Armed robbers takeover a Red Lobster

[Amp Mangum]

Earlier in the month a customer was killed in the parking lot.

www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/8173961/

What would you have done if you were there?

[terrymo]

If I knew that earlier in the month somone was shot in the parking lot, I would not be at the restaurant in the first place. Even though I would be an off duty L.E. and carrying concealed, if I was there with my family having dinner I would give them my money and be a good witness unless I was forced into something that was worth risking the life of my family over. Too many unknowns in the scenario and it would be up to the individual who was there in the circumstance to decide.

[Amp Mangum]

That's what I would do also.

[matemike]

weird...i ate at a red lobster one time when i was a kid...later that night...after we had left...two guys pulled out guns...forced everybody into the big freezer(s) and took all the cash

don't know if they ever got caught

[Alpha Sierra]

Is it a felony to carry in a restaurant that serves liquor in NC?

[RWK]

Is it a felony to carry in a restaurant that serves liquor in NC?

Misdemeanor; and it's any place where alcoholic beverages are sold and consumed.

[MarshallDodge]

This is a tough call. On one hand I want to relax and let them take the money without creating danger for the other patrons but on the other I want to show them that crime does not pay.

A fellow forum member and I enjoy eating at a Mexican restaurant after a few rounds at the nearby range. Early this year there was a robbery at the restaurant (link to story with pictures of robbery taking place)

Many thoughts run through my head when I see these pictures because I have sat in the booths behind the men. If I had the opportunity to stop them but stood by while they pulled the trigger I would definitely feel some guilt for not taking action.

[500grains]

I think they got the idea from Pulp Fiction.

"They robbed everybody in here," the caller said. The suspects made off with cash and cell phones from both employees and customers, as well as the contents of cash registers, the caller told dispatchers.

My philosophy is that the longer you wait, the worse it gets. So my inclination is to take action asap. Of course my preferred course of action would be to run away, if possible. But note that it is not exactly a rare event for ghetto perps to shoot robbery victims after the robbery is complete, apparently just for fun.

[ghettomedic]

This happened in my first-due EMS district, FWIW.

Having been in that building before, and assuming the robbers came in the front door, I'd try to escape out the back through the kitchen if I thought something bad was about to go down.

If you weren't able to e/e in this situation, I think you've got to hand over your money and keep a low profile unless they begin shooting first. It is not at all uncommon in Durham to have robberies with unloaded weapons or replicas/pellet guns, etc and I wouldn't want to engage 3 armed men unless I KNEW lives would be saved. Be a good witness, try to get plates on the car, note direction of travel.

It's funny, when I first watched the Magpul Dynamic Handgun DVDs, I thought, "All this 'If you're being held at gunpoint, do this, not this.' is silly. The only place that's going to happen is in a bank, where I am not legally allowed to carry anyways." The fact that this happened in an area where I frequently go out to eat, shop, go bowling, etc. was very much an eye-opener, and I would certainly not consider myself ignorant of the bad stuff that goes on in the world.

Carry in NC restaurants that serve alcohol for consumption on the premises is a no go. I need to re-read the statute, if it really is a misdemeanor that may change some things.

[RWK]

Carry in NC restaurants that serve alcohol for consumption on the premises is a no go. I need to re-read the statute, if it really is a misdemeanor that may change some things.

What it means is that your permit isn't valid inside said establishment and you would be carrying an illegally concealed firearm; which is a misdemeanor in NC for the first offense, felony for second or more.