The corner store a couple blocks from my house was robbed yesterday evening. The local yokel online news outlet that reported it made it sound like the perpetrator claimed to have a gun, but never actually produced one. They have to throw the word "gun" in there to generate clicks. I understand that. Later in the same article, the author refers to the robber as "the assailant", though it is clear from the piece that nobody was actually attacked, and the robber simply got in a car and left as if he'd just stopped for cigarettes. Nobody got a description of the vehicle. The front of the station is all windows, but he probably parked around the side.

Whenever this happens, somebody usually chimes into the comment section with how everybody needs to be carrying and then this sort of thing won't happen. I often patronize that particular store, and am often carrying concealed when I do. Had I been there at the time of the robbery, the perpetrator would likely have just waited until I left to conduct his business. Either way, I certainly would not have involved myself unless I was being directly threatened. Perhaps the clerk should have been armed. But like they say, you can't outdraw someone who is already pointing a gun (or a magic marker in a jacket pocket, in which case you have to call his bluff, and risk being wrong) at you.

Pretty depressing that this happened so close to home, in an otherwise peaceful and safe community. I walk to that store with my kids in the evenings. It is a treat for them. Hopefully the robbery has the effect of bringing people together and getting them out in the community more instead of everyone continuing to withdraw. I have no answers, just thoughts.

For me, whether to intervene or not will be an on-the-spot decision. I don't, won't, make a blanket rule to intervene or not.

There is a lot missing from this story. Do you have a link? Did the guy just steal a few packs of cigs?

If that's the case, why would anyone use a gun? Most convenient stores will just call that "shrinkage" and be glad that's all he did.

__________________
Freedom isn't free.

Intervene in a situation like this and things can roar past the point of no return in no time flat.

"near me", then you don't let us know where "me" is. Not a lot of info there.

__________________
Fight socialism. Never stop.

Something else to consider is that the news folks misuse the term "robbery" often. It could have been a larceny, or grab and run, absent the presence of a firearm or something to put the clerk in fear. Fear is a necessary element of robbery.

__________________
Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

If a perp has his hand in his pocket and points it at the victim while demanding goods or money, it is assumed he is armed with a gun, and it is a "assault". He will be charged with an armed robbery regardless if it was implied, a fake gun or a real gun.
Sometimes I think the news media is picking up it's reporters from the day labor places.

Sorry for the lack of detail. I was waxing philosophical. The robber got away with $200 in cash. Nobody was hurt. I live in Northern Kentucky, a couple miles away from downtown Cincinnati on the other side of the Ohio. Our county, and the surrounding counties are in the throes of a massive heroine epidemic. If I had to bet on it, I'd say the robber is an addict.

People get robbed. Stores don't. Only people can be victims of a robbery, not stores. Therefore, if a gun was implied, even though not seen, it was still an "armed robbery" and describing the perpetrator as an "assailant" is correct.

The heroine epidemic seems to be every where even in mid size towns .. we have had a rash of over doses due to heroine in my area .. affecting people in all walks of life ..

There is almost a social expectation in Wyoming that horse thieves, cattle rustlers and robbers are going to be shot. It falls under that classic Wyoming doctrine of "he needed killing".

And this is the less progressive part of Wyoming that tried to secede, so yeah....

I'm trying hard to figure what this has to do with the OP's thoughts, feelings, and concerns of being violated in the local neighborhood.

Mexistrat: keep taking your kids for that walk. Don't let "them" limit your freedom. President Bush said a similar thing after 9/11. Large scale or local, we cannot let "them" win.

__________________
Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

I did not know this. Interesting. I am glad I didn't accuse the reporter of not knowing what he was writing about.

The heroin problem is a bad one. Like another poster said, it affects people from all walks of life. In fact, the only reason we are dealing with it where I live is because it has found its way into white middle and upper-middle class neighborhoods. It isn't a new problem, just new to us. Some people where I live like to blame the problem on Cincinnati, which is ironic considering we are part of the Cincinnati Metro and our town is economically dependent on that fact. You even hear the odd call for a wall. We'd need two though; one between us and the river, and one between us and the rest of Kentucky where the addicts are coming from. Maybe a flaming moat would do it. My commute would get more interesting.

On the surface, I can't say I totally disagree with the "he needed killing" sentiment, but then I wonder how I'd feel if it was someone I knew, or someone I cared about. But I get pretty angry reading about things like the recent robbery. The community I live in are enraged because the people committing the crimes generally do not live here.

Now the raging debate is whether to establish needle exchanges in NKY. There has been a rise in Hepatitis C, which can lead to an HIV outbreak. It has happened in other places. There is a city in Indiana that has been cited as an example of that happening when there is a high addict population and no clean needle exchange (I forget which city).

All very maddening.

Convenience Stores : aka-"Stop and Rob".
Even with the store fronts mostly glass, so many of the clerks/owners have the glass covered up with posters of sale items which helps the robbers not to be seen from the outside.

*** for the few dollars and merchandise the robbers get is not a god reason to start a shooting. let the BG take his/her loot and leave if they are not hurting someone.

Sound thinking on your part. Just because you carry a firearm does not mean you should get involved, instead be a good witness and use 911. I always said that if a robbery took place anywhere and I was present, I would get involved...I would tell the perp, "I see your hands are full with all the money, let me get that door for 'ya."

Sadly you are most likely correct.

A year ago my brother lost his son to a heroin overdose.
At least two of my cousins have a child in their late teens/early twenties currently in some stage of rehab or probation for heroin use. In at least one case it started with prescription painkillers for a broken leg - and in at least one case it started thanks to so called friends who were users and a belief that he could handle it. There may be others of which I am unaware.

I have a back injury that occurred in 2001 and am on some rather strong pain medication 2 different ones and they keep getting stronger as my level has to be increased .. have been for 16 years .. some of the same medication that is blamed for prescription drug over doses on the street and I have never had any inkling of using street drugs .. especially something that is used with a needle !!

There has to be other reasons why people go on to street drugs after being prescribe legal pain medication for a legitimate reason !!

I've been prescribed pain medication as well. My prescription got quite strong before finally having surgery for a herniated disc. I had no problem stopping when I no longer needed the medication, and in fact was happy to do so.

Some people become physically addicted to opioid pain killers though. It is a strong addiction, and the withdrawal symptoms are as bad, and in some cases I have heard stronger, than heroin withdrawal. Add to that a heavy dose of hopelessness and despair, or perhaps just youthful indiscretion and/or ignorance, and things fall apart pretty quickly for some.

We had a prescription pain killer epidemic, but the .gov cracked down on that, and the addicts who were not able to successfully find or complete treatment just switched brands. Same addiction, different fix, and different dealer. Of course the current epidemic has grown more complex than that, but from what I have read and understand, the opioid crisis was a big launching platform.

The Feds are cracking down on prescription drug abuse driving those users to try something else.Heroin fills that demand

So if I break into a store that is closed and take everything, have I not robbed the store, seeing as no one but me was there?

That's a burglary

In the common vernacular, yes. In proper English, though, you have burglarized the store. What difference does it make, though, as long as we understand each other.

I'm told that if you've ever tried heroin, you'd KNOW why they do it. Doctor cuts them off after figuring out they're taking 30 days worth of pain meds in a week and they have to do something when their drug-seeking solution at the ER stops working. Logical next step. Drug seekers at the ER are not only a PITA the minute they walk in the door but incredibly obnoxious and angry when they get booted out of the bed. Desperate even.

I understand there's quite a pipeline between Detroit and KY via I-75. When I first came on the job, or shortly thereafter, I think it was the Chambers Brothers running a lot of it, but mostly crack back then. Probably the same thing going on now, just with different names....
The Story of Detroit’s Chambers Brothers & The REAL ‘Crack Commandments’ – The Gangster Report

Sinaloa cartel has replaced the original supplier for Chambers crew from Arkansas (which is where that dirt floor-poor family first got their start up supply, Mena) which is why heroin has replaced coke. The product has changed, the faces are different, but the result on your neighborhood is the same. Evil. Pure, unmitigated evil.

__________________
Halfway and one more step