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The Evening Sun | Family Interrupts Armed Robber Preparing To Duct Tape Clerk
NORWICH
–
The
City
of
Norwich
Police
Department
and
New
York
State
Police
are
investigating
a
brazen
armed
robbery
of
a
hemp
store
that
occurred
in
downtown
Norwich
Tuesday
afternoon.
“We
are
following
down
every
lead.
Our
detectives
have
been
working
around
the
clock,”
said
Norwich
Police
Department
(NPD)
Detective
Sergeant
Reuben
Roach.
Police
are
seeking
help
in
identifying
the
suspect
or
his
motorcycle
that
was
seen
on
released
images
from
surveillance
footage.
Police
reported
the
gunpoint
robbery
occurred
at
about
1:09
p.m.
on
May
23
at
Holt’s
Hemp
Emporium
at
20
South
Broad
Street
in
the
City
of
Norwich.
Police
said
the
suspect
was
described
as
a
black
male,
approximately
6’01,
wearing
light
tan
camouflage
pants,
a
blue
hoodie,
and
a
black
helmet
with
a
black
backpack.
He
displayed
a
black
handgun
and
stole
a
quantity
of
U.S.
currency.
The
suspect
was
last
seen
driving
a
red
and
white
Yamaha
racing
motorcycle
traveling
south
on
New
York
State
Route
12.
If
you
have
any
information,
please
contact
the
Norwich
City
Police
at
607-334-2424.
Police
said
the
robbery
was
a
planned
event.
The
suspect
arrived
on
a
motorcycle
and
parked
outside.
He
went
into
the
store
armed
with
a
pistol
and
duct
tape
and
sped
from
the
scene
with
cash,
with
the
entire
incident
lasting
about
three
minutes.
“This
was
pre-planned
event,”
said
Roach.
“This
individual
was
going
to
duct
tape
the
store
owner.
Luckily
the
store
owner’s
wife
and
three-year-old
daughter
came
out
and
they
kind
of
foiled
the
robbery.
And
then
the
individual
took
off
with
an
amount
of
currency,”
said
the
chief.
“He
was
definitely
set
up
for
this.
He
had
[duct
tape]
attached
to
his
belt
and
he
went
to
take
it
off
and
the
wife
and
daughter
came
out.
It
created
quite
a
panic,”
said
Roach.
The
store
advertises
a
number
of
products
online
at
holtshemp.com
that
appear
related
to
hemp,
THC
products,
marijuana
and
smoking.
