(NC) Evening the draw: Robber pulls gun and so does clerk
Date: Jun 9, 2005 11:35 PM
Attachments: 1996-29006-11586-0?mpt=1544339749 news@Left3?x
http://www.mcdowellnews.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=MMN/MGArticle/MMN_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031783152944

Evening the draw: Robber pulls gun and so does clerk

By KERRI L. MCFALLS
Media General News Service
Tuesday, June 7, 2005

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MORGANTON – A couple of Marion robbery suspects picked the wrong Burke County clerk to bully.

Around 3:30 p.m. Sunday, while working at the Country Crossroads Convenience Store on U.S. 64, a man walked in, pointed a gun at the clerk, Bonnie Christie, and demanded money.

Christie didn?t clean out the cash register though. Instead, she grabbed a gun from under the counter and pointed it at the armed man.

“I told him, ?I?ll shoot you too,?” Christie said. “I think he tried to get a bullet in the chamber of his gun but the bullet jammed. When he realized he couldn?t (fire his gun), he ran out of the store.”

The suspect got into a car, which was parked behind the business, with another man and drove away.

Christie got the vehicle?s tag number and reported it to the Burke County Sheriff?s Office. Authorities traced the automobile to Thomas Mauk of Marion.

Sgt. Becky Brendle said the two suspects were picked up in McDowell County several hours later.

Thomas Christopher Mauk, 20, of Providence Road in Marion and Christopher Lee Cannon, 27, of U.S. 70 East in Marion were both charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon.

After the two suspects were taken into custody, Christie wondered if she did the right thing.

“I really didn?t think about being scared,” Christie said. “It happened so fast. I didn?t have time to think. But after I think about it for a while, I wonder what was I thinking.”

Both Mauk and Cannon were taken into custody in lieu of $75,000 bonds.