Alabama: Dothan pizza delivery man fends off robber with gunfire

Dothan, Alabama

From Dothan Eagle of October 6, 2008

Dothan pizza delivery man fends off robber with gunfire

Victor Greenwood said he plans to take a week off work after a man attacked him with a brick as he tried to deliver a pizza.

Greenwood, 32, said although the incident left him traumatized, he managed to escape with only minor injuries. He said he suffered a cut on the shoulder and was left a little sore. Moments after the assault dropped the pizza and hot wings, and opened fire with his pistol.

“As soon as I got back down the stairs, one of them hit me in the head with a brick,” Greenwood said. “A few seconds later, he was charging me. I dropped the food and grabbed my pistol.”

Dothan police Capt. Larry Draughon said Khiry Terrel Beachum, 18, of East Lafayette Street, suffered a gunshot wound to the leg during the robbery, and was caught shortly afterward by police. Police are still looking for Michael Pope, who they say ran after gunfire erupted. Police said the robbery happened about 10 p.m. Sunday in the 400 block of East Crawford Street. Police said Beachum was treated and released from Southeast Alabama Medical Center for an injury to lower right leg.

Both men were charged with first-degree armed robbery.

Greenwood said he’s worked for Hungry Howie’s Pizza for five years and had never been robbed until Sunday night. But he said the two men didn’t get a chance to steal anything.

“It was either me or him,” Greenwood said. “If they’d got me on the ground, it would’ve been over.”

Greenwood said he saw the two men sitting on the steps of what he believed to be a bogus address. After he found no answer at the door, he walked toward his car when he was attacked with the brick.

“I just felt like my life was in danger because I knew there was two of them and they had bricks,” Greenwood said. “I just feel sorry for the kid, but they’re going to have to learn not endanger somebody’s life.”

Alan Hodges, general manager of Hungry Howie’s Pizza, said he had another delivery person robbed earlier this year on Cougar Drive. Hogdes added Crawford Street to a list of streets across the city that the business will not deliver food after 5 p.m. for what Hodges called safety concerns.

“I’m glad he’s all right,” Hodges said, who was a delivery man before he became manager. “He’s a hero to a lot of delivery people. They risk their lives to deliver their food.”