Giving Florida man a run for his money, Michigan man stops an armed robbery while holding his 6 pack of beer. Compare the store owner cowered in the corner versus an armed man. For the time being, you can choose to arm and defend yourself. Now to the story.
CASSOPOLIS, Mich. (WOOD) — Newly-released surveillance video shows a Cass County gas station customer firing seven shots at a suspected armed robber, all while holding a six-pack of light beer.
The July 27 shooting at the Stone Lake Marathon Mini Mart seriously injured the suspect, who had armed himself with a box cutter.
Three weeks later, the customer is waiting to learn if he’ll face criminal charges.
“You know why I’m here” is how the robber announced himself that day, according to police reports.
The gas station surveillance video showed the customer holding a six-pack of Miller Lite as the suspect, dressed in black, walked in.
The suspect, identified in court records as Cordelius Anthony Martin, 35, of Dowagiac, pulled a mask over his face.
Another angle showed him approaching the store clerk.
Police said he threatened the clerk with a box cutter.
The customer, who has a valid concealed carry permit, told police he couldn’t see what was in the robber’s hand, but he could see the look of fear on the clerk’s face.
Video showed the customer pulling a handgun and firing three shots, then another three, all while holding the six-pack.
It appeared one of those shots hit a liquor bottle.
The customer fired the final shot several seconds later.
Bullets struck the robber in the arm, back and face.
The customer told police the suspect fell to the floor but was crawling toward him.
That, he told police, is when he ran to his car to get another loaded magazine.
He held the suspect at gunpoint until police arrived.
Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz said he is waiting for police to finish the investigation before deciding whether to file criminal charges against the customer.
“In Michigan, obviously, we do have defense of others as part of the law in Michigan, that you can defend others if they’re in a situation that there’s dangerous force being used against them,” he said. “And certainly in this case, we’ll be looking at the facts in regard to that.”
Target 8 reached out to the man who fired the shots, who lives about four blocks from the Marathon station, but he declined to comment.
The victim of the robbery wouldn’t go on camera but said: “He saved my life.”
The suspect was released from the hospital on Wednesday and arraigned on three charges, including armed robbery.
He is being held on a $100,000 bond. Because he’s a three-time felon, he could face up to life in prison.
