Chattanooga, Tennessee

From Chattanooga’s WDEF.com of December 31, 2005

Armed Robber Hits Highway 58 Store

Clerk Fights Back

"He had fully intended on killing me... when he asked for- said open the register, he was coming straight at me with the knife just like this," explains American R-V Supplies clerk Henry Wooden.

But Wooden did not give in. Manning his son's shop by himself, he scuffled with the robber, then reached for the gun he keeps just for this reason.

"When he heard it rack, all he said was what's that and he seen it. He turned, knocked stuff over and ran out the door," he said.

Wooden and other employees at this strip mall say they saw the suspect walking back and forth in front of their stores today- almost as if he was casing the place.

Tabitha Colston, of K&G Hair Salon said, "Kathy the owner called me... she said that he was tall thin, African-american and he had a hoodie on and to be careful because he was walking back and forth."

Perhaps looking for an easy target- a lone clerk in an empty store. Employees say the same thing happened Christmas eve at Cingular Wireless just two doors down.

"Both of them with a knife and the person they described- so yes I do think it's related," Colston pointed out.

Police thought they had found the man responsible just down the street a short time later, but it wasn't, although that driver was arrested.

"My children come down here with me a lot in the evening time to do hair and stuff. And it's kind of getting to the point where none of us want to be here by ourselves," Colston said.

For now, many lock the doors between customers. But Wooden says it won't change the way he and his son do business.

He warned, "This is a quote to whoever. They had one chance. The second chance they don't walk away or run away."

Chattanooga Police say the man arrested down the street had been wanted for other outstanding warrants.