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Would be robber met with shotgun

July 27, 2007

Dougherty County -- A Dougherty County armed robber found himself staring down the barrel of a shotgun Thursday night. The robber had every intention of holding up a liquor store near Putney, but a quick-thinking security guard changed his mind in a hurry.

 In the parking lot at Dora's Beer and Wine on U.S. 19 South in Dougherty County, the would-be robber, wearing a hooded sweatshirt, pulled a gun and headed inside.

But before he got inside, he got a surprise. Manager Sheryl Morgan said "we have a security guard in the evening who sits here, and he saw him. And he went out after him."

The guard pulled a shotgun, and the robber took off running. Morgan went out to back him up, but the robber escaped in a waiting car. Morgan said "you are working hard to make a living, what little bit of living you can make, and then someone wants to come in and take everything away from you. To me it's not fair."

Morgan was the victim of a robbery late last year at the store, when a man held a gun to her head.  She says she got angry, and is not going through that again. Morgan said "I'm gonna fight back. I really am. We have the protection and all, so yes, we are going to fight back."

Dougherty County Police Chief Don Cheek says no amount of money is worth dying for, but understands when people decide they are willing to fight against criminals. Cheek said "we certainly recognize that people want to protect their property, and have the right to protect their property."

Morgan says they will continue to keep armed security, and are ready to use guns to protect themselves. Cheek said "it can have deadly and disastrous consequences. You stand the possibility of being injured. But you might also be able to protect your property, so it's the individual's choice."

Morgan says she believes it's time people took a stand against crime. Morgan said "if you just lay down and let them take over, you are losing. You are letting them win. Something has to be done."

Morgan and her fellow workers say they are glad they are not the latest crime victims today.

Investigators say the robbery suspect fled in a white Ford Thunderbird, a late 1990 or 2000 model. And they have posted a watch in several surrounding counties for the car.

In 1991 Doug Peterson was killed during an armed robbery in this very same store. Lionel Dennis was convicted of his murder.

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