Armed Robbery Suspect Arrested After Customers Help Keep Him in Store
Officers were able to arrest an armed robbery suspect accused of stealing vaping products from a gas station store in Puyallup, Washington, after the store clerk and several customers prevented him from leaving.
Bodycam footage released by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department shows deputies detaining the suspect inside the store while yelling at him to put his hands behind his back. At one point during his arrest, the suspect can be heard admitting that he has a firearm in his belt.
Police said the store clerk told them the suspect had approached the window with a gun visible in his waistband and began stealing vapes.
“The clerk was scared and locked the door to keep the suspect from escaping,” police said in a press release, adding that “other citizens in the store also helped by blocking the suspect’s way.”
The suspect was taken into custody for robbery in the first degree, unlawful possession of a firearm, obstruction, and resisting arrest, police said. Credit: Pierce County Sheriff via Storyful
Video Transcript
- Go turn around.
- Under arrest?
- [? Yeah. ?] [INAUDIBLE]
DARREN MOSS JR: At 9:43 PM on March 9th, our deputies responded to an unknown trouble call at the Chevron food mart at 11802 Meridian East in South Hill. Our deputies arrived on scene and saw customers waiting outside the locked doors of the business and several people standing inside. When the clerk opened the doors, he told them the man in black was stealing.
- [INAUDIBLE]
- We're in the food mart at the gas station.
- He tried took a couple of things, and I can't [INAUDIBLE].
- Go turn around.
- Under arrest?
- Yeah. [INAUDIBLE]
- OK. Please.
- Stop resisting. You're going to go on the ground.
- OK. OK. I'm sorry. What is happening, bro?
- Put your hands behind your back.
- What did I do?
- Put your hands behind your back!
- Yes, ma'am.
- Now.
- Yes, ma'am.
- Do it.
- Yes, ma'am.
- Do it now.
- Yes, ma'am.
- Put them behind your back.
- Ow.
- Put your hands behind your [BLEEP] back!
- Right here. Right here.
- Now!
- I'm sorry. I'm sorry!
- [INAUDIBLE]
- Here. Here. Here. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
[CHATTER]
[INAUDIBLE]
[CHATTER]
- [BLEEP] reaching for?
- My phone.
- Stand by. We're trying to detain somebody.
[CHATTER]
- I'm sorry
- [INAUDIBLE] patting down there.
- Ma'am.
- There's something in his pocket.
- Ma'am, hold on.
- [INAUDIBLE]
- Can I tell you something?
- Let's get one more here.
- Wait. Wait, wait, wait. Please.
- Stay down.
- Can I tell you something really quick?
- Yeah, you can say something, but keep your face down.
- Ma'am, I'm not going to move. I'm not going to do anything.
- What's in your pocket?
- It's in the front of my belt.
- What is?
- A firearm.
- [BLEEP] Reaching for a firearm?
- No.
- No. You were [BLEEP].
- [? No. ?] I promise.
- [BLEEP]
- I'm not.
- [? 461. ?] He does have a firearm.
DARREN MOSS JR: Watch one more time as you see the suspect reach for his waistband.
- Do it now.
- Yes, ma'am.
- [? Hands ?] behind your back.
DARREN MOSS JR: After the arrest, deputies were able to speak to the clerk, who told them the suspect had entered the store earlier, left, and come back a second time. The suspect came up to the window and had a gun displayed in his waistband and started stealing vapes. The clerk was scared and locked the door to keep the suspect from escaping. And other citizens in the store also helped by blocking the suspect's way.
The suspect threatened to shoot them if they didn't open the door. This suspect was booked into the Pierce County Jail for robbery in the first degree, unlawful possession of a firearm, obstruction, and resisting arrest. This was a very close call that could have been much worse. But thanks to their training and their quick reaction, these deputies stopped the suspect from pulling his gun out and using it on them or anyone else. Outstanding job, deputies. [IMITATING PUNCHING SOUNDS]
- I heard him say shoplifting. And then she's like, OK. Yeah, man. Turn around. And as we went, as I grabbed his arms, he immediately tensed up. And I was like, don't do it, and then he like started to go for the door. And Sydney, like, I don't know what we did, but he just went face first down.
[LAUGHTER]
- Yeah.
