VIDEO: Police department releases Family Dollar robbery footage

Published 8:52 pm Thursday, January 26, 2017

The Selma Police Department has released video of a Tuesday night armed robbery in hope of someone identifying the suspects or speaking up about the crime.

The robbery happened Tuesday night just before 6:40 p.m. at the Family Dollar on Broad Street.

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“Three unknown assailants entered the business on the 1,000 block of Broad Street,” said Lt. Tory Neely with the Selma Police Department. “They brandished firearms, demanded money from the cashier and made the customers in the store get down on the floor.”

The surveillance footage shows two customers leaving the store after paying the cashier. The three suspects pull open the door and enter the store with weapons in their hands and their faces covered.

“The [suspects] are pretty violent,” Neely said. “They came in aggressive making people get down, shoving people down, striking the cashier and discharging a firearm inside the building and on the outside of the store.”

One suspect was armed with a shotgun, and the other two were wielding handguns.

“You’ll see the guy up near the door has an extended magazine on the pistol he had which probably holds 20 to 30 rounds,” Neely said. “Anytime you go into a business and the people are cooperative, which the managers were cooperative giving the assailants what they wanted, and they still discharged a firearm. I think that’s a high degree of violence.”

While one suspect went around the counter pointing a shotgun at the cashier demanding money, the other two stood guard at the door. It appears the cashier is trying to open the register when the suspect strikes her on the head with his gun.

“The cashier is fine,” Neely said. “I don’t think she required any medical attention. She did get struck with the butt of a shotgun, and it is actually on video.”

After the suspect goes back around to the other side of the counter, the cashier goes to another register and opens it up. Her and another employee pull out the money drawer and begin handing the suspect cash.

The suspect stuffs the money into his pockets and flees from the store. Neely said all three suspects fled toward the railroad tracks.

“If anybody can identify these people or have any assistance helping with this case we’re asking that they call Crime Stoppers or our secret witness line to help us clear this case off our books,” Neely said. “Any assistance we can get with this case, we appreciate it.”

Sometime during the robbery one suspect fired multiple shots into the store. One round hit the cash register, according to Neely. He said shots were also fired outside of the store.

Neely said the suspects face first-degree armed robbery charges and second-degree assault.

Anyone who has information on the burglary or information on the suspects can call the Selma Police Department at 874-6611 or Crime Stoppers at 1-866-442-7463. People can also call the secret witness line at 874-2190.