From News14Charlotte.com of August 21, 2005
Gas station clerk shoots suspect
A convenience store clerk shot a man who was trying to rob the store early Sunday morning.
Witnesses called police after a man entered the Express Mart on the 3400 block of Wilkinson Boulevard around 6:40 a.m. They said a confrontation was going on between the clerk and the man on the property.
“We do know that the clerk fired shots in self-defense and one of the rounds did strike the suspect,” said Sgt. Steve Huber, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Freedom Division.
The man fled from the store on foot, but police tracked him down just a few blocks away. With the help of a canine unit, they had the man in custody in under a half hour.
“We were searching for him and fortunately for us when he got to wherever he was going he realized that he had been shot and he ended up calling the police to report that he had been shot,” Huber said.
The suspect was transported to the hospital but his injuries are not life-threatening. Police said he faces charges for attempted robbery and could face additional charges.
The store clerk sustained minor injuries during the incident. He received treatment from paramedics at the scene.
Police said store clerks are allowed to carry a gun as long as they have permission from the store owner. Witnesses said the clerk not only had a gun, but was also wearing a bulletproof vest.
John Kennedy, an employee at another service station on Wilkinson Boulevard, said clerks have to be careful.
“If it’s something you can afford and have access to, if you are a store clerk, it would be money well-spent,” Kennedy said of the vest.
Police said they understand why robbers are drawn to such stores.
“You are working in a location with money that is open 24 hours a day, and those that want the money and they know you are open on Sunday morning – the suspects naturally go where the money is,” Huber said.
The incident was not the first time police have responded to a call to the store. Police reports show officers have been called there 51 times since the start of the year.
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