(MO) Grocer foils robber in fatal holdup, police say

[Drizzt]

Grocer foils robber in fatal holdup, police say

By BILL BRYAN
01/15/2003 12:00 AM
AND TIM BRYANT
Of the Post-Dispatch


A market owner used one hand to knock away the barrel of a sawed-off shotgun pointed at his face and the other to draw his pistol from under a counter and fatally shoot a robber Tuesday, St. Louis police said.

It happened about 12:30 p.m. at the Michigan Market, 6601 Michigan Avenue.

The owner of the business is Martin D. McLafferty, 40. His wife said later Tuesday that he had fired the shot and was being interviewed by police.

The wounded man, 22, of Jennings, fled with an accomplice and died later, police said. He was shot in the abdomen with a .357 Magnum handgun.

Police said they jumped into a waiting pickup driven by a third man. The trio drove to the 700 block of West Schirmer Avenue, where the wounded man's aunt lives, and authorities were notified.

Police arrested the two suspected accomplices, brothers 22 and 25, and planned to seek charges against them today.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...ocer foils robber in fatal holdup, police say

 

[TallPine]

I'm sure glad that the "experts" have told me that I am better off to not resist a criminal or try to defend myself with a gun ....

otherwise I wouldn't have known that.

 

[KMKeller]

A market owner used one hand to knock away the barrel of a sawed-off shotgun pointed at his face and the other to draw his pistol from under a counter and fatally shoot a robber

Now THAT took some cojones!

 

[Greybeard]

Quote: Now THAT took some cojones!

Yep, and some big-time belief in "one shot stop" stats with .357.

 

[David Scott]

Hey, you use what you got. The guy had a .357, which in my book is one of the better choices for gut-shooting a bad guy at handshake range. If shot #1 doesn't make the BG break off the attack, you can always pull the trigger again.

Yeah, it took cojones, any armed encounter does. My hat's off to the shopkeeper.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Wouldn't that be a good drill? Push aside a simulated shotgun, draw gun from beneath the counter and shoot? I'll teach the first session at Hamburger High or Hamburger University.

Because the shopkeeper didn't heed the experts, he has to live with the guilt of saving his own life and of shooting a naughty man. Oh, the humanity!

 

[dance varmint]

Is Missoura a state where the accomplices in a robbery resulting in death can be charged with the murder of this POS? That'd be nice, and if there's justice they would get the chair for it (not likely).

 

[Dennis Olson]

One less scum-sucking criminal. Works for me...

 

[Jim V]

Another story that warms my little heart.