Someone didn't go to class.
Did anyone see the following article in the Glob?
I realize that the Glob reporter might have completely messed up the story, but it seems to me that the victim shot at a fleeing person who was no longer a threat to his person. Second, he shot off his mouth to the reporter, which announced to the world that he carries a gun. I'm guessing that he has never taken an LFI-type class because he certainly would have acted differently if he had.
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Grocer thwarts robbery attempt
Fires gun at suspect in Framingham store; no arrests reported
By Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff | September 26, 2007
FRAMINGHAM - Tony Tavarez called yesterday a new beginning.
"I feel like I'm reborn," said Tavarez, the owner of A&J Grocery, a small neighborhood convenience store just east of downtown Framingham.
"When you stare down a barrel of a gun and survive, man, it changes you just like that," Tavarez said, snapping his fingers.
On Thursday, at 9:30 p.m., a shadowy figure in a red, hooded sweatshirt burst into the store on Kendall Street, pointed a .22-caliber handgun at Tavarez's face, and said, "Give me your money."
Tavarez, a soft-spoken father of two, was alone, sitting and watching CNN on a small monitor on the counter.
Only the man's eyes were visible. Tavarez said he looked at those eyes for a fraction of a second, then rose from his cushioned office chair. He yanked his .45-caliber handgun from its hip holster, cocked the gun, and pointed it at the man, he said.
The would-be robber yelled an expletive and sprinted toward the front door. Tavarez fired, aiming for the man's lower body, but the bullet pierced the store's portable ATM, located near the front door. The suspect fled down Freeman Street.
Framingham and State Police are continuing to search for the suspect.
Tavarez, 38, who has owned the store for two years, said yesterday that he acted out of instinct, although he had never been in such a situation.
"It was survival," he said. "I thought I was going to get shot, and I decided I didn't want to go out like that. He probably thought I was a soft target."
Tavarez said other people who find themselves in a robbery situation should just hand over the money.
Lieutenant Paul Shastany of the Framingham police agreed.
"We don't recommend that people try to outdraw or outduel a suspect with a gun," he said. "In most cases that ends tragically."
Other than a grainy photograph taken from a video surveillance camera inside the store, police have no leads, Shastany said.
Tavarez has carried a gun permit since 1994 and often goes to shooting ranges with his friends, some of whom are police officers.
He wears the weapon to the store because he often works alone. Tavarez is also a part-time constable. He occasionally delivers court orders or divorce papers.
"I've wondered what I would do in a situation like that, and I guess I found out last night," Tavarez said, moments after chatting with a Framingham police detective inside the store.
"What I did had a lot to do with my daughters," he said. "I wouldn't want them to grow up without a father."
Tavarez's longtime girlfriend - Julie Rodriguez, 33, who is the mother of his daughters, ages 14 and 5 - said he is not a violent person.
"But he's not afraid to stand his ground," she added. "I don't think he would hurt anyone, but what happened, his reaction, I would expect that from him."
Shastany said that on Saturday, a check-cashing store less than a quarter-mile from A&J Grocery was robbed. The suspects tied the clerk's hands with duct tape and locked her in the bathroom.
"It's just not normal for the downtown area," Shastany said.
He said the department is increasing its patrols of the area. He said the robberies do not appear to be connected.
People who frequent Tavarez's store described him as likable.
"I came in the other day, and I didn't have enough change for a 12-ounce soda, but he just took my 75 cents and said that's fine," said Tom Roy, , 19, a frequent customer, "so he's a real cool guy."