Employees who helped subdue armed man honored

Three Super Kmart employees who helped wrestle a "wild," armed man into custody Jan. 16 were honored Thursday by Carson City Sheriff Kenny Furlong.

Bob Cary, Chris Cooper and John Henderson were given certificates of appreciation by Furlong for helping sheriff's deputies in "a very volatile and potentially dangerous situation" involving a man under the influence of drugs with loaded handguns and parts of a homemade machine gun.

"We cannot do the job alone," said Furlong.

All three men work with the loss-prevention team at Super Kmart. Their supervisor, family members and 10 deputies in attendance applauded loudly as the awards were given out.

Henderson, who lives in Reno, formerly worked with the Reno-Sparks Tribal Police and as a deputy with the Randolph County, Ill., Sheriff's Department.

"I think you should always help the officers," he said. "I know we appreciate their cooperation when we call them. Unfortunately, in today's society they're out-gunned and out-manned."

Cary also helped with subduing the armed man. "I was lying across his legs and they pulled a cocked derringer out of his pocket and it was like inches from my face," he said. "At that point I'm like, 'What the hell did I get myself into?'"

Cary has worked as a bouncer at Paul Revere's Kicks in Reno and at the Carson Station.

Cooper served in the First Battalion, Seventh Marines from 1991 to 1995. "When they pulled the .38-(caliber revolver) from his pocket and started shaking out the rounds on the floor, that was pretty interesting," he said.

The man arrested was Earl Leslie Heltsley, 35. He first aroused suspicion in the afternoon by offering employees of the McDonald's restaurant at 2001 N. Carson St. cash to drive his car to another location.

He later changed his clothing before making his way to Super Kmart, according to police reports. McDonald's employees called 911 to report the man was "being strange."

Heltsley had two guns in one pocket and an open switchblade in another pocket. He was subdued by deputies and later tranquilized by emergency medical technicians after he "started getting wild."

A cardboard box he had carried into the store contained a home-made machine gun in parts, deputies said.

The sheriff is awaiting results of a federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms investigation to find out if the gun was capable of fully automatic fire.

About 30 grams of marijuana and 35 bindles of methamphetamine were found in his car.

"To this day we have no idea what his intentions were," said Furlong.