Store Employees Chase Away Armed Robber In Brooklyn
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police say workers wielding bats chased away a suspect who tried to rob a Brooklyn deli at gunpoint.
The entire incident was caught on surveillance video. It happened last Thursday at a deli on Stanley Avenue.
As CBS2's Esha Ray reported, the video begins as a tense standoff between the suspect, customers and the workers behind the counter after police said the man walked into the store, pulled out a gun and demanded money.
In the video, the man can be seen pointing the gun at several people inside the store as one of the employees comes around with his hands in the air.
Then out of nowhere, a man behind the counter swings a bat at the gunman. The bat lands on the floor, but another employee picks it up and workers go after the suspect as he runs out the door.
"He came in and told me 'give me all the money or I shoot you in your face,' I said, 'okay, you need a lot of money too?' he said 'yes," Almonter Fares said.
Fares is the one who swung the bat. He said the gunman started shooting as he was pulling money out of the register, but said he knew it was all an act when no bullets came out of the gun.
"When I see no bullet, I said, 'I'm safe, now I do something," he said.
He and two others chased the man all the way to Linden Boulevard.
Fares said this was the first time anyone has tried to rob the deli.
Even though none of the workers were harmed, police say it's best not to take on an armed robber yourself, even if there are no bullets.
Neighborhood residents were split on the idea.
"I don't think so. You could have gotten shot and killed, so that wasn't a good idea, no," Dave said.
"You try to rob our store of course I'm going to chase you off," Mindy Glover countered.
As for the suspect, police said he got away empty-handed.
He is described as a black man between the ages of 20 and 30, 5'10" tall and weighing around 160 pounds. Police said he was wearing a dreadlock wig, a dark-colored hooded sweater, dark sweatpants and black sneakers.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
