Shouts of “Security!” broke the silence of William Oxley Thompson Library Tuesday morning, leading to an employee and two students thwarting a would be purse-snatcher.

Sitting at the circulation desk on the first floor, Ohio State employee Steve Hale felt a rush of adrenaline when he saw the thief fleeing with the purse.

“It’s go time,” said Hale, a recent OSU graduate in geographical information systems.

Trailing the burglar, as he ran from the west end of the library toward the Oval entrance, was a student and the purse’s owner.

One student tackled the snatcher around his waist, and the owner and Hale joined in wrestling the burglar to the floor.

Hale held him in a headlock as the others maintained control over the rest of his body and waited for OSU Police to arrive, Hale said.

Hale worked as a security guard for two years and said his actions
were instinctual.

The purse-snatcher was identified as Joseph Williams, 45.

Captain Eric Whiteside of University Police recounted the events more formally.

“At 9:48 a.m. female staff left her office, when she returned she found the suspect inside of her office with her purse,” Whiteside said. “The suspect pushed back past her, and she followed him, calling for security.”

Security detained him until police arrived, arrested him and charged him with burglary.

He also had in his possession drug paraphernalia, but was not charged.

There are 120 student security guards and 69 cameras in the libraries. University Police do a walk-through four times a day, said Duke Morgan, head of library security.

Security responsibilities are shared with the circulation desk, he said.