Two employees and a Tulsa store customer nab a robbery suspect

Thursday, February 24th 2005, 11:56 am

By: News On 6

A couple of Tulsa store clerks and a customer turned the tables on a would-be thief. They say a man reached for cash out of a register, but got a big surprise instead. The man could also be responsible for other robberies.

News on 6 anchor Craig Day says most days at the Family Dollar on Admiral are nice and quiet. That wasn't the case last Friday, when a man tried to grab money from the register.

Donna Bergum and Dawn Schuh were working at the store. Donna Bergum: "Reached into her drawer to grab the money out of the drawer. At that time Dawn slammed his hand into the register." Dawn Schuh: "I had no sooner opened the cash register to hand Donald his change, when this gentleman lunged across the register, so I just slammed it on him."

Donald is the customer who then put the would be thief in a headlock. That's when Donna and Dawn jumped on top of the man, pinning him. Dawn Schuh: "My whole body is on him, literally. I'm not letting him up. He's fighting. He's trying to buck me like a bull and I'm just holding on."

Tulsa Police arrested 27 year old Stephen Williams. Dawn and Donna say the entire time the man was pinned down on the floor here in front of the register, he was flopping around like a fish trying to get free. He was screaming for them to let him go because he says he was being hurt. Even though he tried, he never made it to the front door.

Williams is in the Tulsa County jail on counts of aggravated assault and battery, robbery by force and resisting arrest. Donna Bergum: "He's probably thinking don't go to the Family Dollar on Admiral and Sheridan because those girls will take you down." Dawn Schuh: "He deserved it. It will teach him a lesson. I hope he does time for it and I hope he tells all his buddies not to try it again."

Tulsa Police are also looking into whether Stephen Williams is responsible for several other robberies including several recent robberies at area Quik Trip stores.