It's Probably the 911 Operator's Brother

Published: Monday, February 24, 2003 at 12:45 p.m.
Last Modified: Monday, February 24, 2003 at 12:45 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA
A would-be robber got more than he bargained for when he walked into Discount Tobacco Outlet Monday morning.

Instead of making off with a bundle of cash, the teenager was led in handcuffs from the
high-traffic Alberta City business with cuts, bruises and a felony charge. Manager Michael
McCain was working at Discount Tobacco Outlet, 2604 University Boulevard East, at 8:35 a.m. Monday, when a 19-year-old man came in and demanded money. McCain refused, and tackled the teenager as he left the store."I held him down and hit him a few times, and told him he needed to get a job," McCain said.

Police arrived and arrested Travis Jamar Johnson. He was charged with first-degree robbery.

He said that he recognized the man as a regular customer and didn't believe him once he made his intentions to rob the store known."He came up and said `This is a robbery' and told me to give him all the money in the register. I said `No, hell no, get on out of here," McCain said. "There were two cops sitting across the street. It was ridiculous."McCain realized that Johnson was serious when he pulled up his shirt to reveal a .380-caliber pistol in the waistband of his pants. Police later
determined that the gun was unloaded and stolen. McCain walked into the storage room and shut the door. From there, he could watch surveillance monitor as he called police. He watched Johnson step behind the counter briefly, and turn to leave the store as a customer walked in.That was when McCain emerged from the back room and jumped on Johnson as he walked out of the store.

"He would've just walked off, I didn't want him to get away," he said.

Tuscaloosa Police Capt. Mitt Tubbs said that McCain took a chance by taking matters into his own hands. Instead, he said robbery victims should call police and give a good description of the robber."We're equipped and trained to handle that and the average citizen is not. That's a decision they have to make - we don't recommend it, especially if someone is armed with a weapon," he said. "You can always replace property."