Clerk fires shots at bandits

[barnez]

This happened yesterday in my town (Paris, Texas)

http://www.theparisnews.com/story.lasso ... 1f9453d91c

Clerk fires shots at bandits

Shots were fired Saturday morning during an attempted robbery of Speedy Cash in the 2300 block of Lamar Avenue.

However, police don't think anyone was injured.

"No one was struck," Sgt. Dale Wood of Paris Police Department said. "We still have one of the suspects out there, but we don't think he was hit."

A 29 -year-old man was arrested near the intersection of Southeast 22nd and Cleveland streets — about two blocks away — shortly after the attempted robbery, but a second suspect remained at large late Saturday.

"We have good leads," Wood said. "We're wrapping up this end and will be looking for the second suspect."

The investigation was not to the point Saturday where police could release much information about either suspect.

The two men probably had not expected the response they got when they assaulted the clerk and attempted to rob the loan business.

"Two male suspects went into the loan store and acted like they wanted to get a loan," Wood said.

The suspects jumped over a counter and started assaulting the clerk.

"The clerk picked up a gun and started firing," Wood said.

Investigators believe the clerk fired at least four rounds at the suspects as they fled the business.

Neither suspect displayed a weapon during the attempted robbery and the man arrested a short time later did not have a weapon, the police sergeant said.

Police credit two passing motorists with assisting in the apprehension of the suspect taken into custody.

"We had two passers-by who followed the suspects," Wood said. "They lost one, but they followed the other."

Wood said the suspect taken into custody was identified by five witnesses — the clerk, two employees at a neighboring business and the two motorists who followed him. The suspect also had evidence from the scene, the police sergeant said.

While there have been other robberies in which weapons were used, Wood said this is the first attempted robbery in Paris in which shots were fired since a clerk was shot in the head during a robbery at a convenience store at 20th and Lamar streets a number of years ago.

[phddan]

Good for the clerk!!!

Hope they catch the other punk.

Dan

[govnor]

I don't think of things like this happening in Paris, but I guess anything can happen anywhere.

[HKUSP45C]

I'm most impreesed with the total lack of the Local Police Potentate's quote of "We can't stress enough how dangerous this is, please just give them what they want and no one will get hurt. Do NOT try this yourself. This instance was merely luck ... move along ... nothing to see here."

The reporter must have left it out accidentally. That's the only explanation.

[Venus Pax]

I'm most impreesed with the total lack of the Local Police Potentate's quote of "We can't stress enough how dangerous this is, please just give them what they want and no one will get hurt. Do NOT try this yourself. This instance was merely luck ... move along ... nothing to see here."

Maybe that's why they don't have many robberies.

[Paladin]

I'm most impreesed with the total lack of the Local Police Potentate's quote of "We can't stress enough how dangerous this is, please just give them what they want and no one will get hurt. Do NOT try this yourself. This instance was merely luck ... move along ... nothing to see here."

Maybe that's why they don't have many robberies.

+1, The authorities encouraging people to always cooperate with the BG's pushes the risk/reward equation into the BG's favor

[Venus Pax]

I don't think of things like this happening in Paris, but I guess anything can happen anywhere.

Sorry, took the wrong quote.
The instance of the willingness to fight back may be why they have a low crime rate. I've read from several different sources that criminals do not want their target to fight back. They'll choose a different person to mess with if they think this is a high probability. I've always suspected that this is why people in rural environments don't tend to have the high crime rate--most are aware that these people will not be compliant victims.