YORK COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) — A clerk at a York County convenience store thwarted a robbery attempt Tuesday morning by shooting the suspect, according to officials.
The suspect was taken to a local hospital for treatment, officials said.
The Joe’s Kwik Marts in the 3900 block of George Washington Memorial Hwy. closed for the rest of the day after deputies spent hours scouring the crime scene for evidence. Deputies were notified of a robbery there around 9:15 a.m.
“That’s a very rare incident here where we have a robbery that actually involves a shooting,” said York-Poquoson Sheriff Ron Montgomery.
He told 10 On Your Side that the gas station was not busy when the suspect went inside.
“He did come in and announce that this was a robbery,” Montgomery said. “He actually did get money from the register and then was attempting to put the clerk into a bathroom.”
This is when the clerk got out a handgun and shot the suspect twice — in the abdomen and leg, Montgomery said. Deputies on scene did not find any weapon belonging to the suspect.
When WAVY asked for an update on the condition of the suspect Tuesday afternoon, sheriff’s office staff said the gunshot injuries are not life threatening.
Montgomery said a big part of their investigation is figuring out if the clerk had the legal right to use force. This involves talking with witnesses and carefully watching security camera footage from inside the store. Montgomery expects the investigation process to run through Wednesday.
They have not revealed the name or age of the suspect.
This is still an active investigation. The Sheriff’s Office urges anyone with information about this case to call their tip line at 757-890-4999 or the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office responded to a robbery at Joe’s Kwik Marts Tuesday morning.
