Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Sam Penrod ReportingStore video camera caught a robbery in progress at an Orem business over the weekend. The woman gave the robber the money, but resisted his efforts to tie her up. So what should you do if you ever find yourself in a similar situation?
That video has people talking today, it is even showing up on national TV. Many people are asking, 'What should I do if that happens to me?' So we talked to police for some answers.
It was a terrifying three minutes for the woman working at an Orem check cashing business. A man ran into the store and jumped over the counter, taking her to the ground, and pointing a fake gun at her. She let him into the safe, which police say was the right move.
Police: "There was nothing in that safe that was worth her life, and so she gave him the money and we recommend you do that."
When the robber tried forcing the victim into a back room, she fought back and resisted his efforts to tie her up and cover her eyes with duct tape.
Police: "It is impossible to make a hard and fast rule, this is the degree that you fight or resist or this is the degree that you are passive and submit. Now, had he become a lot more aggressive, then she may have had to re evaluated her level of resistance."
Police say every situation is different and that each robber will have their own motives for the crime, but the best advice is to give them what they want and get them away from you.
Police: "To defend a few dollars in the cash register with somebody who may be armed with a knife or gun just doesn't make sense. Most of these things happen when the bad guy comes in and he gets what he wants and he leaves. And anything you can do to get him out the door is going to help your chances of getting through it okay."
Again, police point out that every situation is different and requires a different response.
The woman who was robbed in the video is out of state right now on a well deserved vacation.
