The masked man shouldn’t have been there.
The Victim: Chuck Cole, The Corner Market
The Crime: Burglary
Date: Saturday, June 26
Time: 8:15 p.m.
Location: 3400 block of Greenville
Chuck Cole is the owner of The Corner Market. The gourmet deli at Greenville and McCommas is a one-stop shop for food, flowers, gifts and sweets. In his four years running the market, Cole says business has been good.
In late June, Cole had a run-in in his shop with someone not exactly looking for a ham and cheese sandwich or a colorful bouquet.
“At about 8:15 p.m. on June 26, 15 minutes after closing, I walked into my back office to find a masked man looking for petty cash,” Cole says. “He popped up from the floor, and I ripped the mask off his face and began chasing him out of the store, while calling 911 at the same time. To 911 I said, ‘There is a robbery in progress and I am chasing the suspect.’ I continued chasing him down McCommas for two blocks while on the phone.”
As Cole chased the thief, his accomplice wheeled up in the get-away car — a silver Toyota Corolla) — and the de-masked man dove into the car. Cole describes the man as black, 5 feet 8 inches tall, and in his 30s or 40s.
Cole says police showed up 30 minutes later due to a 911 operator error in which the wrong response code was entered. The error left Cole even more frustrated.
“The real story here is that the many officers I know say miscoding calls happen all the time,” he says. “Luckily, it was me and not one of my employees that surprised him. The city needs to fix these problems at 911 before a tragedy occurs, and not even consider cutting the police department size.”
Fortunately, as far as Cole can tell, the thief didn’t get away with any cash. Dallas Police Sgt. Keitric Jones of the Northeast Patrol Division has suggestions for business owners who may be targets for similar burglary attempts.
“Drop large bills in a drop safe, and make bank deposits as often as possible,” he says. “Make employees aware of all safety procedures on what to do in case of a theft, robbery, or burglary, and on what to tell the 911 operator in regards to suspect description. Try to write down suspect information as soon as possible when safe to do so.”
During a crime, Jones says it is important to make note of height, weight, race, gender, moustache, beard, glasses, teeth with gold or silver, and any tattoos.
“Also make note of what the suspect says during the encounter, if anything.”
