Three shot in exchange between Robber and Merchant

[BluesBear]

Three shot in Beacon Hill grocery store

09:48 PM PST on Thursday, November 20, 2003

Associated Press


SEATTLE - A man who attempted to rob a small grocery store Thursday fired a shot that first wounded the store owner, then ricocheted into a male customer, police said. The owner then shot and wounded the robber.

A man believed to be an accomplice of the wounded robber was arrested later.

The armed intruder and the customer were taken to Harborview Medical Center following the shootings at the La Bodequita store in the Beacon Hill neighborhood, police spokeswoman Deanna Nollette said.

Nollette said the store owner was hit in the hand.

The store owner wounded the intruder in the face and abdomen.

The man ran out of the store, but collapsed nearby.

Condition reports on the intruder and customer were not available from the hospital, although local television stations reported they were seriously injured.

The man believed to be an accomplice had been waiting in a vehicle in an alley behind the store, Nollette said Thursday night.

Jose L. Ponce, 23, of Burien, was booked into jail for investigation of robbery and assault, she said.

***********

I just watched this on our 11 o'clock news and there are a few updates and corrections.

They reported that it was a successful robbery, that the clerk and owner had given the robber the money. As he turned to leave he stopped, turned back and started shooting. The owner then shot the BG and the BG crawled out the door.

Just goes to show that even when you do what the BGs want it can still turn bad. Ever be vigilant.

 

[c_yeager]

Yeah, comply with the guy and everything will be just fine. I wonder why people believe that crap? Could it possibly be that people who commit armed robbery are CRIMINALS and tend to exibit criminal behavior? nah.

========================

3 shot as robber, merchant exchange gunfire at store

By Michael Ko
Seattle Times staff reporter


ALAN BERNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Investigators examine the scene of a Beacon Hill store where three people were shot yesterday after a robbery.

Three people were injured after a robbery yesterday on Beacon Hill turned into a gunfight between the robber and a store owner.

The incident, which left the gunman, the store owner and a customer injured, began about 2:20 p.m. at La Bodeguita, a specialty foods store at 2528 Beacon Ave. S.

The robber, who police said was seriously injured, was taken to Harborview Medical Center. The customer was in serious condition at Harborview, but the owner was not seriously hurt. Police think the robber had help, and they later arrested a 20-year-old Burien man on investigation of robbery and assault. Seattle police spokeswoman Deanna Nollette said he was in a vehicle in an alley behind the store during the robbery.

Nollette said the robber walked into the store, flashed a handgun and demanded money. The owner complied and handed over cash from the till, she said.

But something happened that prompted the suspect to shoot the owner, Nollette said. The owner was struck in the hand, and the bullet hit a nearby customer in the face or shoulder area, Nollette said.

The owner, a 58-year-old man who opened the store about five years ago, pulled out his own handgun and fired back. He hit the robber at least three times, police said. Police and witnesses said the robber appeared to have blood on his face, abdomen and back.

The robber staggered out of the store and got about 25 feet before collapsing in front of a nearby restaurant, said E.J. Diaz, who was working at a medical clinic across the street.

"I heard a bang. ... Then I looked out the window and I saw him crawling," Diaz said. "I thought he was drunk. But I saw his back, covered in blood, and I called 911."

Aid crews arrived and took the suspect to Harborview.

Another customer who was in the store at the time of the shooting was not hurt.


"The owner cooperated; he de-escalated the situation," Nollette said. "So we're looking at why the suspect fired rather than leave."

Police aren't sure if the owner and the suspect knew each other.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001797396_beacon21m0.html

(edited to include link)

 

[tyme]

[blockquote]"The owner cooperated; he de-escalated the situation," Nollette [Seattle police spokesperson] said.[/blockquote]
How can she say that handing over money de-escalated the situation? The perp didn't put his gun away. It may have prevented immediate escalation, but it didn't de-escalate anything; shooting started moments later.

Hopefully the accomplice will take a look at his buddy and decide a life of crime may not be such a good idea.

 

[Andrew Rothman]

The person quoted evidently meant to say, "the owner attempted to de-escalate the situation."

People being quoted don't always have the benefit of thinking out the exact phraseology as we do here.

Sounds like the owner handled the situation as well as he possibly could have.

 

[Andrew Rothman]

Duplicate thread: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=50981

 

[Old Fuff]

The storeowner is held up at gunpoint. He tries to avoid a confrontation by complying with the robber. However for some unknown reason the robber shoots him, and in the process also wounds a customer. It is speculated by the police that the owner and robber might have known each other. If this was the case it is possible the robber didn’t intend to leave any living witnesses - store owner or customers. Given this possibility the storeowner not only had a right, but a responsibility to defend himself and the customers if he could. If the robber did indeed intend to kill all of those who were present it is unlikely any police officer would have arrived in time to make a difference.

In reviewing the story I’d say the storeowner acted correctly, and apparently made three hits out of three shots on his intended target even though he had a wounded hand. I wonder how this story would have read if it had happened, as so many do, in one of those places that are gun-free zones so far as law abiding residents are concerned. Gun control advocates will not like this story at all.

 

[HABU]

Duplicate thread: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthre...&threadid=50981

Looks like someone is bucking for moderatorship.

I saw this story on the news last night. The moron reporter reported that the bullet ricoched off of the store owners hand and hit the customer.

 

[Fred Thompson]

I'd have to say the owner did "de-escalate" the situation by putting 3 into the BG...if not for that, how many other shots might the BG have fired? As it was, he was "discouraged" from firing any more than he did.

JUst my .02.

 

[Chupacabra]

From reading the story I would have to say it was a good shoot.

Hope the customer recovers fully.

 

[Carlos]

Too darned bad the de-escalation didn't include the perp's death, plain and simple.

My hopes for a speedy recovery to the store owner and the innocent bystander.

 

[Standing Wolf]

The robber, who police said was seriously injured, was taken to Harborview Medical Center.

The tax payers will get to pick up the tab.

 

[Preacherman]

The moron reporter reported that the bullet ricoched off of the store owners hand and hit the customer.

Hmmm... he obviously ran his store with an iron hand!

 

[Sven]

Seriously. He must have that Wonder Woman bracelet technology:

 

[Double Naught Spy]

According to some gov't stats from a couple of years ago, about 12-13% of such events (robberes, muggings, and the like) where there is compliance, the bad guys still attempt or do harm the victims and/or bystanders (such as other customers not being robbed, say at a bank or convenience store). With guns, it is by shooting, obviously, and in some cases, such as described above, they first start to leave, stop or come back, do the dirty deed and then leave.

I don't know about y'all, but 12-13% is not a good margin as the potential shootee.

tyme, how did giving up the money de-escalate the situation? No the bad guy did not put up the gun, but the idea is that compliance will bring satisfaction to the bad guy(s) who will then not do harm to the victims and bystanders. It does work sometimes as the robber ideally has no reason to try to harm the good guys, only if the robber feels the good guys have seen too much of him, or if he just feeds on people bowing to his power, he tries to harm/kill them anyway.

So compliance often does bring satisfaction to the bad guy who is then happy to toodle off with the valuables and statistically speaking, works well 87 OR 88% of the time. Sadly, compliance sucks 12-13%. I dont' know about y'all, but if I could just the lottry 12-13% of the time, I would play every time.

 

[c_yeager]

I think the point is that the guy did EVERYTHING that the brady bunch says will solve the problem and it didnt. Its a damn good thing for the store owner and the other patron in the store that he took his defense seriously.