By Mark Leberfinger, mleberfinger@altoonamirror.com
POSTED: January 17, 2009
An incapacitating shock from a Taser quickly ended a robbery attempt at a pharmacy in Altoona Friday morning.
Adam Lee Thompson, 26, of 3192 Coupon-Gallitzin Road, Ashville, was taken into custody in the parking lot of The Medicine Shoppe, 2411 Eighth Ave.
He was arrested on charges of robbery, criminal attempt, simple assault and possession of instruments of crime, Altoona police said.
The robbery occurred as pharmacist Jim Rosenthall opened for business at 9 a.m.
A clerk told two customers Friday afternoon that ”Jim got to use his Taser today.”
One of them asked if there was a robbery.
The clerk said, ”Yes.”
The man left the business, but he was followed by Rosenthall and a customer.
”A customer tackled him, and Jim used his Taser on him,” the clerk said.
”Good for you,” the customer said.
Rosenthall didn’t enter the conversation.
He apologized and declined comment when asked about the robbery attempt.
Thompson wore a ski mask and brandished a knife in his demand for OxyContin from the pharmacy, arrest papers state.
Later in the day, he covered his head and face with the hood of his jacket and lowered his head while officers Shane Strobel and Daniel Noel took Thompson into Magisterial District Judge Todd F. Kelly’s office for arraignment.
”I’m not proud of what I did,” Thompson told Strobel and Noel before they took him to Blair County Prison.
Thompson was committed to the county lockup on a Cambria County probation detainer and in lieu of $30,000 cash bail.
Rosenthall bought two Tasers, both the civilian Taser C2 model, after a July knifepoint robbery at his business, said the seller, Scott Henck of East Coast Gun Sales.
”We trained [him] and his employees on how to use them, what to expect and what they would do,” Henck said.
The C2 is similar to the law enforcement model carried locally by Logan Township and state police except for the effective distance it will fire its probes that carry the incapacitating shock, and the duration of the charge, Henck said.
”It was a win-win situation. No one was hurt,” he said.
Rosenthall received a replacement unit from East Coast until Taser International can send him a new one, Henck said.
Thompson’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in Central Court.
POSTED: January 17, 2009
An incapacitating shock from a Taser quickly ended a robbery attempt at a pharmacy in Altoona Friday morning.
Adam Lee Thompson, 26, of 3192 Coupon-Gallitzin Road, Ashville, was taken into custody in the parking lot of The Medicine Shoppe, 2411 Eighth Ave.
He was arrested on charges of robbery, criminal attempt, simple assault and possession of instruments of crime, Altoona police said.
The robbery occurred as pharmacist Jim Rosenthall opened for business at 9 a.m.
A clerk told two customers Friday afternoon that ”Jim got to use his Taser today.”
One of them asked if there was a robbery.
The clerk said, ”Yes.”
The man left the business, but he was followed by Rosenthall and a customer.
”A customer tackled him, and Jim used his Taser on him,” the clerk said.
”Good for you,” the customer said.
Rosenthall didn’t enter the conversation.
He apologized and declined comment when asked about the robbery attempt.
Thompson wore a ski mask and brandished a knife in his demand for OxyContin from the pharmacy, arrest papers state.
Later in the day, he covered his head and face with the hood of his jacket and lowered his head while officers Shane Strobel and Daniel Noel took Thompson into Magisterial District Judge Todd F. Kelly’s office for arraignment.
”I’m not proud of what I did,” Thompson told Strobel and Noel before they took him to Blair County Prison.
Thompson was committed to the county lockup on a Cambria County probation detainer and in lieu of $30,000 cash bail.
Rosenthall bought two Tasers, both the civilian Taser C2 model, after a July knifepoint robbery at his business, said the seller, Scott Henck of East Coast Gun Sales.
”We trained [him] and his employees on how to use them, what to expect and what they would do,” Henck said.
The C2 is similar to the law enforcement model carried locally by Logan Township and state police except for the effective distance it will fire its probes that carry the incapacitating shock, and the duration of the charge, Henck said.
”It was a win-win situation. No one was hurt,” he said.
Rosenthall received a replacement unit from East Coast until Taser International can send him a new one, Henck said.
Thompson’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in Central Court.
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