(AL) Just the threat of a gun ends armed robbery 03-28-02
Threat of gun ends robbery attempt
By Sajit Abraham
The Selma Times-Journal
Published Thursday, March 28, 2002
An attempted robbery at a Selma restaurant has left both the intended
victims and the alleged perpetrators shaken but unhurt.
According to Bernice Gill, owner of Our House Restaurant on Dallas
Avenue, two black males entered the restaurant late Tuesday, when only
Gill and a cleaning lady were present.
"One of them basically asked me for money, and then we got into a
pushing match," Gill said. "Then he suddenly pulled out what looked like
a small pistol."
Gill said when she saw the pistol, she didn't know if it was real or
not. "It sort of looked like a toy gun, but I really couldn't tell," she
said.
Gill said the next thing she did was scream, which alerted the cleaning
lady that something was wrong.
Said Gill, "She [the cleaning lady] came out and yelled, ‘I’ll be right
back, just let me get my gun.’ When they heard that, they just ran out
of the restaurant.”
Gill then contacted police.
She described one suspect as being 5’7″ and wearing a green jacket and
an orange ski mask. The other suspect was approximately 5’3″ and wearing
a plaid jacket and a ski mask.
Gill said police recommended that she should have given the money to the
robbers. “They said it was probably best not to have taken any chances,”
she said.
She added that the entire episode has served to make her more alert to
the danger of criminal activity in the area.
“I’m just afraid they may come back again, when it’s late at night,” she
said. “But if it happens again, this time we will be prepared.”