Video: Robbery Victim Fights Back, Chases Suspect

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CHOCTAW COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) — Convenience store video catches an armed robbery in progress at a rural north Mississippi store. And 30 minutes later, one of the victims had helped run the suspect down.

“Its just a thing you don’t think would happen in your community,” said robbery victim and ByWy Store Owner Sherry Harris.

At about 1 p.m. Monday, a south Alabama man walked into the ByWy County Store on Highway 9 in Choctaw County. He calmly walked around, waited until other customers left and then went to the counter and demanded money. It was the first robbery in the 11 years Harris’ family has owned the store. The next few moments are something Sherry Harris and her employee hope never happen again.

“I was on the phone outside for a minute and I started back in. My employee, he was already asking her for the money out of the drawer. When I came around the counter, she was pointing at the gun and he told me he wanted the money out of they drawer and handed him the money,” said Harris.

ByWy employee Cindy Turner was the first to be confronted by the suspect, now identified as 27-year-old Jake McMillian of Bay Minette, Ala.

“He said it just so calm, and I’m thinking, ‘No.’ He pulled the gun about halfway out of his pocket and he said I want the money out of the register and I said, ‘No.'” said Turner.

Harris and Turner finally relented, handing over $450. He took the money and ran. But Harris wasn’t done. She jumped in her truck and gave chase, staying on the phone with 911 operators. 25 miles later, Montgomery County Sheriff and other deputies spotted them and made a traffic stop near Hardin’s Hill on Highway 82. McMillan jumped and ran but was quickly caught.

“I just didn’t want him to get away with it. If I could possibly catch up but I never knew that we would catch him because you never know if they might decide to take a different route,” said Harris.

Their friends have been quick to react.

“Well, they’re joking about it, kind of saying they couldn’t believe a woman chased him down,” said Harris.

Harris says she was more determined than scared…until it was all over.

“I’m glad that we’ve caught him cause it could have been a worse outcome of this,” said Harris.

“You can say what you would do or I can say what I would have done if I would have thought about it, but it’s no way to prepare for something like that,” said Turner.

It turns out McMillan’s gun was a toy but looked very real. He’s also wanted for robberies in South Alabama and North Florida. He remains in the Choctaw County Jail.

Categories: Crime, Local News

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