Las Vegas Convenience store manager uses his CCW to foil a robbery/kidnapping.

[Squawker]

After escaping from his ties, a convenience store manager shot 2 robbers, killing one. He had a valid Nevada CCW permit, and will not be charged. The store's customers called him a hero.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_ho.../11822416.html


CONVENIENCE STORE SHOOTOUT: Manager kills suspect

Customers call man hero in robbery scare

By LAWRENCE MOWER
REVIEW-JOURNAL


Click image for enlargement.



North Las Vegas police investigate a shooting at the American Mini Market on Las Vegas Boulevard, north of Carey Avenue. A store manager shot two robbery suspects Friday afternoon, killing one.
Photo by John Gurzinski.



A robbery attempt Friday at the American Mini Market on Las Vegas Boulevard left one suspect dead and another with injuries that were not life-threatening after the manager exchanged gunfire with the suspects. No one else was injured in the incident.
Photo by Ralph Fountain.

A convenience store manager shot and killed a robbery suspect and injured another Friday after the men entered his North Las Vegas store and took the manager and several customers hostage.

The two suspects held up the American Mini Market at 2564 Las Vegas Blvd. North on Friday afternoon, North Las Vegas police said. Then, the robbery suspects bound the store manager and several customers using zip ties and tried to rob them, police said.

Advertisement




The manager, whose name was not released, escaped from the ties and retrieved a gun stashed inside the store. Shortly after 2 p.m., the manager exchanged "a bunch" of shots with the suspects, North Las Vegas police spokesman Tim Bedwell said.

Both of the suspects were hit with gunfire.

One of suspects stumbled out of the store and died in the parking lot, Bedwell said. The other, whose name also was not released, was hit in the lower extremities and fled on foot, leaving a trail of blood, he said.

The suspect was caught by police and taken to University Medical Center, where he was treated for injuries that were not life-threatening, Bedwell said. Police said the man could be charged with robbery and murder once he recovers from his wounds. Under Nevada law, a suspect in a felony crime in which a person dies can be charged with murder even if their actions didn't directly cause the death.

No one else was injured in the shooting.

"This is how we like these incidents to end up," Bedwell said.

The customers called the manager a hero.

"He saved us all," said 27-year-old Kevin Aden, who was in the store when the suspects came in.

Aden said that he and the other people in the store were tied up for about 10 to 15 minutes in the back room as the suspects robbed them and the store.

Aden, a tobacco company sales representative, said he was not supposed to have been at the store at the time. He was traveling north on Las Vegas Boulevard on Friday morning, stopping at convenience stores to restock cigarettes when he accidentally skipped the American Mini Market.

"I just decided to go back there in the afternoon," he said. "That was a bad idea."

Police said there were conflicting reports from witnesses about the number of suspects in the incident. Bedwell said there might have been a driver of a getaway car and others involved in the robbery. Police planned to look at video surveillance footage to see whether others were involved, he said.

Police said they believe the two men who held up the American Mini Market were involved in a similar robbery at a convenience store on Thursday night.

Bedwell said customers at a store on Lake Mead Boulevard, just west of Pecos Road, about 1.5 miles from the American Mini Market, were bound with zip ties and robbed on Thursday night.

There were four suspects in that incident, he said. They had a "cavalier" attitude during the incident, similar to the attitude described by witnesses during Friday's holdup, police said.

"Witnesses reported they were laughing and joking in there (the convenience store) with their guns," Bedwell said.

During Thursday night's holdup, Bedwell said one of the suspects would stand near the store entrance with a gun behind his back. As customers entered the store, the man would put a gun to their head, walk them to the back of the store and bind them with zip ties, Bedwell said.

"That is as dangerous a situation going on as could possibly occur," he said.

Bedwell said police weren't considering charging the store manager in Friday's shooting of the robbery suspects.

"The initial impression of everybody is this was a justifiable shooting," he said.

"In a situation where their business gets robbed and the suspects flee, you can't chase them down and shoot them," he said. "It doesn't look like anything like that happened today."

Bedwell said the store manager's gun was registered and the witnesses' opinion that the manager is a hero could be accurate.

"If everything holds up true ... then yeah, he is a hero," Bedwell said.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[falcon1]

"This is how we like these incidents to end up," Bedwell said.

That is surprising candor...I'm glad all of the victims are unharmed.

[Blackeagle]

"This is how we like these incidents to end up," Bedwell said.

Definitely an unusually candid statement, without all of the usual, "don't fight back, don't carry a gun" BS.

It sounds like the manager did a fine job. Copious amounts of gunfire sounds like just what these robbers needed (who says you can't get good customer service at a stop'n'rob ). Seems like the cops and DA are doing a good job on this one as well. I like it when I hear they're contemplating felony murder charges against the accomplice rather than hassling someone who defended themselves.

From the description it sounds like the manager didn't have his weapon on him at the beginning of the incident. Hopefully the experience of being zip-tied at gunpoint will prompt him to always keep it at hand. If he hadn't managed to get loose this could have ended very badly.

[randytulsa2]

This situation ended up exactly the way it should have.

More of these = less crime and fewer criminals.

But there are so many idiots who would have denied the guy the opportunity to save the day. Fools.

[TN_Mike]

What a great outcome to this story! This guy is a true hero in every sense of the word.

If I lived in that city I would drive across town if I had to just to support his business.

And I agree with what others have said, it is surprising to see any police officer go on record saying that this is the way they like to see these types of situations turn out. I wish more LEO's would actually say that.

[produman]

This man is a true hero. Just hope all is well with him.

[bullseye]

From what i've heard about LV LEO needs all the help they can get. Nothing against the LEO, just alot of BG's in LV. Good job to the Manager he's a hero in my book.

[Tom G]

Two more we don't have to worry about.The convenience store manager did his good deed for the day. A lot of innocent people could have been hurt or killed.The bad guys don't hesitate to kill witnesses.

[NCHornet]

Give that manager a raise so he can buy a holster to have his sidearm on him at all times.BG's have their own network of information so now the news is out that the manager of that store is armed it is not likely to get robbed again anytime soon, but who said criminals were smart. I think this manager should receive some type of award. It would be real sad if he lost his job after this because the store owner is anti-gun, I have heard of this happening before.

[jofrdo]

Let's hope the follow-up isn't that the store manager gets fired for violating a corporate no-guns policy. He should get a bonus for saving the lives of the customers.

[country85]

As the witness said a true hero. And one the tax payers will not have to support. The anti crowd will remain silent on this one.

[Shizzlemah]

*lol* and the surviving BG gets charged with murder. Probably manslaughter would be more apt, but hey good for him :)

[NevJohn]

I was in contact with one of the NLVPD LEO's and come to find out, the second suspect that was wounded...... well, lets say, he'll be using a "colonosophy" bag from now on. Seem the round that hit him, hit him in the A$$ and came out the front, taking out a portion of his ! You get my drift??? Punishment is dealt is unusual ways, at times!!

[retsupt99]

always glad to hear about a citizen successfully defending himself and others.
Two more scumbags off the street...

Stay armed...stay safe!

ret

[peacefuljeffrey]

During Thursday night's holdup, Bedwell said one of the suspects would stand near the store entrance with a gun behind his back. As customers entered the store, the man would put a gun to their head, walk them to the back of the store and bind them with zip ties, Bedwell said.

"That is as dangerous a situation going on as could possibly occur," he said.

Given the nature of what they were doing, it sounds like they were dangerous indeed.

A great good was done on the day that one of them was shot and killed, and the other one maimed. (It's very very gratifying to learn that his plumbing's all *(&^#'d up for life. He's probably wishing he was the one who was killed! )

I was thinking also that the manager was VERY VERY lucky: first, that he was even able to free himself from his bonds; second, that he was given the opportunity to do it without being noticed by the robberscum; third, that he was able to get to where the gun was "stashed," and also that it was discovered before he got his chance.

I sure hope he gets a holster and carries on his person from now on. I'm pretty sure he must now understand the importance of doing so.