A group of hammer-wielding men robbed a Little Rock jewelry store and scrambled away when the shop's owner opened fire Wednesday afternoon.
Police responded about 2:41 p.m. to Sissy's Log Cabin at 1825 N. Grant St., where four men in dark-colored hoodies and pants had entered the shop and smashed a display case near the door. Bill Jones, co-owner of the store, said he got out a pistol as the men stuffed Tag Heuer watches into bags. Jones said he confronted the men and fired twice into a display counter "to get their attention."
"They start falling over the top of each other, and I shot once to the right and they hauled ass out," he said. "The police said if we hadn't done that, they'd have probably just gone through the whole store, ram-wrecked the whole store."
About 15 employees and two customers were present when the robbery occurred, according to Jones. No injuries were reported.
Police spokesman Lt. Sidney Allen said the robbers, some of whom wore masks and gloves, fled in a stolen van driven by a fifth person. The vehicle was found abandoned a few blocks from the scene.
Detailed descriptions of the robbers were unavailable, but Allen said investigators were working to develop further information in the case.
Jones said the men grabbed as many as 40 watches but escaped with only about 15 of the luxury Swiss timepieces. He and other employees found several watches in the street.
"Actually, they were so freaked out about leaving that there was watches trailed all the way around Iberia Bank," Jones said, noting that the store's merchandise is insured. "They dropped a lot of product as they were running off. I chased behind them, so we were able just to pick it up as we came back."
Surveillance footage of the robbery, released Wednesday night, shows the men knocking over a chair and bumping into one another as they run toward the door. The footage also shows a customer sprint outside when the men begin smashing through the glass display, which Jones said is a quarter-inch thick.
The entire robbery lasted about 15 seconds.
Police cordoned off the store and part of the parking lot as investigators searched for evidence inside. Several customers trying to pick up repaired jewelry were told by officers to return another time.
Jones said that in 44 years of business, it was the first such robbery at any of the store's four locations. He said he was "fearing for his life" because he didn't know whether the men were armed with more than hammers.
"I was in my office, so I went out front and all my employees were running out the back. And I ran up to the front and [the robbers] turned around and looked at me. And I hesitated for a second and I ran back behind my repair counter, where I knew there was a pistol," he said.
Other employees did not leave the store to speak to reporters Wednesday. The store's blinds were lowered after an employee saw an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter looking through a window.
An employee of Go! Running, a running store next to Sissy's Log Cabin, said he hadn't heard gunshots or other commotion.
Jones said none of his jewelry stores has secured entrances that require employees to unlock the door for customers. He said he won't do that because it makes customers feel judged.
No arrests had been made in the robbery late Wednesday.
An investigation is ongoing.
A section on 01/22/2015