‘Just Kidding!’ Suspect in Botched Robbery Attempt Says It’s A Simple Case of Aggravated Jocularity

It’s hard arguing that Virgil Edgar doesn’t have a sense of humor. According to an Associated Press report published by KSL.com, police arrested the 30-year-old man earlier this week after he allegedly pulled a knife on someone in a grocery store in Bountiful, Utah. As per the account Edgar provided to police, he said “just kidding” and backed off when the prospective victim of the crime produced his or her own knife. The alleged victim later asked a store employee to contact authorities.

Ogden, Utah’s Standard Examiner reports that Edgar maintained his “just kidding” defense in an interview after his arrest, explaining that he plays with his knife often and adding that he was simply joking around. Police apparently asked Edgar how he would respond if someone brandished a knife in his presence and he suggested he would just laugh and walk away.

The story is oddly reminiscent of an iconic scene from the 1986 comedy Crocodile Dundee in which the film’s protagonist is approached by a would-be robber wielding a knife. Dundee responds to the threat chuckling and saying, “That’s not a knife,” then producing a formidable blade of his own and saying “This is a knife!”

Although Edgar has not been convicted of a crime in relation to the above-described incident, his “just kidding” claim will likely join the ranks of some of the most infamous boners in the annals of crime and punishment, including Ashland, Kentucky’s “Duct Tape Bandit.” In 2007, Kasey Kazee was arrested after he attempted to rob a local liquor store. NBC News reported that Kazee attempted to conceal his identity by wrapping a large quantity of duct tape around his entire head and face. The intended robber was chased outside of the store and subdued by an employee until police arrived. Kazee maintained his innocence in a jailhouse interview despite the fact that the police had publicly released humiliating video and photos of the painful removal of his homemade disguise. The Ashland man was later convicted of charges related to the robbery and sentenced to prison.

Then there’s the case of Massachusetts resident Michael Boyd, who got into a shootout with police in 2008. The Metro West Daily News reported on Boyd’s trial, which included a number of regrettable admissions from Boyd, including that he got into the standoff intentionally, in an effort to prove a point to his girlfriend. Boyd also claimed that he didn’t remember shooting at the police but if he had done so, it was an “accident.”

Granted, this veritable rogues’ gallery of “epic fails” doesn’t include any characters that rise to the level of rap mogul Suge Knight, who now sits in jail awaiting trial on murder charges. Earlier today, Knight collapsed in court after learning that he’d be required to post $25 million in order to secure his pretrial release. Too bad the judge in Knight’s case didn’t share Virgil Edgar’s flair for jocularity, as he could’ve lightened the mood in the courtroom with a well-timed “just kidding!”