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A man was breaking into a Kansas City woman’s car. What he didn’t know was that she played defensive tackle — and was ready to take matters into her own hands.“We were having a wonderful brunch, and then we all parted ways and so I was getting dropped off to my car,” Syreeta Gapelu said.That’s when Gapelu and her best friend saw a man breaking into her car. Her response?“My first instinct was to tackle him,” Gapelu said. Video of the incident shows Gapelu running at the man to stop him. “He snatched my book bag, shut my door, ran into the pole, then ran into the gas meter … he threw my book bag,” she said. “I was able to snatch him up by his hoodie. I was able to snatch him up, tackle him to the ground.” Luckily for Gapelu, she’s got some experience. She played defensive tackle for Kansas City’s women’s football team, KC Glory. “I feel empowered,” she said. “I feel empowered to play football with women who love the sport.” Her quick work to stop the man may have helped recover other stolen items, too. Gapelu and her friend learned the man had stolen jewelry on him at the time, including an engagement ring. Video later showed him in handcuffs. “Came to find out he was stealing from other people, and that hurt most, to where I’m like, OK, that’s done. You’re not going to be stealing from anybody else,” she said. Gapelu’s friends aren’t surprised she jumped into action. “The loving side of her is so much more than the protector that she is,” Ericka Davis said.
A man was breaking into a Kansas City woman’s car. What he didn’t know was that she played defensive tackle — and was ready to take matters into her own hands.
“We were having a wonderful brunch, and then we all parted ways and so I was getting dropped off to my car,” Syreeta Gapelu said.
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That’s when Gapelu and her best friend saw a man breaking into her car.
Her response?
“My first instinct was to tackle him,” Gapelu said.
Video of the incident shows Gapelu running at the man to stop him.
“He snatched my book bag, shut my door, ran into the pole, then ran into the gas meter … he threw my book bag,” she said. “I was able to snatch him up by his hoodie. I was able to snatch him up, tackle him to the ground.”
Luckily for Gapelu, she’s got some experience.
She played defensive tackle for Kansas City’s women’s football team, KC Glory.
“I feel empowered,” she said. “I feel empowered to play football with women who love the sport.”
Her quick work to stop the man may have helped recover other stolen items, too. Gapelu and her friend learned the man had stolen jewelry on him at the time, including an engagement ring. Video later showed him in handcuffs.
“Came to find out he was stealing from other people, and that hurt most, to where I’m like, OK, that’s done. You’re not going to be stealing from anybody else,” she said.
Gapelu’s friends aren’t surprised she jumped into action.
“The loving side of her is so much more than the protector that she is,” Ericka Davis said.
