posted November 18, 2009
Chattanooga Police said a female clerk at a liquor store in East Chattanooga pulled a gun on a robber, then the weapon went off when the robber tried to snatch it from her.
Marco Leslie Smith, 39, of 4400 Old Mission Road is now facing charges in that hold-up and another one on the same day.
Police said last Saturday they responded after a robbery at Sandy's Liquor Store on Glass Street. Two people who had been in the same vehicle with the robber were still at the scene. Rosalyn Smith and Gerald Smith said they had been offered $5 to take the man to the liquor store.
Gillian Derrick said the man came inside and asked for two bottles of liquor. She said once she put the bottles on the counter, he grabbed them and said he would kill her if she followed him out the door.
Ms. Derrick said she did follow him while armed with a .25-caliber pistol and she ordered him to return the liquor. She said he swung one of the bottles at her head, missing by inches.
She said he then began to struggle with her for the gun, and it went off with her finger still on the trigger. The shot went through the robber's hand.
Ms. Derrick said she gave up the gun and began running. The robber ran to the waiting vehicle while carrying the pistol.
The occupants of the car said they realized a robbery was underway so they fled the vehicle. The robber got into the car and drove off. The vehicle was located at 2200 Greenwood Road near where the man had asked for the ride.
Police said Smith's Tennessee ID as well as his wallet and blood were located inside the car.
Officers said at 2 p.m. the same day, Smith hitched another ride and carried out a robbery at the Mapco at 3956 Brainerd Road.
Clerk Jasmine Pierce said a man came in and placed a drink on the counter, then asked about getting money orders. She said she told him he would have to pay cash.
She said the man told her to give him the money and everything would be alright. She gave him $89 from the cash register.
The robber got into a gold Malibu driven by a black male.
The vehicle was stopped a short time later on Judy Ann Drive. Reginald Holland said a man he knew as "Marc" asked him for a ride to the store to get a money order. He said he did not think a robbery was going to go down.
Police said Smith was identified from a photo lineup as the robber.
They said Smith admitted being involved in both incidents, though he said the Mapco clerk had given him the $89.
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