unable, unwilling, or afraid to do on their own.
No one can deny that our compensation is totally disproportionate for what we do. However, our fight is not just about the money or the fact that many of us are still asked to work on a contingent basis; or being told if we want their work we must store their vehicles for free, or all the other unreasonable demands being made of us. It’s also the condescending attitudes and lack of respect so often shown us by their words and actions.
This is not a fight for anyone to take on alone. Therefore, please seriously consider joining the many hundreds of other repossessors who will gather again at the 5th Annual NARS event on April 26-27, 2013 in Dallas, Texas. http://www.reposummit.com It is only there in an apolitical and industry cooperative environment where together we can reshape the future of our industry. Also, please consider sending a donation today to RABF, the Recovery Agents Benefit Fund…
Thanks Kevin
Art Christensen
Best wishes to Jason for a full recovery from his injuries. I hope the assailant gets the full load from the judge. Hopefully this incident will be passed on as education for anyone else thinking to get off a round at recovery agents. This is one of the main fears in the recovery industry–