ELLIJAY, Ga. — An armed robbery suspect was subdued by three customers who were legally carrying concealed guns at an Ellijay gas station on Monday, police said.
Just before 6:30 p.m., a man walked into the Ideal Mart at 31 Old Northcutt Rd. pretending to be a customer buying an energy drink, according to police. As he walked up to the register, police said that he pulled up a pair of underwear he had on his neck to cover his face.
He then walked behind the counter and took out what police described as a .45 caliber pistol and held it to the head of the gas station clerk. The suspect demanded the clerk to give him all of the money, according to a statement from Ellijay Police.
A customer inside the gas station then pulled out a pistol, he was legally carrying, and helped intervene during the attempted armed robbery, police said. A second customer went to his car, grabbed his pistol, and went back inside to help the first customer subdue the suspect.
As the suspect was attempting to leave after the two men had their guns drawn, a third customer who was at a gas station pump, came inside with his gun to help the other two customers, according to police.
After they unarmed the suspect, the first customer ordered the other two to not shoot the man, police said.
After officers arrived, they noticed the man kept trying to leave the gas station. Police said they were forced to use a Taser on him after he failed to comply with their commands to get down.
Officers also found the suspect's wife in their parked car outside the gas station at the time of the attempted armed robbery. They were both arrested, according to police.
The man is being charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. They are both being held in the Gilmer County Adult Detention Center without bond.
