The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

4 Walmart workers grab man who beat cashier during robbery

Neighbors still trying  to recover from fatal fire
Updated 29 min. ago
Churches want end to ‘shooting and killing’
10:56 p.m.
Gun turn-in will include some questions
10:54 p.m.
State jobless rate jumps to 10.5 percent
10:12 p.m.
Area bike trail gets $250K for development
10:02 p.m.
> More headlines

By Katherine Ullmer, Staff Writer Updated 8:57 PM Wednesday, November 4, 2009

MORAINE — Four male employees at the Moraine Walmart were able to grab and hold a man who beat and knocked a cashier to the ground while attempting to take cash from her register early Wednesday morning, Nov. 4, police said.

Moraine Det. Paul Guess said police got a call at 7:15 a.m. this morning of a robbery in progress at the Moraine Walmart, 1701 W. Dorothy Lane.

He said a female cashier was dealing with a transaction and had the drawer open when she was rushed from behind by a man who punched her two times in the upper torso and neck area. He knocked her to the ground as he attempted to forcefully remove the cash drawer from the register, Guess said.

“As he attempted to do that four Walmart male employees grabbed him and held him on the ground until police showed up,” he said.

Guess identified the suspect as Gregory F. Clark, 34.

“Currently he is telling us he is homeless,” Guess said.

After his arrest, the man said he attempted the robbery because he is an alcoholic and needed money to buy alcohol and get a bus ticket, possibly out of state, possibly to Arkansas, Guess said.

Guess said Clark is currently being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a charge of use of force in a robbery, a second degree felony.

The female cashier, who lives in Dayton, did not want to go to the hospital but complained of injury to her rib cage, neck and upper chest area, he said.

Anna Taylor, spokeswoman for Walmart in Bentonville, Ark., said they could provide no local interviews because they want to protect their employees.

“There’s nothing more important to us than the safety of our customers and our associates. That’s always our top priority.”

All Walmart stores work closely with area law enforcement to determine safety needs and will make improvements as needed, including adding security cameras, parking lot lighting or officer patrols, Taylor said.

Taylor declined to discuss any safety measures taken at any individual store, because revealing those practices would compromise security.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2341 or kullmer@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Share this article