Authorities in Alabama say a quick-thinking store manager was able to scare away a pair of sword-wielding robbers when he pulled out his own weapon.
According to WBRC, Precious Spencer had only been working at the Birmingham Family Dollar location for two days when the incident occurred. She told reporters that one of the managers routinely brings his firearm to work with him.
“He said they rob us too much and that’s why I have my gun and I understand why he feels the way he feels,” she said. “He’s trying to secure himself and protect the people that are in here. He said, ‘Precious, if I wasn’t here ain’t no telling what they would have done to y’all.'”
Though police stressed their advice to refrain from engaging with armed criminals, Spencer reflected on what the outcome could have been if not for an armed staff member.
“But they came here with swords and that kind of threw us for a loop because no one really got robbed with swords before,” she said. “What were they going to do, chop our heads off and get the stuff?”
Birmingham Police Sgt. Johnny Williams urged locals to report any information that might lead to the arrest of the suspects. He also stressed the seriousness of the crime.
“We want everybody to realize that although this may seem funny to some, we still consider these guys dangerous,” he said. “That weapon of choice at that time was a machete or sword, but these guys can easily escalate to using other weapons, like firearms.”
Investigators noted that the store manager reacted in the way he felt was appropriate and the frequently targeted location is reportedly looking into hiring a security guard.
Anyone with information about this crime is encouraged to contact Birmingham Police by calling 205-254-1753 or leave an anonymous tip via Crime Stoppers by calling 205-254-7777.
[Featured image: video screenshot]
