The video shows a masked gunman demanding cash from Amrik Singh’s cash register.
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“I had (not) planned to do something”, said Singh, a 58-year-old married father-of-two and a longtime Hyde Park resident. “The quarters fell to the floor, and then the tray falls”, said Singh, a native of India who came to the United States 35 years ago.
However, as the suspect reaches into the till, the shopkeeper tries to grab him, causing the alleged raider to step back.
It happened around 8 p.m. Tuesday night at a Citgo gas station in Staatsburg, which is in Dutchess County. But at first, “I tried to give him money”. “He shoots the gun at my feet”. A short struggle ensued outside of the store where the suspect fired a round from the shotgun, striking the ground. The mark from the shot was clearly visible in the lot surrounding the gas station Wednesday.
An outside camera shows Singh chasing the man into the parking lot, where the gunman got into a vehicle and fled the scene.
The man is said to have headed north on Route 9 in a dark-colored vehicle.
A man comes from the side of the building, walking hunched over to avoid detection, a mask covering his face and a shotgun in his hand. “He didn’t get anything”.
Singh said he now is considering arming himself in the store. That officer helped Singh contact authorities.
“With God with me, I’m not scared of nothing”, Singh said.
State Police Investigator Robert Torre said by the time cops arrived, the fearless businessman realized the risk he took. Singh said he keeps very little cash in the store because most customers pay with credit cards. “He didn’t deserve this to happen to him and I want them to catch” the suspect.
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“I don’t have a gun, but I might get a license to get a gun for my safety”, he said. “I’m not a hero …” But he yells ‘I want 100s, give me the 100s!
