Ice cream store manager kills robber

Richmond Times Dispatch ^ | Friday, Sep 07, 2007 - 01:16 AM | JIM NOLAN

[Captain Jack Aubrey]

A man who robbed a South Richmond Baskin-Robbins ice-cream store with a fake gun Thursday night was shot to death by the store's gun-wielding manager.

The fatal shooting occurred just after 9 p.m. at the store, in the 6900 block of Forest Hill Avenue.

Richmond police said the suspect entered the store brandishing a BB gun that looked like a semiautomatic weapon and demanded money.

After a clerk handed over cash, police said, the store manager grabbed a semiautomatic handgun from behind the counter and fired multiple times at the thief, striking him at least once as he fled.

A police K-9 unit followed a trail roughly 100 yards through a wooded area behind the store to the 2900 block of Cherokee Road. Officers found the bleeding man lying on the ground in front of what is believed to be his residence, with cash police think was taken from the store.

The man was transported to VCU Medical Center, where he died a short time later.

Police identified the dead man as Jerome Davis, 43, of 2916 Cherokee Road. Investigators said the suspect had been released from prison roughly nine months ago after doing time for robbery.

Police spokeswoman Cynthia Price said investigators will consult with the Richmond commonwealth's attorney's office to determine whether charges are warranted in connection with the shooting.

Thursday night's robbery was not the first time that blood has been spilled at that Baskin-Robbins 31 Flavors Ice Cream parlor.

Back in 1991, store owner John Roberson was shot in the elbow in the parking lot of the eatery during an attempted robbery.

Roberson has owned the store for more than 35 years and is known in the neighborhood for the humorous messages that appear on the signboard outside his business. Contact Jim Nolan at (804) 649-6061 or jnolan@timesdispatch.com.

[Captain Jack Aubrey]

I drive by this place from time to time; never been in. It looks shabby from the outside and I have wondered how they keep their francise. Torn awnings, dirty, etc. But it is not in a bad neighborhood, at least I did not think so.

[PeteB570]

Ping

[mtbopfuyn]

Here I was hoping for something involving raspberry ripple.

[Vaquero]

Baskin-Robbins flavor # 1, with a bullet......KUDO's to the shopkeep.

[Republic_of_Secession.]

Watch what happens though. The store manager will likely be in trouble for defending himself with a gun.

[C210N]

Thursday night's robbery was not the first time that blood has been spilled at that Baskin-Robbins 31 Flavors Ice Cream parlor.

Sounds like the article author is yearning for a new 32'd flavor.

[Sprite518]

Good! One less corrupt gene in the gene pool.

[6SJ7]

A man who robbed a South Richmond Baskin-Robbins ice-cream store with a fake gun Thursday night was shot to death by the store's gun-wielding manager.
....
Richmond police said the suspect entered the store brandishing a BB gun that looked like a semiautomatic weapon and demanded money. After a clerk handed over cash, police said, the store manager grabbed a semiautomatic handgun from behind the counter and fired multiple times at the thief, striking him at least once as he fled.

Is it just me, or do I detect some 'sympathy for the devil' on the part of the writer of this story?

[caver]

Iced him!

[DB]

Don’t bring a BB gun to a gun fight.

One less robber to deal with.

[mkjessup]

"Police identified the dead man as Jerome Davis, 43, of 2916 Cherokee Road. Investigators said the suspect had been released from prison roughly nine months ago after doing time for robbery. Police spokeswoman Cynthia Price said investigators will consult with the Richmond commonwealth's attorney's office to determine whether charges are warranted in connection with the shooting.

The shop owner should be getting an award from the city and/or state, with which he can get a pair of new awnings!

The dead perp apparently learned nothing about the perils of armed robbery while serving his prison sentence.

Now he doesn't have to worry about that.

[DieHard the Hunter]

What a dumb reason to die, ay. Imagine what this would look like, as an epitaph on a tombstone:

HOC JACET
Jerome Davis
1964 -- 2007
Thieving Scroat
And
Career Criminal

Shot while robbing
an ice-cream store
with a BB Gvn.

I cannot think of anything more shameful, except maybe having:

Execvted by
Jvdicial Hanging
for robbing
an Ice Cream Store
with a BB Gvn

carved onto one's tombstone. How bad is that?? At least have the class, Jerome, to rob a bank. But an ice-cream store?? You will get laughed all the way to Hell for being such an idiot!!!

Crikey, what a dumb reason to die.

[GeronL]

well maybe the owner is one of those long-distance types

[gridlock]

You want fries with that hot lead?

[n230099]

"...the suspect had been released from prison roughly nine months ago after doing time for robbery."

Well, there you go. Not sure of the laws there. Let's hope the manager was saying the right things. There are places and prosecutors that would argue that, with the money turned over, the situation was also and once a perp is fleeing the "fear for life and limb" that in many cases is the defining criteria of a justified shooting is no longer there.

[tlb]

Moral of the story, you just can’t lick an ice cream store manager.

[Smokin' Joe]

with the money turned over, the situation was also and once a perp is fleeing the "fear for life and limb" that in many cases is the defining criteria of a justified shooting is no longer there.

Iirc, there have been a few instances where the help was herded into the back and shot. If the owner thought the BB gun was a lethal arm, I'd say he was justified. But I'm not a lawyer, either.

[Dave thA]

Probably not fleeing, exactly, more running for cover...
And you never know if the perp was going to turn around and shoot again.

I always wonder when burglars are going to start entering buildings backwards to reduce the chances of getting shot.
“He was coming at me backwards” is a scary defense. Thank God for the Castle Doctrine.

[gimme1ibertee]

I would suggest sprinkles,but....

[gimme1ibertee]

I got the scoop on that! :)