8 a.m. March 15, 2010

Party store customer swipes masked man's gun, kills him

The robber and two other men were robbing the Super Y party store at the corner of Middlebelt and Ecorse roads when the customer walked in with a woman at 9:30 p.m., Romulus Police Sgt. Corey Sadler said today.

"The male customer and the gunman began fighting each other for control of the weapon," Sadler said. "Pretty crazy, but it worked out for him. He was able to get control of the gun, and was able to shoot two rounds, fatally wounding the gunman."

Two other robbers who were forcing a store employee to empty the safe at gunpoint escaped out a back door. Police are still searching for them and the driver of the getaway car, a black, four-door 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix with license plate CCR0052, Sadler said. They were last seen driving north on Middlebelt.