BROCKTON, MA (WHDH) — Police are searching for a suspect who robbed a convenience store in Brockton.
Security cameras captured the moments when a masked man pointed a gun at a clerk inside Perkins Market, demanding cash on Saturday afternoon.
Another employee tried to call police but the suspect spotted him, officials said. That’s when the employees began fighting the robber, trying to yank the gun from the man’s hand, officials added.
“That’s the part of this that’s really troubling,” said Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter. “We never ever want to see someone get hurt.”
Carpenter said he’s thankful nobody was shot. The store owner said both employees are okay.
This isn’t the only robbery to strike Brockton lately. Police are also investigating a Friday incident at a credit union and another inside a bank at Stop and Shop.
“This problem, this challenge, these tend to come in bunches. Usually once we make a couple arrests, they quiet down for a little while. I don’t think you can underestimate the impact of the opioid crisis on these robberies,” said Carpenter.
He added that violent crime in Brockton is down 30 percent in the past three years, but lately, they’ve been seeing issues like this happening on the outskirts of the city.
Investigators are working to figure out who the man is behind the mask. Police said he left the Saturday afternoon incident in a dark Mazda hatchback.
“I’m very confident you will see arrests made in this case over the next few days,” said Carpenter.
Anyone with information is asked to call police.
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