Glad to hear you are OK and sending out a wish that the fiend gets caught.
I’ve often wondered how many people are really willing to kill someone over the contents of their wallet/purse, ie, how likely just saying, no, go mug someone else and walking away would be an effective response to a mugging.
A local news story is about a woman who was mugged in a park and the guy stabbed her after she handed over the wallet, so you never know what someone might do. Glad you’re okay.
I’m sure it would work most of the time, but are you willing to risk that one time when it won’t work?
Just before I became a banker there was a robbery in which the robber pulled a gun (or had a finger in his pocket) on the teller. The teller pulled his alarm and said “Oh yeah? Well I just pulled my alarm! What do you think of that, tough guy?” The robber fled.
There is karma sometimes. We had our house broken into many years ago. The cretins kicked in a basement window, and dropped in to the basement floor.
And landed in the cat’s litter box.
They still took about $500 worth of stuff. But I wish I could have seen the expression of the first guy in.
Edit: Glad to hear that you’re all right. Don’t be too concerned about the stuff - that’s all it is, is stuff. It can be replaced. And maybe the phone or something else will lead the police to the rock that this guy is hiding under.
Where were you in Seattle when you got mugged?
Thank you all for the kind (and funny) words! I wasn’t able to get to sleep until about 5:30 and I don’t even want to think of all the crap I have to do in the next couple of days.
I’d like to think that my voice was Dirty Merry but I have a feeling it wasn’t nearly that threatening. 
This happened on First Hill (Pill Hill) as I was walking home from work.
And I didn’t know what my instinct would be, but I literally walked (not ran) several blocks away before I could contact police. It’s just stuff and inconvenience. I wished I could have ran or fought. And no, I didn’t really think he wanted to shoot me, but he seemed just nervous enough I didn’t want to antagonize him, y’know? Nervous men with guns make accidents happen.
Did he take your cell phone? There’s a chance that GPS could be used to locate it…few months ago a group of guys were arrested, and the police used the guy’s GPS to track them. The guy will do time if he threatened to kill you.
Above all though, glad you’re okay
Been there, done that …recently, Merry. I’m glad you’re alright.
You robbed someone at gunpoint?
Maybe you can give Merry some tips on where to look for her stuff!
Regards,
Shodan
Wow, glad you are OK. I hope you get your things back, but I’m so glad you gave him what he wanted and stayed safe.
Nope…got mugged. Gangmember stole my phone.
Did you try calling him?
Not before I got it back ( Dumb stupid kids doing dumb stupid things + Police - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board )
Holy crap UB!
Off to the credit union, the Verizon store, etc. I’m going to save the photos for tomorrow, when maybe I haven’t been up so late.
Yeah, it was a winner of a day. 
The only think a little distance has done is change my mind, I’da pressed charges if I knew then what I know now. I bring it up because you sound a LOT like I felt after the incident.
If you don’t mind my asking, how did it go down? Did he step out from a doorstep, or around the corner? Or was he just walking down the street and got closer and presto…?
If this is too uncomfortable to answer please don’t, but I am curious.
So sorry to hear this, Merry. So glad you’re OK and that you were able to keep your composure.
He ran up behind me and since I heard him running I turned to face him and he pointed a semi-auto at my face. I played dumb just long enough that my friend heard him threaten to shoot me before he took my phone away.
Wow! How scary! I’m glad you weren’t hurt! I am sorry, however, that you have to deal with all the hassle now.
Take care.