Detailed picture of robbery in progress

[grady]

I'm posting this because of the picture in the story. It highlights how everyday life can turn bad in an instant. A lady is ringing up the cash register one moment, and an instant later has a gun pointed at her.

I've used Great Clips in the past, although not this particular store. Even when I started carrying, I carried into Great Clips. If you're unarmed, once you're in the chair, you're pretty vulnerable to a gunman.

I'm not sure how to post the picture here, but it's at the top of the story in the link.

Brazen gunman shops, asks for help, then robs Great Clips - STLtoday.com

Brazen gunman shops, asks for help, then robs Great Clips

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
07/23/2009

BRIDGETON -- A brazen gunman walked into a Great Clips store, asked a worker for help picking out beauty supplies then robbed the salon, police said today.

Bridgeton Police are searching for the gunman and provided a video to see if anyone recognizes the gunman, police said.

About 8:41 p.m., Wednesday, a man walked into the Great Clips at 12238 Saint Charles Rock Road and asked an employee to help him pick out two beauty items. Then, about five minutes later, as the employee was ringing up the items, the man pointed a dark-colored handgun and demanded all of the money out of the cash register, police said.

A second employee walked up to the register and pulled all of the money out before placing it into a plastic bag with the two beauty items and handing it to the gunman, the video shows.

The gunman is described as a white male in his late 20s or early 30s with blue eyes and short, reddish-blonde hair, police said. He is between six-feet and six-feet, two-inches tall with a slim build.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Bridgeton Police at 314-739-7557 or an anonymous tip line at 314-373-3867.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[shooterX]

I never fell vunerable once in the chair, my gun is accessible, might have to point shoot, but I feel I can get to it without much problem.

[retsupt99]

I never fell vunerable once in the chair, my gun is accessible, might have to point shoot, but I feel I can get to it without much problem.

Kind of tough when you have a 1911 already pointed at you......good luck with that 'grab'...I'm just sayin'...

What would bother me here is that the BG did not try to hide his face...not a good sign.

[grady]

I never fell vunerable once in the chair, my gun is accessible, might have to point shoot, but I feel I can get to it without much problem.

I agree with you if you are armed in the first place.

I wasn't very clear about it, but I meant one is especially vulnerable in a shooting-gallery type store such as Great Clips if one is unarmed.

I edited the OP to hopefully make it clearer.

[shooterX]

I agree with you if you are armed in the first place.

I wasn't very clear about it, but I meant one is especially vulnerable in a shooting-gallery type store such as Great Clips if one is unarmed.

Agreed, it wouldn't be easy, and I would only act if it looked like someone might get hurt, otherwise, I'd just be a good witness.

[grady]

Agreed, it wouldn't be easy, and I would only act if it looked like someone might get hurt, otherwise, I'd just be a good witness.

That's along the lines of what I was thinking.

However, if I was in the seating area with a family member, I might feel their safety was threatened enough to be proactive.

Yes, it would cost thousands, but my primary goal in life is to protect my family, not die with lots of money.

Keeping in mind the seating areas of Great Clips are very small, a shooter could take out innocents in a matter of a second or two. Yes, I think I might be proactive.

Reminds me I need to schedule that follow-up with my lawyer.

[NC Bullseye]

Witness if possible, if not then as required.

Interesting video and damn cool woman that took over to open the register. Kudos to her.

Did you notice that she not only put the money in the bag but the hair product that he was supposedly buying as well as the receipt? That was funny.

[Thumper]

I'll bet this guy gets caught... what a moron!

[tiwee]

Is there some security person that can explain why these camera locations are so high? I am not in the business, but it seems security cameras should be six foot high. One aimed at the door, one aimed at the cash register area, and the others could get a view from the attic.

[NC Bullseye]

Is there some security person that can explain why these camera locations are so high? I am not in the business, but it seems security cameras should be six foot high. One aimed at the door, one aimed at the cash register area, and the others could get a view from the attic.

1. Ease of wiring
2. Least noticeable
3. Avoids direct sun at certain times of day that washes out video
4. Mounting surfaces are not usually available at eye level
5. Out of most vandalizing range
6. Out of day to day traffic for cleaning, painting etc

[Phillep Harding]

7. Better view. The camera is less likely to be blocked by someone standing in front of it.

[Harvthesecon]

Now that is close to home. I just switched from Great Clips. My hair cutter gal moved to a different cutting joint. Since she's done such a great job keeping me trimmed up for the past 6 yrs I followed her.

I don't feel vulnerable as I always have my 1911 by my side.

[Sejune]

I've thought about this scenario before at my local hair dresser that I am a regular at. The one benefit of being in the chair getting your haircut is you are usually covered with the smock, which would allow you to draw easily under concealment. I did go in one day, and the stylist asked me to remove me overshirt (I was carrying my G30 in an OWB holster, using the shirt as my cover). He looked at me like I was weird for refusing to take it off, so he worked around it (wasn't my usual stylist).

[bbqgrill]

Did anyone else take the time to read the comments? What is wrong with the folks in St Louis, almost all of the comments were race based and race baiting rather than discussing the crime as a crime; I did not realize that St Louis is such a hotbed of bigotry.

[TX expat]

Is there some security person that can explain why these camera locations are so high? I am not in the business, but it seems security cameras should be six foot high. One aimed at the door, one aimed at the cash register area, and the others could get a view from the attic.

One other thing to consider is that cameras in that particular location are in place, for the most part, to monitor/control employee theft as opposed to armed robbery.