Monday, October 24, 2011

Police: Ledes That Are Good/Gooder/Goodest

This was a lede that hit the essentials just right:

An Okemos man was charged with armed robbery and resisting a merchant after a failed attempt on a Jiffy Foods early this morning.

While it includes everything that happened this morning, it left out something that was happening right now: that a suspect was still on the loose. Was that necessary in the lede? Maybe not. But this next lede weaved in that angle:

A local man has been arrested and another suspect is still on the loose following an alleged attempted armed robbery earlier today.

Still, I feel like there's something missing. Think Peanut Barrel. What makes this story unique? That somebody tried to rob a store? Or that the robber was beaten back by a dude in a cast? This next lede gets to the latter:

Despite having injuries from a previous accident, a Jiffy Foods clerk was able to single-handedly fend off two armed robbers in an attempted robbery that took place early this morning.

Now it's your turn. Which lede works the best, and why?

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