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May 1, 2008 7:04 pm US/Central
Liquor Store Manager Shoots, Kills Would-Be Robber
INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, Minn. (WCCO) ―
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Authorities were called to Trail Liquor, located on the 9700 block of Robert Trail South, around 10:30 a.m.
CBS
A liquor store employee was shot, and he shot and killed a would-be robber in Inver Grove Heights, Minn. Thursday morning, the Dakota County Sheriff's Office said.
Police said an armed robber came into Trail Liquor located on the 9700 block of Robert Trail South, around 10:30 a.m., demanding money. What followed was a frightening encounter.
"We were frantic. Everybody knows him, likes him. Just a shock," said the victim's friend Rosemary Harris.
The wife of Trail Liquor manager Matt Huerta and the store owners were equally concerned as police told them what Huerta endured inside the store.
"The robber came in with the gun. And there was a struggle for the gun and the gun discharged," said Inver Grove Heights Police Lt. Jerry Salmey.
The store owner said the robber demanded money from the cash register and Huerta complied. He said the robber also ordered Huerta to open the safe.
When Huerta refused, the robber tried to tie him up, that's when Huerta apparently grabbed the suspect's gun.
"We just heard that somebody got shot in the leg and somebody got shot in the chest. And we were hoping against hope that if Matt got shot it was in the leg not the chest," said Harris.
All morning concerned friends stopped by the liquor store were relieved to hear the bullet just grazed Huerta in the leg.
"Well that's good news cause Matt's a great guy. It's just awful that you can't go to work without something like this happening," said Harris.
Worry for Huerta's condition turned to praise for their friend's courageous actions.
"Matt's one that doesn't blow up. He doesn't explode right away, he thinks things though. But I wouldn't want to be the one to try to push him around," said the victim's friend Jon Edman.
"I think it's great that he did. It's about time somebody started trying to do stuff like this when people that come in and rob ya," said Harris.
Police said the suspect died from his injuries at 2 p.m. at Regions Hospital.
The liquor store owner said Huerta was also beaten up pretty badly in the face but everyone is grateful he wasn't more seriously injured. There are surveillance cameras inside the liquor store where the shooting happened but the store owner isn't sure if they were working.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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