Had an incident today...opinions

[3 TEN]

So I am pretty much an owner of my own plubic buisneness. I had a so called customer come in today but act real shady( i am located in north aurora). He came in texting or something on the phone. He then stood in the same spot and kept at it with his phone and looked around here and there. He would not purchase anything and when spoken to just nod his head. I notice the whole time he would not let his left hand leave his sweater. I then became really suspicious and slowly adjusted my carry weapon to a super fast draw. Remember it had now been about 10 min of him doing absolutely nothing in the store. I then began running a lot of different scenarios through my head, started thinking about how in 2 months I am going to be a father, what about my employees, etc. Then I decided I need to get him out the door and see what his actual intentions are in my store. It has now been about 15-20 minutes. As I walk to the backroom I take a quick glance at him and I can see him stare at me out of the corner of his eyes. I watch him through the camera and watch him every now and then stare towards the backroom. If this was a robbery, I knew being back there and him not knowing what one person was doing would possibly deter him from doing anything. After about 20-30 he finally picks something up and purchases the item. As he leaves I watch him through another camera. Staring directly at his face he then pauses, look back at the backroom once more, nod his head, and leaves.


I found this VERY suspicious as a robbery attempt and would like some opinions to what others may think? Am I just being paranoid? I also would like opinions on if there was a robbery actually take place and god forbid but I had to draw my firearm, when would be the right time? Does he have to fire at me to be consider defending my life? Of course coughing up whatever he wants would be the number 1 thing for me to do but just so many "what ifs" I had to post and hear some opinions. Thanks guys

[3 TEN]

I also forgot to mention a APD LEO that tends to drop by my business on occasion drop buy and told me to beware that there were a string of robberies around the neighborhood. Also is this something I should report? Thanks again

[rondog]

I think you should report it and offer the video, might help them.

[Irving]

Report it and go with your gut. If someone is giving you bad vibes and just standing around, make them buy something or leave. Better to make one guy angry than be robbed because you didn't take action.

[Jmetz]

Dunno that you should report it. It was suspicious but he did nothing wrong. IMO you should have confronted him and asked if there was something you could help him with. If someone comes into my lobby and stands around for more then a minute without doing anything that's what I do. It opens dialect, and initiates action.

[Irving]

No harm in reporting suspicious activity.

[ldmaster]

Your gut said "bad guy" therefore, it was a bad guy.

But consider, also, that today was a cold day - and there are an increasing number of people who take advantage of the free warmth offered by businesses while they wait for other things to happen.

APD wont use your info, trust me on this, it will go nowhere. But make a copy of the tape/video for your future reference. Don't know if you're using digital or VHS tapes, but VHS tapes have a measured shelf life and more than one business owner has gone to review an incident, only to have horrible image quality.

It's always difficult to know what to do. But I find that doing things out of the ordinary seem to offer some rewards. Get out from behind the counter, go do something (anything) that's behind the bad guy. Offer to help him find something, this often gets you a better feel as to why they are there.

Frankly a lot of customers are just RUDE people these days, and think nothing of coming in, using your bathroom and other amenities you provide for your real customers.

The single robber scenario is usually:

Hang out in the back of the store.
Wait til no customers are queued up.
Approach the clerk and ask for something that will necessitate the clerk either turn their back, or otherwise espose themselves. This is a most vulnerable moment, because it almost seems like they're a real customer at this point. Almost all armed robberies at retail stores start with an innocuous purchase, like cigarettes.

But if your gut says danger, then there's danger!

But about now you should be standing behind your counter, and practicing drills to draw from concealment (I assume you carry concealed), getting the gun out at need is diffucult enough - train your body to do what you need to do BEFORE you need to do it. I'd also suggest carrying a second pistol, one you can get to if you are crouching down or prone (like an ankle gun), consider the physical positions you might get into and accomodate them. A panic alarm with a loud siren isn't a bad idea either. Doesn't need to be connected to anything. Set it off, and then tell the bad guy it's the fire alarm and he needs to leave.

This kind of stuff always catches you slightly off-balance, the more you listen to your instincts the better chance you have to stay alive. The adrenaline dump is the most confusing part of things, the sweating and heart palpitations, the feeling that you gotta run or DO something - then the inevitable need to go to the bathroom after it's over. It makes you feel slightly powerless in the immediate aftermath, until you realize that your body was doing everything it needed to do to help you stay alive and it's not a hinderance as long as you know WHY it's happening.

[Byte Stryke]

+1
Make a DIGITAL Copy to preserve video quality.
ALWAYS trust your instincts, when the SHTF and its you out there alone, its all you have.

IF you feel a person is a predator, shift.
Do not wait for him/Her to initiate. Don't let them become comfortable in your environment.
Remember:
Contact, Contact, Contact.
"Can I help you Find Anything today?"
"We have a special on _______."
"Pretty Cold out today, they are calling for snow this weekend."
"Are you waiting for someone?"
BE POLITE but FOCUSED

If you contact an idle customer every 3-5 Minutes they either Buy something and leave or just leave.
Either way, it's an idle customer that was giving you the heeby-jeebies and you were polite about it.

Just my 2 cents


edit: if you have someone else in the back and your sense is that its "bad getting worse", call the PD and ask for a courtesy visit.
It cant hurt

[3 TEN]

Thanks guys for the suggestions and comments. I'm going to have to think about things a lot more. "I" am going have to change how I handle things as well. Thanks again so much for all the advise.

[Byte Stryke]

so now begs the question,
Do you want us to visit your business when we are in the area?
Where are you and whats the name?
What do you sell?