Mall robbery suspect shot

Karen Zekan

Friday, Jan. 30, 1998 | 10:21 a.m.

A 16-year-old boy is recovering today after being shot in the arm by police when he refused to drop a handgun he allegedly used in a robbery at the Meadows Mall minutes earlier.

Authorities have withheld the boy's name because he is a minor, but confirmed that he is facing numerous felony charges in connection with the incident in which he allegedly fired at a mall security guard.

Metro Police were notified of a robbery at the mall at 5:07 p.m. and were en route when a second caller reported the same suspect had just fired a round at a guard who was trying to stop him outside the Mr. Rags store, Capt. Charlie Davidaitis said.

"We received an excellent description of the suspect wearing a white golf hat and black clothing," Davidaitis said. "(Metro's) helicopter was immediately brought in and spotted the suspect running north on Decatur and directed patrol to his location."

The officer saw the suspect turn off Decatur Boulevard, onto Nebraska and pulled up behind him in his patrol car as the boy headed north on Yale Street, Davidaitis said.

The officer stepped out of the car and, seeing what appeared to be a gun in the boy's hand, ordered the suspect to stop and drop the weapon.

"The suspect refused to comply, yelling to the officer that he would not drop the gun," the captain said. "He continued northbound on the sidewalk, slowing to a walk."

The officer got back in his patrol car and drove a distance down the block before getting out and again asking the boy to drop the weapon.

"The officer saw citizens north of his location in the direction the suspect was headed," Davidaitis said. "Fearing for their safety ... he fired 4-5 rounds at the suspect to prevent his escape" -- a defense Metro permits in stopping an armed suspect who could potentially harm others nearby.

The boy, dressed in dark clothing, fell to the ground from a single bullet wound in his left arm and was taken into custody by the officer and other arriving units. Police recovered a .38 caliber blue steel revolver from the boy's hand and found a white golf hat nearby, Davidaitis said.

Following Metro procedure, police are withholding the officer's name for 48 hours.

"The cop did what he was supposed to do," said Dino Curro, who witnessed the shooting from his doorway.

"He gave that guy every chance to stop and put down the gun. The cop asked him eight or 10 times to stop. The guy was walking along non-chalantly with the gun in his hand. He looked like he would've turned around and shot the cop."

Curro's teenage daughter, Kelli, was still in shock an hour after the shooting she watched through the window of her home.

"I've never seen anyone shot before in my life," she said. "I saw this white flash from the cop's gun and then the guy crouched down. The officer told him to roll on his back. Then all these other police cars pulled up."