Late last month, a man in Oregon intended to rob a convenience store with his weapon of choice being a 12-inch hatchet, but his plan backfired.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office just released the surveillance video of the April 28 incident at the Oak Grove Plaid Pantry, where a man entered the store at around 1 a.m., approached the counter, and brandished a hatchet, KGW8 News reported.
What the would-be robber didn’t know was that the clerk was going to pull a gun on him in return.
He wore a “green ski mask, a black hooded jacket, khakis, and dark shoes with white soles,” KGW8 News stated.
The clerk held the gun on the suspect and proceeded to call 911 and when he did the “robber slid the hatchet across the counter, put his hands up and reportedly said, “I’m sorry. I’ll leave,” and tried to flee the store, KOIN 6 News reported.
The clerk told the robber to get on his knees with his hands in the air, which he did but then he had the chance to run away and he did just that.
Police said the suspect fled on foot, in an eastbound direction on SE Roethe Road.
First responders were not able to locate the suspect who is described as a Hispanic male, early 20s, and around five foot five inches tall.
The suspect put the hatchet down on the counter and told the clerk, “I’m sorry. I’ll leave.” https://t.co/OBoHOPTnbj
— KENS 5 (@KENS5) May 25, 2019
The clerk was terminated from his position.
The president of Plaid Pantry, Jonathan Polansky said the firm has a zero-tolerance policy for any employee that possesses a weapon at work. He added that employees are trained to de-escalate robbery situations and avoid confronting robbers to avoid injury.
“In the event a robbery does occur, the focus shifts entirely to non-resistance, cooperation, and violence avoidance for the safety of our employees and customers,” Polonsky told The Oregonian.
The firing of the clerk has social media users outraged, with many arguing that by presenting the firearm, he successfully deescalated the situation.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office hopes the public might be able to provide help in identifying the suspect. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
In a news release, Sgt. Marcus Mendoza said to the suspect, “We’d like to reunite you with the hatchet you left behind after the clerk responded with a handgun and a 911 call and you fled the scene,” Fox News said.
