Fort Smith, Arkansas



From the Fort Smith Times Record of August 26, 2004

Store Clerk Fires Gun At Robber



An armed man was making his getaway after robbing a Fort Smith convenience store Wednesday night when a store clerk drew a gun and began firing at the robber, police said.



The robbery occurred at Mr. Jiff, 5307 Towson Ave. Police said a man armed with a large-caliber handgun walked into the store shortly before 9 p.m., pointed the gun at the clerk on duty and demanded money.



The robber left the store with a cash register drawer containing an undetermined amount of money, Fort Smith police Capt. Donald Howard said. The man got into a vehicle described as a red sports coupe and was last seen driving east on Vicksburg Street.



As the robber was driving away, the clerk ran out of the store with a handgun and fired three shots at the vehicle, Howard said. Police found no signs that the vehicle or the robber were hit, but area hospitals were notified in case the man was injured and sought treatment, he said.

A subsequent article reports that the clerk is a retired police officer. No subsequent stories suggesting that he has been charged have been found.