Riviera Beach, Florida

From the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel of April 16, 2007

Robbery suspect healing after victim shot him, police say

Craig Adams picked the wrong man to rob, police said. The proof was a 9mm bullet lodged in his stomach from his own gun.

About 4:30 a.m. on April 8, a hooded Adams allegedly walked up to Lynn Brown, 28, who was pumping gas at the Chevron gas station at 1000 West Blue Heron Blvd. According to a police report, Brown said, "What's up," but became concerned when Adams didn't answer.

Police said Adams, who turned 24 in county jail Saturday, then pointed a stolen 9 mm at Brown and said, "You know what time it is."

Brown grabbed the slide portion of the semiautomatic gun and the two struggled. The gas station clerk called 911 to report the fight. Adams, standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 175 pounds, fought with Brown, who is about the same size, and at one point slammed him against the car, police said.

But Brown didn't let go of the gun,and a round was fired into Adams' stomach, police said. Adams ran from the gas station with his hands up. Brown dropped the gun and ran to his car to get his .45 caliber, for which he has a valid license, police said. He called police, then waited to see whether Adams would return with friends, he told police.

"Even though I'm happy for the victim, he played a real dangerous role in this," Detective Sgt. Patrick Galligan said. "The best thing to do is give the money. But I've got to applaud the gentleman."

Galligan said people should get a good description of a suspect and the license tag number of the suspect's car and leave the rest up to police. Brown declined to be interviewed, saying through a friend that he feared retaliation. Both Brown and Adams are from Riviera Beach.

Police sent out an alert to other police departments to search local hospitals for someone matching the suspect's description. Just after 5 a.m., Atlantis police called Riviera Beach police to say they may have found the suspect at JFK Medical Center.

Adams was later taken by medical personnel to Delray Medical Center for surgery.

At JFK Medical Center, Riviera Beach detectives interviewed the three people who had brought Adams to the hospital: Tera Bradley, 21, Brittany Hightower, 20, and Jordan Lameille, 22. Their stories were inconsistent, police said, but they all said Adams had been shot in a gas station west of Lantana, not Riviera Beach.

Brown identified Adams -- who pleaded guilty to grand theft auto in 2005 -- through a photo lineup. The struggle was caught on surveillance camera at the gas station, police said.

Adams was charged with attempted robbery with a firearm, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, committing a felony with a firearm and grand theft of a firearm.

After undergoing surgery, Adams was booked into the hospital wing of the county jail Wednesday and held without bail. He was scheduled to have his first appearance before a judge today.