The Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- A restaurant owner who was held up at gunpoint jumped in his truck, pursued the robber and ran the man down, killing him, police said.
Police said they didn’t know yet if Lawrence Storer, 33, would be charged in the Wednesday night incident downtown. He was not taken into custody.
Storer said he was sitting in his Ford Explorer outside the Thai restaurant he owns at about 11:30 p.m., taking a break from some renovation work, police spokesman Joe Durkin said. A man, later identified as Shantavious Wilson, 24, approached on foot, stuck a chrome handgun in his face and demanded money.
Wilson walked Storer inside the restaurant to get some money. When the robber was distracted, Storer ran from the building and called 911 on his cell phone, Durkin said.
When Wilson saw Storer on the phone, he ran from the business. Storer got in his Explorer and caught up with the robber about two blocks away, striking him with the front of the truck, Durkin said. He was dead at the scene.
Durkin said police weren’t sure how fast Storer was driving or whether the robber was walking or running when he was hit.
A chrome-plated pellet gun, which Durkin said was indistinguishable from a real weapon, was found near the body.