Update: Police say they have arrested Lonell James Thomas Boddie who was wanted for the September 29th attempted robbery of the Speedy Mart at 1904 Jefferson Ave.
Newport News, Va. - Newport News police say 18-year-old Lonell Boddie is the gunman behind a dramatic attempted robbery in this surveillance video.
Police say he is one of the men who walked into the Speedy Mart on Jefferson Avenue and 19th Street.
Investigators say Boddie pulled a gun on the two clerks behind the counter demanding cash. One of the clerks grabbed the gun.
In the video, you can see the two wrestling with the gun as the clerk grabs the suspect's arm.
What you can't see is the gun actually fired off a shot, and the bullet just barely missed the clerk.
“With the shot going off and the close proximity of the struggle of the weapon, someone could have easily gotten hurt from that,” says MPD Russell Sutton with the Newport News Police Department.
During the scuffle, the gun fell behind the counter and the suspects ran. The clerk grabbed the gun and followed them with it.
Even though the clerk got the best of the robbers in this case, police have a warning.
“It could be instinct for him and he responded and it worked out well. However, I wouldn't recommend any normal citizen attempting to do this,” says Sutton.
Police say they already caught the other suspect in the video, but Boddie is still on the run.
Investigators say he hangs out in Downtown Newport News near the Convenience Store.
“He's known on the streets in that area so I'm quite sure people know. The streets talk and people know he participated in this crime,” says Sutton.
This is where you come in.
Police need you to take action if you have any information about Lonell Boddie, call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
