Nikki Unger has seen a lot working behind the counter at Corky’s Liquor Bin downtown Chilliwack, so she was more annoyed then scared to see a handgun pointed at her on Monday.
Despite being confronted by a gun held by a male in a black raincoat with the hood up over his head, his face covered except for his eyes, Unger’s instinct was that it was a gag, a guy being a jerk.
“I said ‘For real dude?'” Unger said Wednesday. “I thought he was joking. He said, ‘I’m not kidding. I’m actually robbing you.’ He had to tell me three times to open the register.”
Unger said she stared at the gun, which looked pretty detailed even if it was a replica so when she saw a customer pull up, she realized she shouldn’t take any chances.
The customer who pulled up was a Corky’s regular so she figured she should just hand over the cash.
“I didn’t need the robber to get nervous and unhappy or for [the customer] to be need to be a hero.”
The whole exchange lasted only about 30 seconds and the robber was gone with the contents of the register. Right after he is seen leaving in the video, a customer comes in and Unger yells at the robber, telling the customer to lock the door, which he does. Then she calls 911.
Because of the firearm involved, Chilliwack RCMP descended on the scene immediately. In a press release issued Wednesday, RCMP added that the male suspect fled with an undisclosed amount of money on a dark coloured bicycle.
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He is described as: Caucasian male; approximately 5’9″; with a black rain jacket, blue jeans, gloves and white running shoes. He was also carrying a two-toned, white with red striped and dark bottom, reusable bag.
“He looked more scared than I did when I looked him in the eyes,” Unger said. “That’s all I could see, his eyes looked really wide. He was either terrified or shocked.”
Given some of the clientele at Corky’s, regulars, some hard drinkers on the street, many working class folks who come in, Unger said there was immediate anger about the incident among her regulars.
She said the RCMP were concerned a group of angry people out front pacing were going to get to the thief before police could.
“This is close to home for a lot of them,” she said. “This is personal for them. They are upset now, which is nice.”
Anyone with information about this armed robbery suspect is asked to contact the Chilliwack RCMP at 604-792-4611 or, to remain anonymous, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
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