Bounty hunting is a dangerous profession, and although
Duane “Dog” Chapman has proven he can hold his own when he goes after fugitives, he admits he feels uneasy during his pursuits.
“[I don't get scared, I] get worried. Like you put the picture on the mantel because you watch it, and you get to know the person, and all of a sudden the guys eyes are following you, and these voices say ‘I'm the guy that's going to get you,'” Chapman, star of A&E's
Dog the Bounty Hunter, said. “But we know that we are fighting for justice and the American way, and we got to make sure everything is legal. And we take a deep breath, and he haw, here we come.
His wife,
Beth, echoed Chapman's statement, saying despite fearing for the safety of her husband, she knows his job has a significant purpose in society.
“We couldn't reach anybody, we couldn't help anybody, and we couldn't give the love that we give to people if we sat behind our desk,” Beth said.
Duane Chapman entered the bounty hunting business after serving 18 months in prison for accessory to murder. His no-nonsense attitude, coupled with his strong Christian faith, helped him to succeed in his profession. However, he found himself facing jail time again when he chased after and captured fugitive rapist Andrew Luster in Mexico.
Jim Quadra, Chapman's attorney, said his client, along with son
Leland and friend
Tim Chapman, was charged with illegal deprivation of liberty, which is only a minor crime. He also said Chapman was led to believe he could leave Mexico without major legal consequences, but this was proven wrong when U.S. Marshals showed up at Chapman's door and arrested him.
“The hunter became the hunted. It was terrible. And some of the marshals were, but most of them were sad to do this,” Chapman recounted. “I thought we were being punked like the TV show, and I was ready to be released at any time.”
Beth, who had been present at the time of Chapman's arrest, said their then 6-year-old son Gary was equally terrified at the sight of his father getting handcuffed and taken away.
“[Gary] just stood there with his hands over his ears screaming, because he just could not understand that. And he sees his daddy on TV, and he sees his daddy in parades, and he sees people cheering him, and knowing that he is a hero because is he cleaning up the meth problem all over the country,” Beth said. “And to see his daddy taken out of the house that morning in handcuffs like that was extremely traumatizing to the whole family.”
On the other hand, capturing Luster landed the Chapmans their own reality series, which is heading to its fifth season.
“It's absolutely great. It's not fun to watch it, but it's fun to film [
Dog the Bounty Hunter],” Chapman said. “I don't watch it, and just turn the volume up.”
-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: FOX news
(Image Courtesy of A&E)