





Saturday, January 22, 2005

Another "Compare and Contrast"

From England:
Drink thieves stab grocer to death
By Oliver Poole
(Filed: 23/12/2004)

A shopkeeper was killed for two bottles of spirits after he tackled thieves who were trying to rob his grocery store.

Mahmut Fahri, 59, had pepper spray directed into his eyes and was stabbed in the chest in Bounds Green, north London, after he confronted two men as they attempted to grab the bottles from behind the counter.

Despite being mortally wounded and unable to see properly, he chased his attackers down the street armed with a walking stick before collapsing at a minicab office.

A trail of blood on the pavement marked his pursuit.

Mr Fahri, a Turkish Cypriot, who had owned the business for more than 15 years, died three hours later at North Middlesex Hospital.

Wayne Denton, 30, a minicab driver at Cavendish Radio Cars, said: "I was in the office and heard a bang on the door. I opened it and there he was.

"I don't think he realised he was stabbed because the excruciating pain was coming from his eyes.

"He said, `My eyes, my eyes. I've been attacked'. His face was orangey-brown where he had been sprayed.

"But then I began to see the blood pouring down him. It was running down his legs. He opened his jacket and I could see a patch of blood on his jumper.

"He was shaking and I could see he was in a lot of pain but he could walk. We went back into his shop to get some cloth to wipe his eyes and he started rubbing them.

"I called the police and the ambulance. He had drinks and cigarettes behind the counter, and all of that had been disturbed by the robbers.

His wife came after that and she was absolutely hysterical at seeing so much blood on the floor and seeing her husband so severely injured.

"His son and daughter were there as well and he was still conscious but he realised he was in serious trouble.

"They put him into an ambulance on a stretcher and had an oxygen mask on him. That was the last I saw of him."

Locals said the area around Whittington Road, in which the shop is located, was a renowned place for drug addicts and alcoholics to congregate. It was not the first time problems with thieves had occurred at the store.

Mr Fahri had joined the local Neighbourhood Watch group after telling customers that he was concerned about safety. He had bought an Alsatian dog for protection but it died three months ago.

Nathaniel Peter, 22, a regular customer, said: "He was a very community-minded person and was very respected by a lot of people. Sometimes I used to go into the shop without any money and he would just tell me to pay later.

"He was only 5ft 5in but he would have put up a fight if someone was trying to steal as he was a man of principle."

Mr Fahri had two grown-up children and four grandchildren and was known as a passionate Manchester United fan. He lived with his wife, Pembre, a mile from his shop in Riverway, Palmers Green.

The family was too distressed to comment.

Around 20 floral tributes had been placed outside the store. One, from Mr Fahri's two children and their families, read: "In loving memory of Dad." Another said: "To our uncle, remembering you with all our heart."

Police said they were searching for two men, one aged around 35 and the other in his 20s, of Asian or Turkish appearance. Both had been wearing dark clothing at the time of the attack.

An investigating officer said Mr Fahri saw them lurking in a corner of his shop, the Albion grocery store, at 9.15pm on Tuesday and confronted them when the older one reached for the bottles.

"It seems to have happened very quickly," he said. "The guy went to get the bottles and then stabbed him."

Both men are believed to have got away with the alcohol they had taken.
From the U.S.:
Clerk Shoots Knife-Wielding Robber

Milwaukee - Neighbors of Ayesh Food Market on Hampton Avenue and 19th Place say nearly everyone in the area knows and likes the owner, and police say even a man who came in to rob the store knew him.

"He was armed with a four inch steak knife," said Lt. Steven Spingola of the Milwaukee Police Department. "He originally confronted the owner of the store, who was standing in an aisle, and demanded money."

When a 23-year-old cashier saw the owner in trouble, police say he grabbed the store's revolver and jumped out from behind the counter. That's when police say the suspect started chasing the cashier.

"He was pursued up the aisle by the suspect, and he was cornered near the meat counter at the south end of the store. He then fired his weapon in self-defense," said Lt. Spingola.

While one bullet went through the glass, police say three bullets went into the suspect, killing him. Officers say the store's gun is a legally owned weapon.

"It's completely legal. It's their right to do that. The police can't be everywhere at one time," said Lt. Spingola.

Regular customers were glad to hear no one else was hurt, especially the owners.
"These are good guys. They treat you right," said Henry Blount.

"The owner was in the far aisle shielding a customer from the suspect," said Lt. Spingola.

Police say the suspect appeared to be in his 30s.

Police say they don't expect any charges to be filed in this case.
Edited to ad: My most sincere apologies. I forgot to credit Zendo Deb for the second story link.

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