Note To Robbers: Don't Put The Gun Down & Count The Loot You Stole While Still In The Store

[DeSwiss]

Clerk Takes Robber's Gun

WRCB-TV News
August 9, 2007

A quick-thinking convenience store clerk taught a robber an important lesson in Albany, New York on Tuesday...never put down your gun. The clerk snatched a shotgun off of the counter after the robber put it down to count his loot. The gunman took off, but he quickly returned for his weapon and struggled with the clerk. All this was caught on a sophisticated store surveillance system.

It shows a masked robber as he walks in to the Quail Street News and Grocery about 5:15 a.m. and demands money from the register. "So I was slowing giving him first two 20 dollar bills and he said, 'Give me all the money.' I said, 'OK, calm down, take it easy, slow,'" explained store clerk Hafiz Alam. Unhappy with the bills being turned over in small amounts, the armed robber put the shotgun on the counter as he demanded more, faster. That allowed Alam to grab the weapon.

"It's more important to him he gets the money. I see that and I was thinking about 'Maybe I can grab this very quick. That's why I grabbed the gun," said Alam, who has been robbed twice before. The robber left the store with money, but no gun. That wasn't good enough, so he quickly came back, jumped the counter and struggled with Alam, who was trying to hold on to the shotgun while calling 911. The gun went off, putting a hole in the bottom of the wall but not injuring anyone. "After he said, 'Give me my gun back,' I said no," the clerk said. Alam says he told that robber, "If you come back I'm going to take your head off!"

A city sanitation worker saw the robber's license plate number, which allowed police to track him down. After a long standoff at his home police fired off a flash stun grenade to try to disorient the man. That didn't work, so they used tear gas as well. The suspect finally walked out the back door and was taken into custody. No one was injured. Police usually caution clerks and tellers not to confront or struggle with armed gunmen. When the robber regained his weapon he could have turned it on Alam, but fortunately, he did not.

http://www.wrcbtv.com/news/index.cfm?sid=10304

*** - See? This the problem you have when you try to use way too much firepower when you're robbing a store. I mean would he have had this problem if he hadn't been using a huge shotgun? And they're so hard to conceal in your pants too. And then there are those weird stares you get from a lot of girls when you have a shotgun in your pants. Like you're deformed or something.

But this is also another clear indication of the terrible state of education in our country. This was nothing more than a practical example of what happens when our children receive such poor math test scores. Of course they couldn't get the vote count right in Florida, how could they when our kids can't even count money as its being stolen?

This guy no doubt lost count in the store the same way he did when he was in Mrs. Slakenmeir's third grade class. Which led to him having to stay after school and clean the blackboards. Which then led to his poor social skills and bad attitude. Which then led to him robbing conveneince stores. Its vicious cycle.

While I'm certain he doesn't want my advice -- now, I think that when he gets to prison, he should take up some classes that'll lead to a profession that doesn't involve counting numbers. Say like.... oh, the polling statistician in the Bush Administration.......

[krispos42]

1. There was a lady once that tried to rob a bank...

with an electric chainsaw.

The clerk pointed out the fact that the electric chainsaw wasn't plugged in.

The lady left.

[DeSwiss]

2. I'm tellin ya.....

...there's nothin' like having the right tools for the job.

She could always cut firewoood for money, though.....

[krispos42]

3. There was one guy in California

(surprisingly, not Florida) that tried to rob a Bank of America. He walked in, went to the table, and wrote out his demands on a deposit slip. He got in line, but it was a long, slow-moving line, so after a few minutes he gets impatient and leaves.

He goes across the street. To a different bank.

This bank has shorter lines, so he's quickly at the teller. He hands the teller his list of demands.

The teller looked at him and explained that she could not accept the list of demands because it was written on another bank's deposit slip. She hands it back to him and apologizes for the inconvience.

The man takes the note and leaves.

Where did the cops find him?






Across the street, at the Bank of America, waiting in line.

:banghead:

[DeSwiss]

6. I remember when that happened....

....and yet a lot of people will tell you that persistence is a virtue. Of course, not being stupid helps too. :P

[Sherman A1]

4. As the wise man once told me

Being a thief... don't make ya smart.....

I ran a game store here in St. Louis for years. We were broken into a couple of times along the way (I have no clue as to why really). The funniest time was when the theif stole a bunch of collectible "Magic the Gathering" cards, when prying open a locked cabinet in the store office to see if any were there (they were not), he passed up an obvious cash box with about $50.00 that held extra change for the register. We never understood why, if you are already in the store stealing that you wouldn't at least take a bundle of ones and the fives with you?

Next time years later after we had closed down operations, but were still running out the lease doing clean up, we were broken into and the guy (who we later learned was the same one) came in stole all our loose dice, a 12 pack of Mtn Dew, my office trash can (which did piss me off) and nothing else because we there wasn't much else to steal. We again never understood just why one would break into a store that had been out of business for well over a month (did he expect to find anything of value)?

:banghead:

[DeSwiss]

8. I've been in business now since 90....

...managing a housing cooperative. Most of my problems with damage, petty theft and mischief are always kids. Or at least 90% of the time. I've been replacing mailboxes this summer. Boy, I'll be glad when school starts. So I feel ya....

[Auggie]

5. I heard of someone who tried to rob a bank in Fresno, CA while wearing his work

outfit. His name was embroidered on the shirt pocket. The business name was on the back.

[DeSwiss]

7. Yeah, but.....

...wasn't it a great advertising opportunity!

[Beerboy]

9. The clerk's name is Hafiz Alam!

It's kind of strange the article never mentions the status of the robber/terrorist. I wonder why that is? What kind of people in the press can never ever be portrayed in a negative light? Could it just possibly be white Christians? Who else but Christians gets portrayed in the press in anything other than a positive light?

[dennis00]

10. the clerk's name is half a salami?

I thought that had to do with the robbers IQ.

[hobbit709]

11. I'm convinced the world is getting stupider.

the intelligent people are the ones using birth control, the dumb ones breed like flies. A lot people can't count past 10 with their shoes on.

[DeSwiss]

12. It's in the water. n/t