A man was arrested for stealing a 12-pack of beer and
a roll of electrical tape from a convenience store after authorities
tracked him down when his wheelchair got stuck in sand behind the store,
Chiefland Police said.
John Christopher Champion,
22, who robbed the store with a pocket knife, and told the clerk that
authorities wouldn't arrest a person with disabilities, the newspaper
reported.
Champion was found drinking
a Bud Light Lime and "very intoxicated," the incident report said. He
faces charges of armed robbery and aggravated battery, the newspaper
reported.
The robbery was caught on surveillance cameras, police said.
The clerk told authorities
that a man in a motorized wheelchair had been going in and out of the
store for hours on Wednesday, and around 9:45 p.m. he came to the back
of the counter holding a knife, and demanded money, authorities said.
According to the report,
Champion said he told the clerk to "push the panic button becasue the
police would not arrest a handicapped person."
The clerk struggled with
him and after he tried to stab her, she ended up stabbing him in the leg
three times, but he overpowered her and took the beer and tape, which
were valued at $20, authorities said.
Champion told authorities that he had stolen items from the store but didn't rob it, the report said.
The knife wasn't found, and Champion told authorities he had thrown it in the woods so no one would find it., the report said.
It wasn't immediately known if he had an attorney.
