Portsmouth Store Owner Takes On Three Would-be Robbers

WAVY-TV, VA ^ | 11/13/03 | WAVY

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Portsmouth police say they have three robbery suspects in custody, after the owner of a clothing store they were attempting to rob decided to take matters into his own hands.

According to police, it was around 1:30pm Thursday when the three entered the Playaz Gear store in the Victory Corner Shopping Center in the 4000 block of Victory Boulevard. One of the suspects was armed with a gun.

Authorities say the three robbed the clerk on duty, Sam Ziad Isnail - who also happened to be the owner - and took clothing from the store.

At some point, police say, Isnail decided he had had enough.

Police say he chased the three out of the store, and eventually got into a physical confrontation with the suspects.

Isnail then managed to take the gun away from one of the suspects and began using it as a blunt object to hit the three.

Police say the three got into their vehicle to drive away. As they were leaving, Isnail beat the gun against the back window with enough force to break it.

Officials say Isnail never fired the weapon.

The three drove to Alexander's Corner in the 3900 block of Portsmouth Boulevard, where police say they abandoned their vehicle and fled on foot.

The three were later apprehended by Portsmouth police.

The owner of the store suffered an abrasion on his head and a cut to his hand during the incident. We has transported to the hospital for treatment.

Police have identified the three suspects as 23-year old Anthony C. Davis, 20-year old Mathew Crisp, and 20-year old Antwaine Butts. They are charged with robbery, abduction, malicious wounding, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

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Hope hasn't been posted yet. I wonder what the anti-gun crowd would think of this - I mean, he used a gun, but didn't actually FIRE it...

[cryptical]

***BANG***

[carlson]

"STORE OWNER SUED FOR VICIOUS ATTACK ON WOULD-BE SHOPPERS"
Wait 'till the ACLU picks this one up.

[Mr. Mojo]

Chased the three perps - one of them armed - out of his store, took the gun away and then began beating all of them with it? LOL....These weren't exactly hardened crimminals, thankfully.

[raybbr]

Unless, of course, they all knew it wasn't loaded. (I know it doesn't say this in the article.) :-}

[Chewbacca]

Good thing he didn't fire the weapon. It might have destroyed the fingerprints on the shell casings.