Many armed robbers seem to think that liquor stores are easy marks for making some fast cash. But armed owners and clerks frequently turn the table on the bad guys, as seen in these six stories.
When a man entered Lisa’s Beer and Wine with a gun around 9 p.m. and demanded money, the store clerk complied. He handed over small bills from the cash register, but the robber was not satisfied and ordered the clerk to open the safe. He then demanded that the clerk kneel on the ground while he took cigarettes from the store shelves. That’s when the store clerk took action. He drew a firearm and fired, striking the robber in the hand. The robber dropped his gun and fled the scene with cash in hand. The store clerk remained unharmed. (Dallas News, Dallas, Texas, 4/22/14)
Jon Alexander was clerking at the Beer 30 liquor store in Marionville, Mo., when a man entered the store, drew a gun and pointed it at him. Alexander, a 30-year military veteran who served four tours in Iraq, immediately pushed the robber’s gun away with his left hand, drew a pistol with his right, and pointed it at the thief’s head, causing the robber to flee the store. Following the incident, the owner of the store, Jeannine Dawson, spoke with a local media outlet. Dawson explained that Alexander acted just as she would have predicted during the robbery, and stated that she enjoyed showing her friends the surveillance footage of the confrontation, noting, “They’re shocked when they see the robber pull a gun, but then they’re just delighted when Jon stops him.” (The Springfield News-Leader, Springfield, Mo., 9/3/13)
Store owner Arturo Taveras, 69, was working at McCann’s Liquors when a masked man entered, pulled a gun on him and demanded money. Taveras did not hesitate to draw his own firearm from his right hip and point it back at the would-be robber. When he saw Taveras’ gun, the attempted robber fled the premises. It was last reported that police were reviewing surveillance video and searching for the attempted robber. (The Eagle-Tribune, Lawrence, Mass., 6/4/13)
Zachary Rogers, 26, was working late one night at the 21st Amendment liquor store. It was just past midnight when an armed man wearing a ski mask entered the store and forced Rogers and another store employee, Alicia Grabarczyk, 25, down a hallway toward an office where the safe was kept. With a concealed handgun in his front pocket, Rogers chose his moment of opportunity carefully. In one quick motion, Rogers pushed Grabarczyk to the floor and fired at the armed robber. He then helped Grabarczyk into the office and out of the line of fire. Although the burglar had been struck, Rogers saw him raise his firearm. Rogers fired three more rounds at the gunman, which proved fatal. Neither Rogers nor Grabarczyk were harmed. (Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis, Ind., 10/11/12)
Just before 2 a.m., a 25-year-old man shot another man in the head at Bonnie’s Food and Spirits after he was asked to leave. He then fatally shot another customer outside the pub. When he pointed his pistol at Mark Ktytor, however, Ktytor produced his own firearm and fired multiple rounds, leaving the assailant in critical condition. The suspect will be charged with criminal homicide and attempted homicide upon his release from the hospital. (The Times-Tribune, Plymouth, Pa., 9/11/12)
The owner of the Quick Time Liquor Market fought back when Armand Isaac, 21, and Leonard Higgins Jr., 20, entered the store and attempted an armed robbery. As the store owner and Higgins struggled, Isaac fired a shot at the owner, barely missing his head. The owner then grabbed a pistol and shot Higgins twice, causing the men to quickly flee. Both men were later arrested at a local hospital as they sought medical treatment for Higgins’ gunshot wounds. (The Telegraph, Alton, Ill., 1/7/12)
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