My uncle Jack came by for dinner the other night. I have written about my aunt Rhoda before.

My uncle Jack is a retired dentist and he and Rhoda spend their winters in North Scottsdale.

Yesterday at dinner, his son Aaron was telling my wife and kids the story about how Jack tried to catch an armed bank robber in Toronto back in 1969.

My uncle Jack is a hero.

I know the story but Aaron (who was not yet born in 1969) had a lot more details and even some pictures.

In 1969, my uncle Jack was walking into work when he heard people yelling from the sidewalk and the bushes that an armed robbery had just taken place at the bank on the street. Jack saw two guys holding guns round the corner and his first instinct was to take off after the bank robbers. One of the robbers, stopped, turned around and shot my uncle Jack in the groin. That robbers name was Jim Bradley and they were both caught in the days ahead.

Jack was rushed to the hospital where he stayed for 10 days. After many surgeries they never did get the bullet.

Here is my uncle Jack at the hospital.

Most amazing is this picture is now owned by Getty images and would cost my uncle Jack $500 to get a copy. For those that don’t know, Getty Images is now owned by the Koch brothers. Ugh.

This chalk outline by the police looks like it was drawn by a 4 year old and we had a good laugh about that.

Back to the story, Jim Bradley escaped from prison and a city wide manhunt went on and Jim was the most wanted man in Canada for a short period of time before he was caught in a basement about a block from Jack’s mothers…my grandmothers house.

In 1969 Toronto there was a victim compensation committee and my uncle Jack went before it and was awarded $10,000. He used the money for a 50 percent down payment on a house in downtown Toronto (today that house would sell for north of $1 million).

Jack is 78 years old today and in great shape and health with three kids and 7 grandkids.