The robber was armed with a revolver with a 6- to 8-inch barrel, which police said is an unusual choice of weapon among street-level criminals.
This is an update of a story originally posted at 5:40 a.m.
CHICOPEE - A suspect in a Chicopee Street convenience store robbery Friday morning was locked inside the store by the clerk, and had to use his gun to shoot at and then pound on the locked door to escape, police said.
Police were called to Sam’s Sunoco A Plus, 1031 Chicopee St., at about 5:15 for a report of an attempted robbery and shots fired, said Capt. Thomas Charette.
The clerk on duty told police that a man came into the convenience store with a long-barreled revolver and demanded cash, said Charette.
The revolver had a barrel that was between 6 to 8 inches long. Charette said it is an unusual type of firearm to use in a robbery because the length of the barrel makes it hard for criminals to conceal.
The clerk locked himself inside the bullet-proof cage around the cash register, and then activated the electronic door locks to the front door, which locked the robber inside, Charette said.
The suspect tried to shoot the lock on the cage to get inside but was not able to, Charette said.
He then fired some shots at the locks on the front door in an attempt to break free. When that did not work, he used the gun as a club to bash a hole in the door glass large enough to escape, Charette said.
The suspect remains at large.
The suspect was described as a white man, approximately 5 feet, 10 inches tall and thin. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and was last seen running south on Chicopee Street.
For now he is wanted for attempted armed robbery and discharging a firearm, although Charette said. “I’m sure if we catch him we’ll pile on some more charges.”
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Chicopee Police at (413) 592-6341
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